Title 3, ELECTIONS

Sec. 7. (a) The following public officials shall be elected in 2026, 2030, 2034, 2038, 2042, and every four (4) years thereafter: (1) Secretary of state. (2) State comptroller (referred to as "auditor of state" in the Constitution of the State of Indiana). (3) Treasurer of state.…

Sec. 8. Justices of the supreme court and judges of the court of appeals shall stand for approval or rejection by their respective electorates: (1) at the first general election that occurs at least two (2) years after their appointments; and (2) at the general election every ten…

Sec. 9. One-half (1/2) of the senators in the general assembly, as nearly as possible, shall be elected at each general election and every four (4) years thereafter in accordance with Article 4, Section 3 of the Constitution of the State of Indiana. [Pre-1986 Recodification Citat…

Sec. 0.5. (a) This chapter applies only to paper ballots. (b) This chapter does not apply to: (1) an electronic voting system; or (2) an optical scan voting system. As added by P.L.58-2005, SEC.14. Amended by P.L.164-2006, SEC.87.

Note: This version of section effective until 1-1-2027. See also following version of this section, effective 1-1-2027. Sec. 10. (a) Public questions shall be placed on the general election ballot in the following order after the statement described in section 7 of this chapter, …

Sec. 10.1. (a) This section applies only to a public question concerning the retention in office of a judge of the Marion superior court under IC 33-33-49. (b) The question of the retention of the judge at the general election shall be placed on the ballot at the same row or colu…

Sec. 11.5. The name of a write-in candidate may not be printed on any ballot. As added by P.L.3-1997, SEC.259.

Sec. 12. (a) The following offices shall be placed on the general election ballot in the following order after the public questions described in section 10(a) of this chapter: (1) Federal and state offices: (A) President and Vice President of the United States. (B) United States …

Sec. 12.2. Whenever candidates are to be elected to an office that includes more than one (1) district, the districts shall be placed on the ballot in alphabetical or numerical order, according to the designation given to the district. As added by P.L.4-1996, SEC.61. Amended by P…

appear on the same ballot page or screen Sec. 12.3. (a) This section does not apply to a political party office printed on a primary ballot. (b) A ballot must be arranged so that all candidates for the same office appear on the same page or screen of the ballot. As added by P.L.2…

Note: This version of section effective until 1-1-2027. See also following version of this section, effective 1-1-2027. Sec. 12.4. (a) This section applies whenever more than one (1) candidate may be elected to an office. (b) The office shall be placed on the general election bal…

Sec. 12.5. Notwithstanding section 12 of this chapter, the county election board may alter the prescribed ballot order to place the names of the candidates for the following offices before the names of the candidates for county judicial offices: (1) Prosecuting attorney. (2) Cler…

Sec. 12.7. (a) This section applies to candidates for election to at-large seats on the fiscal or legislative body of a political subdivision. (b) Candidates shall be listed in alphabetical order according to surname within each row or column on the ballot. (c) In each row or col…

Note: This version of section effective until 1-1-2027. See also following version of this section, effective 1-1-2027. Sec. 12.9. (a) School board offices to be elected at the general election shall be placed on the general election ballot after the offices described in section …

Sec. 13. (a) The following offices shall be placed on the general election ballot in the following order after the offices described in section 12.9 of this chapter: (1) Retention of a justice of the supreme court. (2) Retention of a judge of the court of appeals. (3) Retention o…

Sec. 14. (a) The following offices shall be placed on the general election ballot in the following order after the offices described in section 13 of this chapter: (1) Retention of a local judge. (2) Local nonpartisan judicial offices. (b) These offices shall be placed in a separ…

Sec. 14.5. (a) This section applies to candidates for election to at-large seats on the governing body of a school corporation. (b) Candidates shall be listed in alphabetical order according to surname. (c) The ballot shall contain a statement reading substantially as follows abo…

Sec. 15. (a) A public question shall be placed on the general election ballot in the following form: (The explanatory text for the public question, if required by law) "Shall (insert public question)?" [] YES [] NO (b) In addition to any other explanatory text required by law, th…

Sec. 16. (a) If an election board determines that a ballot printed under the authority of the election board does not comply with a requirement imposed by this title or contains any other error or omission that might result in confusion or mistakes by voters, the board shall: (1)…

Sec. 2.1. (a) Each county election board shall have the: (1) names of all candidates for election to offices or retention in offices; and (2) state and local public questions; in election districts wholly or partially within the county printed on a ballot as provided in this chap…

Sec. 3. Each type of ballot must be: (1) of uniform size; (2) of the same quality and color of paper; (3) sufficiently thick that the printing cannot be distinguished from the back; and (4) printed with the precinct number or designation of the precinct where the ballot is used. …

Sec. 5. The nominees of a: (1) major political party; (2) political party described by IC 3-8-4-10; or (3) group of petitioners under IC 3-8-6 who are identified by the petition as the nominees of a political party; shall be listed on the ballots under the name of the party or pe…

Sec. 6. (a) The device named and list of nominees shall be placed on the ballots as follows: (1) The major political party whose candidate received the highest number of votes in the county for secretary of state at the last election in the first column or row on the left side of…

Sec. 7. The following statement shall be printed in underlined print at the extreme top of a ballot to be used in an election covered by this title: "It is a crime to falsify this ballot or to violate Indiana election laws.". [Pre-1986 Recodification Citation: 3-1-23-1(a) part.] …

Sec. 8. (a) Except as provided in subsection (b), all written or printed instructions must be at the top of the ballot immediately below the statement required by section 7 of this chapter. No other instructions or writing may appear at any other place on the ballot, including th…

Note: This version of section effective until 1-1-2027. See also following version of this section, effective 1-1-2027. Sec. 9. (a) The device of each political party described in section 6 of this chapter shall be: (1) enclosed in a circle not less than three-fourths (3/4) of an…

Sec. 1. (a) This chapter: (1) is enacted to comply with 52 U.S.C. 21081 by establishing uniform and nondiscriminatory standards to define what will be counted as a vote on a paper ballot; and (2) applies to each precinct where voting is by paper ballot. (b) After the polls have c…

Sec. 10. Upon delivery of the envelope or bag to the circuit court clerk under section 9 of this chapter, the inspector shall take and subscribe an oath before the clerk stating that the inspector: (1) closed and sealed the envelope or bag in the presence of the judges and poll c…

Sec. 11. Upon receipt of the envelope or bag under section 9 of this chapter, the envelope or bag shall be placed in a receptacle having two (2) different locks provided by the county executive. The receptacle shall be locked, and one (1) key shall be given to the circuit court c…

Sec. 12. (a) The circuit court clerk shall preserve the receptacle containing the envelope or bag in the clerk's office for the period required under IC 3-10-1-31.1. However, if the election is contested, then the clerk shall preserve the receptacle containing the envelope or bag…

Sec. 15. Immediately upon completion of the vote count, each precinct election board shall make and sign a certificate for the news media showing the total number of votes received by each candidate and on each public question in the precinct. The inspector and judge of the oppos…

Sec. 16. To minimize the delay in the counting of the vote, canvassing must begin immediately upon the closing of the polls and continue without interruption until all votes are canvassed and all certificates of the vote required by section 6 of this chapter are completed and del…

Sec. 2. During the counting of the votes, the inspector and the judge of the opposite political party from the inspector shall view the ballots as the names of the candidates voted for are read from the ballots. [Pre-1986 Recodification Citation: 3-1-25-1(a) part.] As added by P.…

Sec. 3. During the counting of the votes, any member of the precinct election board may protest the counting of any ballot or any part of a ballot. [Pre-1986 Recodification Citation: 3-1-25-1(a) part.] As added by P.L.5-1986, SEC.8.

Sec. 4. If a ballot or any part of a ballot is protested, the poll clerks immediately shall write on the back of each protested ballot the word "counted" or the words "not counted", as appropriate. The clerks then shall officially sign each protested ballot. [Pre-1986 Recodificat…

Sec. 5. Except as provided in section 1(c) of this chapter, if the polls for more than one (1) precinct are located in the same room, the inspector of a precinct using the room may not begin the vote count procedure until all the polls in the room are officially closed and no mor…

Sec. 6. When all votes have been counted, the precinct election board shall prepare a certificate stating the number of votes that each candidate received for each office and the number of votes cast on each public question. The number of votes that each candidate and public ques…

Sec. 7. The inspector and the judge of the opposite political party shall deliver the certificates prepared under section 6 of this chapter, the list of voters, and the tally papers to the county election board immediately upon the tabulation of the vote. [Pre-1986 Recodification…

Sec. 7.5. (a) This section applies to the counting of federal write-in absentee ballots described in IC 3-11-4-12.5. (b) If a voter writes an abbreviation, misspelling, or other minor variation instead of the correct name of a candidate or political party, that vote shall be coun…

Sec. 8. As soon as the ballots have been counted, the inspector shall, in the presence of the judges and poll clerks: (1) place in a strong and stout paper envelope or bag: (A) all ballots, voted and not voted, together with all protested, disputed, and uncounted ballots; (B) the…

Sec. 9. The inspector and the judge of the opposite political party shall deliver the envelope or bag prepared under section 8 of this chapter to the circuit court clerk immediately upon tabulation of the votes. The inspector shall notify the clerk of the number of ballots placed…

Sec. 1. (a) This chapter applies to the filling of a candidate vacancy of a former candidate for nomination or election to an office at a general, municipal, or special election that occurs after the thirty-first day before a general, municipal, or special election that is due to…

Sec. 1.5. A candidate seeking to fill a candidate vacancy under this chapter must comply with the requirements imposed under IC 3-8-1 for the office. As added by P.L.230-2005, SEC.65.

state convention Sec. 10. (a) Subject to IC 3-8-8-7, a person who was defeated in a primary election or in a town or state convention is eligible to be appointed by the political party that the person affiliated with by voting in the most recent primary election held by that part…

Sec. 11. (a) All questions concerning the validity of a certificate of candidate selection filed with the election division shall be determined by the commission. A statement questioning the validity of a certificate of candidate selection must be filed with the election division…

Sec. 12. (a) This section applies to a political party subject to IC 3-8-4-10. (b) A candidate vacancy under this chapter shall be filled by the state committee of the political party. The chairman of the state committee shall act in accordance with section 8 of this chapter to c…