# Indiana HB 1679: Various elections matters.

Indiana HB 1679, Various elections matters., is a First Regular Session 124th General Assembly (2025) House bill sponsored by Timothy Wesco (Republican); status signed, last action 2025-05-06 (Signed by the Governor); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-17).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IN-HB1679-2025
- As of: 2026-10-17
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: Indiana HB 1679
- State: Indiana
- Session: First Regular Session 124th General Assembly (2025)
- Title: Various elections matters.
- Status: signed
- Chamber: House
- Introduced: 2025-01-21
- Last action: 2025-05-06, Signed by the Governor
- Sponsor: Timothy Wesco (Republican)
- Cosponsors: 2
- Subjects: elections and apportionment, the senate, elections, appropriations
- Touches household money: yes
- Roll calls: 7 (445 yes, 106 no in all)
- Economic provisions PRIA read: 17

## Summary

Modifies the definition of "candidate". Provides that certain documents and material generated for or used by a political party caucus to select a person to fill a vacancy in an elected office are the property of the political party. Provides that the office of the circuit court clerk must remain closed on primary election day and general election day. Provides that the circuit court clerk shall perform required duties to conduct elections on primary election day and general election day. Specifies that the circuit court clerk is not required to perform on primary election day and general election day a duty other than conducting elections. Requires a county, city, town, township, or school to provide to an employee of a local government office who requests leave to serve: (1) on primary election day or general election day; and (2) as a precinct election officer; a paid day of leave to serve as a precinct election officer. Specifies an exception. Requires certain redistricting authorities to redistrict election districts or recertify existing election districts within the statutory deadlines and withholds payment to aa member of a redistricting authority for failure to do so. Prescribes fees to be charged by the election division for particular products and services. Changes the manner in which a copy of a complaint is to be provided to members of the Indiana election commission. Specifies the term of a chairman of a county election board, circumstances under which the chairman is considered to have vacated the office, and the process for electing a member of the board to serve as chairman following a vacancy. Provides that a person must: (1) be at least 18 years of age at the next general, municipal, or special election; (2) be a United States citizen; and (3) reside in a precinct continuously before a general, municipal, or special election for at least 30 days; to register to vote in that precinct and may, upon making a proper application, register to vote in that precinct. Requires absentee activity reports and other election day reports to be provided by a certain time and provides exceptions. Requires the county voter registration official to take certain actions concerning potential nonresidential addresses not later than August 1 of each year. Provides that the county voter registration official may not enter a nonresidential address into the statewide voter registration system as a voter's registration address. Provides that the spouse of a service member may elect to use the same residence as the member. Requires a county voter registration office to conduct a voter list maintenance program within 48 hours of receiving certain information. Allows a county voter registration office to use, for purposes of voter list maintenance: (1) information received by the county voter registration office indicating that a voter has moved to another state; (2) the return of an absentee ballot sent by the county election board to a voter because of an unknown or insufficient address. Requires a county voter registration office that receives information indicating that a voter has moved to another state to mail a specified form to the voter. Specifies that a full-time employee of the department of homeland security who is prohibited from participating in political activities is disqualified from assuming or being a candidate for an elected office. Requires a write-in candidate for a school board office to file a declaration of intent to be a write-in candidate with the county election board. Provides, for purposes of stating a candidate's affiliation with a political party in a declaration of candidacy, that if a candidate cast a nonpartisan ballot at an election held at either of the two most recent primary elections in which the candidate voted, a certification by the county chairman is required. Provides that, under certain circumstances, a county election board is not required to compile: (1) the addresses of persons for whom declarations of candidacy have been filed; or (2) information concerning precinct committeemen or state convention delegates. Specifies that a circuit court clerk who is required to conduct a special election is not required to publish the address of a candidate. Requires candidates for school board office and their candidate's committees to file required instruments with the county election board. Requires the names of all: (1) candidates for presidential electors and alternate presidential electors; and (2) nominees for President and Vice President of the United States; to be certified to the election division not later than noon September 1 before the general election. (Current law requires certification not later than noon on the second Tuesday in September before the general election.) Allows the county election board, by unanimous vote of the board's entire membership, to use bound materials instead of a paper envelope or bag in certain circumstances. Requires a voter registration application or absentee ballot application requested through electronic mail by a voter with print disabilities to be provided by electronic mail. (Current law permits providing these documents by fax or mail in certain circumstances.) Allows an individual to submit: (1) a replacement ballot statement request; and (2) a written replacement ballot request; by electronic mail. Repeals a provision that prohibits a voter from: (1) taking a digital image or photograph of the voter's ballot while in a polling place, except in specified circumstances; and (2) distributing or sharing the image using social media or by any other means. Requires that a voter entitled to cast an absentee ballot before an absentee voter board mark the voter's political party ballot selection on the electronic poll book instead of communicating the selection to the poll clerks. Permits a vendor to dispose of a voting system unit or an electronic poll book unit by transferring possession of the unit to a state or county historical society in Indiana. Specifies circumstances in which a candidate filing a petition for a recount or contest is liable for the expenses chargeable to another party. Provides that a petition for a recount or contest may not be filed earlier than noon 10 days after election day. Specifies, with regard to filling a candidate vacancy for a local office, that an authorization to fill vacancies given to a county chairman or a county committee expires at the time of the next election for precinct committeemen for the party with which the county chairman or county committee is affiliated. Provides that action to fill an early candidate vacancy must be taken not earlier than May 8 after the primary election if the vacancy exists on a general or municipal election ballot. Provides that if only one person seeks to fill a vacancy in a local office held by a major political party, a caucus vote is not required and the county chairman may select that person to fill the vacancy. Provides that certain state officers are liable to impeachment for crime, incapacity, or negligence in office. (Current law provides that these officers are liable to impeachment for any misdemeanor in office.) Specifies, for purposes of nepotism provisions, that the performance of certain duties of an absentee voter board, an absentee ballot counter, a provisional ballot counter, or an absentee ballot courier is not considered employment by a unit.

## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read

- Paid leave for local election workers: benefit, medium. Beginning July 1, 2025, county, city, town, township, and school employees can request one paid day off for precinct election service. The leave covers primary and general election days. Employees also receive pay for serving as precinct election officers. Employers do not have to grant leave when…
- Candidate announcements leave out home addresses: benefit, low. Beginning July 1, 2025, county election boards and circuit court clerks publish candidate names without home addresses. This applies to candidate announcements for primary and special elections.
- Easier application access with print disabilities: benefit, low. Beginning July 1, 2025, voters with print disabilities can request registration or absentee ballot applications by email or online instead of fax. After an email request, the election office must email the application by the end of the next business day when able.
- Voters can email replacement ballot requests: benefit, low. Voters can email the county election board a replacement-ballot statement for a mailed ballot that is destroyed, spoiled, lost, or delayed beyond reasonable delivery time. Missing bipartisan initials or an unsigned envelope also qualify; voters must affirm the facts under penalties of perjury. Emai…
- Election boards gain ballot storage option: benefit, low. Beginning July 1, 2025, county election boards can use bound materials instead of required paper envelopes or bags. Every board member must agree. This option cannot be used for provisional ballot materials.
- Clerk offices close on election days: cost, low. Beginning July 1, 2025, circuit court clerk offices must close on primary and general election days. Clerks must still perform required election duties but do not have to provide other clerk services those days.
- Election meeting fees support administrator training: cost, low. Effective upon passage, Election Division instructional meeting attendance costs $400, plus $50 when paid after the division's deadline. A publication set costs $70; election-code materials, related laws, legislative summaries, and later supplements cost $20. Election district or precinct maps cost…
- Losing recount petitioners face added expenses: cost, low. A candidate who loses a recount or election contest must pay expenses chargeable to another party when the vote-margin rule applies. The winner's lead over the petitioner must equal at least 10% of the total votes. The petitioner also remains responsible for the required cash deposit. The law does…
- Missed redistricting deadlines can stop pay: cost, low. Beginning July 1, 2025, redistricting authority members lose entitlement to legally fixed salaries or fees when their authority misses required deadlines. The restriction lasts until the authority redraws election districts or recertifies existing districts as required.
- Some homeland security employees cannot run: cost, low. Beginning July 1, 2025, full-time Indiana Department of Homeland Security employees barred by law from political activity cannot seek or hold covered elected offices. The disqualification does not apply to candidates for federal office.
- Election service does not count as employment: cost, low. Beginning July 1, 2025, listed election duties do not count as employment by the local government. This covers precinct election officers, absentee voter board members, absentee and provisional ballot counters, and absentee ballot couriers. The rule limits employment status for this service; it doe…
- Candidates face broader campaign reporting rules: cost, low. Beginning July 1, 2025, campaign-finance candidate status applies after more than $100 in contributions or spending by someone or their authorized campaign. It also applies through principal-committee duties, contribution limits, expense restrictions, or campaign-message rules, including fabricated…
- Officials face broader grounds for impeachment: cost, low. Beginning July 1, 2025, covered state officers, judges, prosecutors, and county, city, town, and township officers face impeachment for crime, incapacity, or negligence in office. These grounds replace the former misdemeanor-in-office ground. Indiana Supreme Court justices and Court of Appeals and…
- Presidential nominations need September certification: cost, low. Beginning July 1, 2025, parties and petitioners must certify presidential and vice-presidential nominees to the Indiana Election Division. Presidential elector and alternate elector candidates must also be certified. The deadline is noon on September 1 before the general election.
- School board candidates face filing requirements: cost, low. School board write-in candidates must file a declaration of intent with the county election board. Beginning July 1, 2025, school board candidates and their committees must file required campaign-finance papers in each county within their election district.
- Faster voter address checks and notices: mixed, low. Beginning July 1, 2025, county registration offices must start voter-list maintenance within 48 hours of receiving information requiring action. Authorized sources include out-of-state move information and absentee ballots returned because an address is unknown or insufficient. When information ind…
- Parties get new vacancy selection rules: mixed, low. Beginning July 1, 2025, a county party chair can select the only person seeking a caucus vacancy without a vote. Multiple candidates require a secret ballot. Records from caucuses filling elected-office vacancies remain party property and must be kept under party rules. Authorizations granted under…

## Sponsors and cosponsors

- Sponsor: Timothy Wesco (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Linda Rogers (Republican), Senate
- Cosponsor: Mike Gaskill (Republican), Senate

## Roll call votes

| Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2025-04-24 | Senate | Rules Suspended. Conference Committee Report 1: adopted by the Senate | pass | 41 | 7 |   |
| 2025-04-24 | House | Rules Suspended. Conference Committee Report 1: adopted by the House | pass | 63 | 24 |   |
| 2025-04-15 | Senate | Third reading: passed | pass | 37 | 10 |   |
| 2025-02-13 | House | Third reading: passed | pass | 87 | 8 |   |
| 2025-02-11 | House | Amendment #4 (Boy) prevailed | pass | 87 | 3 |   |
| 2025-02-11 | House | Appeal the ruling of the chair (Jackson C); ruling of the chair sustained | pass | 66 | 27 |   |
| 2025-02-11 | House | Appeal the ruling of the chair (Pryor); ruling of the chair sustained | pass | 64 | 27 |   |

## Actions (39)

- 2025-05-06: Signed by the Governor (House)
- 2025-05-06: Public Law 240 (House)
- 2025-04-29: Signed by the President of the Senate (Senate)
- 2025-04-28: Signed by the President Pro Tempore (Senate)
- 2025-04-25: Signed by the Speaker (House)
- 2025-04-24: CCR # 1 filed in the Senate (Senate)
- 2025-04-24: CCR # 1 filed in the House (House)
- 2025-04-24: Rules Suspended. Conference Committee Report 1: adopted by the Senate; Roll Call 526: yeas 41, nays 7 (Senate)
- 2025-04-24: Rules Suspended. Conference Committee Report 1: adopted by the House; Roll Call 559: yeas 63, nays 24 (House)
- 2025-04-23: Representative Smaltz removed as advisor (House)
- 2025-04-23: Representative Pryor removed as conferee (House)
- 2025-04-23: Representative Smaltz added as conferee (House)
- 2025-04-17: House dissented from Senate amendments (House)
- 2025-04-17: Senate advisors appointed: Spencer and Rogers (Senate)
- 2025-04-17: Senate conferees appointed: Gaskill and Ford J.D. (Senate)
- 2025-04-17: House advisors appointed: Yocum, Pierce K, Smaltz, Boy, Errington and Jackson C (House)
- 2025-04-17: House conferees appointed: Wesco and Pryor (House)
- 2025-04-16: Motion to dissent filed (House)
- 2025-04-16: Returned to the House with amendments (Senate)
- 2025-04-15: Third reading: passed; Roll Call 449: yeas 37, nays 10 (Senate)
- 2025-04-14: Amendment #1 (Ford J.D.) prevailed; voice vote (Senate)
- 2025-04-14: Second reading: amended, ordered engrossed (Senate)
- 2025-04-10: Committee report: amend do pass, adopted (Senate)
- 2025-04-01: Committee report: amend do pass adopted; reassigned to Committee on Appropriations (Senate)
- 2025-03-03: First reading: referred to Committee on Elections (Senate)
- 2025-02-14: Referred to the Senate (House)
- 2025-02-13: Third reading: passed; Roll Call 163: yeas 87, nays 8 (House)
- 2025-02-13: Senate sponsors: Senators Gaskill and Rogers (House)
- 2025-02-11: Appeal the ruling of the chair (Jackson C); ruling of the chair sustained Roll Call 122: yeas 66, nays 27 (House)
- 2025-02-11: Appeal the ruling of the chair (Pryor); ruling of the chair sustained Roll Call 123: yeas 64, nays 27 (House)
- 2025-02-11: Amendment #4 (Boy) prevailed; Roll Call 124: yeas 87, nays 3 (House)
- 2025-02-11: Amendment #1 (Jackson C) ruled out of order (House)
- 2025-02-11: Amendment #5 (Wesco) prevailed; voice vote (House)
- 2025-02-11: Amendment #6 (Boy) failed; voice vote (House)
- 2025-02-11: Amendment #3 (Pryor) ruled out of order (House)
- 2025-02-11: Second reading: amended, ordered engrossed (House)
- 2025-02-06: Committee report: amend do pass, adopted (House)
- 2025-01-21: Authored by Representative Wesco (House)
- 2025-01-21: First reading: referred to Committee on Elections and Apportionment (House)

## Bill text

- Engrossed House Bill (H): [PDF](https://api.iga.in.gov/2025/bills/HB1679/versions/HB1679.06.ENGS?format=pdf)
- Engrossed House Bill (S): [PDF](https://api.iga.in.gov/2025/bills/HB1679/versions/HB1679.03.ENGH?format=pdf)
- Enrolled House Bill (H): [PDF](https://api.iga.in.gov/2025/bills/HB1679/versions/HB1679.07.ENRS?format=pdf)
- House Bill (H): [PDF](https://api.iga.in.gov/2025/bills/HB1679/versions/HB1679.02.COMH?format=pdf)
- House Bill (S): [PDF](https://api.iga.in.gov/2025/bills/HB1679/versions/HB1679.04.COMS?format=pdf), [PDF](https://api.iga.in.gov/2025/bills/HB1679/versions/HB1679.05.COMS?format=pdf)
- Introduced House Bill (H): [PDF](https://api.iga.in.gov/2025/bills/HB1679/versions/HB1679.01.INTR?format=pdf)

## Related bills

- SB 231: Various corrections matters. (signed)
- SB 324: Criminal procedures. (signed)
- SB 80: Code publication. (signed)
- SB 453: Various tax matters. (signed)
- SB 464: Financial institutions and consumer credit. (signed)
- SB 371: Workforce matters. (signed)

## Sources
- [Engrossed House Bill (H) (PDF)](https://api.iga.in.gov/2025/bills/HB1679/versions/HB1679.06.ENGS?format=pdf)
- [Engrossed House Bill (S) (PDF)](https://api.iga.in.gov/2025/bills/HB1679/versions/HB1679.03.ENGH?format=pdf)
- [Enrolled House Bill (H) (PDF)](https://api.iga.in.gov/2025/bills/HB1679/versions/HB1679.07.ENRS?format=pdf)
- [House Bill (H) (PDF)](https://api.iga.in.gov/2025/bills/HB1679/versions/HB1679.02.COMH?format=pdf)
- [House Bill (S) (PDF)](https://api.iga.in.gov/2025/bills/HB1679/versions/HB1679.04.COMS?format=pdf)
- [House Bill (S) (PDF)](https://api.iga.in.gov/2025/bills/HB1679/versions/HB1679.05.COMS?format=pdf)
- [Introduced House Bill (H) (PDF)](https://api.iga.in.gov/2025/bills/HB1679/versions/HB1679.01.INTR?format=pdf)

## Related
- [SB 231: Various corrections matters.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IN-SB231-2025)
- [SB 324: Criminal procedures.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IN-SB324-2025)
- [SB 80: Code publication.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IN-SB80-2025)
- [SB 453: Various tax matters.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IN-SB453-2025)
- [SB 464: Financial institutions and consumer credit.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IN-SB464-2025)
- [SB 371: Workforce matters.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IN-SB371-2025)
- [Indiana bills](https://policyrisk.com/states/indiana/bills)
- [Indiana state hub](https://policyrisk.com/states/indiana)
- [All state legislation](https://policyrisk.com/state-bills)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IN-HB1679-2025 (as of 2026-10-17).