Ballot access requirements for political candidates in Indiana

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Note: This article is not intended to serve as an exhaustive guide to running for public office. Individuals should contact their state election agencies for further information.


In order to get on the ballot in Indiana, a candidate for state or federal office must meet a variety of state-specific filing requirements and deadlines. These regulations, known as ballot access laws, determine whether a candidate or party will appear on an election ballot. These laws are set at the state level. A candidate must prepare to meet ballot access requirements well in advance of primaries, caucuses, and the general election.

There are three basic methods by which an individual may become a candidate for office in a state.

  1. An individual can seek the nomination of a state-recognized political party.
  2. An individual can run as an independent. Independent candidates often must petition in order to have their names printed on the general election ballot.
  3. An individual can run as a write-in candidate.

This article outlines the steps that prospective candidates for state-level and congressional office must take in order to run for office in Indiana. For information about filing requirements for presidential candidates, see "Ballot access requirements for presidential candidates in Indiana." Information about filing requirements for local-level offices is not available in this article (contact state election agencies for information about local candidate filing processes).

DocumentIcon.jpg See state election laws

Year-specific filing information

2024

U.S. Senate

The table below details filing requirements for U.S. Senate candidates in Indiana in the 2024 election cycle. For additional information on candidate ballot access requirements in Indiana, click here.

Filing requirements for U.S. Senate candidates, 2024
State Office Party Signatures required Filing fee Filing deadline Source
Indiana U.S. Senate Democratic or Republican 4,500 (500 per congressional district) N/A 2/6/2024 Source
Indiana U.S. Senate Unaffiliated 2% of all votes cast in the last election for secretary of state N/A 7/1/2024 Source

U.S. House

The table below details filing requirements for U.S. House candidates in Indiana in the 2024 election cycle. For additional information on candidate ballot access requirements in Indiana, click here.

Filing requirements for U.S. House candidates, 2024
State Office Party Signatures required Filing fee Filing deadline Source
Indiana U.S. House Ballot-qualified party N/A (only declaration of candidacy required) N/A 2/6/2024 Source
Indiana U.S. House Unaffiliated 2% of total votes cast for the secretary of state in the district in the last election N/A 7/1/2024 Source


For filing information from previous years, click "[Show more]" below.

Show more

2022

U.S. Senate

The table below details filing requirements for U.S. Senate candidates in Indiana in the 2022 election cycle. For additional information on candidate ballot access requirements in Indiana, click here.

Filing requirements for U.S. Senate candidates, 2022
State Office Party Signatures required Filing fee Filing deadline Source
Indiana U.S. Senate Democratic or Republican 4,500 (500 per congressional district) N/A 2/4/2022 Source
Indiana U.S. Senate Unaffiliated 2% of all votes cast in the 2018 election for secretary of state N/A 7/15/2022 Source

U.S. House

The table below details filing requirements for U.S. House candidates in Indiana in the 2022 election cycle. For additional information on candidate ballot access requirements in Indiana, click here.

Filing requirements for U.S. House candidates, 2022
State Office Party Signatures required Filing fee Filing deadline Source
Indiana U.S. House Ballot-qualified party N/A (only declaration of candidacy required) N/A 2/4/2022 Source
Indiana U.S. House Unaffiliated 2% of total votes cast for the secretary of state in the district in the last election N/A 7/15/2022 Source

2020

U.S. House

The table below details filing requirements for U.S. House candidates in Indiana in the 2020 election cycle. For additional information on candidate ballot access requirements in Indiana, click here.

Filing requirements for U.S. House candidates, 2020
State Office Party Signatures required Signature formula Filing fee Filing fee formula Filing deadline Source
Indiana 1st Congressional District Qualified party N/A (only declaration of candidacy required) N/A N/A N/A 2/7/2020 Source
Indiana 2nd Congressional District Qualified party N/A (only declaration of candidacy required) N/A N/A N/A 2/7/2020 Source
Indiana 3rd Congressional District Qualified party N/A (only declaration of candidacy required) N/A N/A N/A 2/7/2020 Source
Indiana 4th Congressional District Qualified party N/A (only declaration of candidacy required) N/A N/A N/A 2/7/2020 Source
Indiana 5th Congressional District Qualified party N/A (only declaration of candidacy required) N/A N/A N/A 2/7/2020 Source
Indiana 6th Congressional District Qualified party N/A (only declaration of candidacy required) N/A N/A N/A 2/7/2020 Source
Indiana 7th Congressional District Qualified party N/A (only declaration of candidacy required) N/A N/A N/A 2/7/2020 Source
Indiana 8th Congressional District Qualified party N/A (only declaration of candidacy required) N/A N/A N/A 2/7/2020 Source
Indiana 9th Congressional District Qualified party N/A (only declaration of candidacy required) N/A N/A N/A 2/7/2020 Source
Indiana 1st Congressional District Unaffiliated Unknown (district-level election results unavailable for calculations) 2% of total votes cast for the secretary of state in the district in the last election N/A N/A 7/15/2020 Source
Indiana 2nd Congressional District Unaffiliated Unknown (district-level election results unavailable for calculations) 2% of total votes cast for the secretary of state in the district in the last election N/A N/A 7/15/2020 Source
Indiana 3rd Congressional District Unaffiliated Unknown (district-level election results unavailable for calculations) 2% of total votes cast for the secretary of state in the district in the last election N/A N/A 7/15/2020 Source
Indiana 4th Congressional District Unaffiliated Unknown (district-level election results unavailable for calculations) 2% of total votes cast for the secretary of state in the district in the last election N/A N/A 7/15/2020 Source
Indiana 5th Congressional District Unaffiliated Unknown (district-level election results unavailable for calculations) 2% of total votes cast for the secretary of state in the district in the last election N/A N/A 7/15/2020 Source
Indiana 6th Congressional District Unaffiliated Unknown (district-level election results unavailable for calculations) 2% of total votes cast for the secretary of state in the district in the last election N/A N/A 7/15/2020 Source
Indiana 7th Congressional District Unaffiliated Unknown (district-level election results unavailable for calculations) 2% of total votes cast for the secretary of state in the district in the last election N/A N/A 7/15/2020 Source
Indiana 8th Congressional District Unaffiliated Unknown (district-level election results unavailable for calculations) 2% of total votes cast for the secretary of state in the district in the last election N/A N/A 7/15/2020 Source
Indiana 9th Congressional District Unaffiliated Unknown (district-level election results unavailable for calculations) 2% of total votes cast for the secretary of state in the district in the last election N/A N/A 7/15/2020 Source

State House

The table below details filing requirements for Indiana House of Representatives candidates in the 2020 election cycle.

Filing requirements for state legislative candidates, 2020
Chamber name Party Signatures required Filing fee Filing deadline Source
Indiana House of Representatives Qualified party N/A N/A 2/7/2020 Source
Indiana House of Representatives Unaffiliated 2% of votes cast for secretary of state in the last election in the district N/A 7/15/2020 Source

State Senate

The table below details filing requirements for Indiana State Senate candidates in the 2020 election cycle.

Filing requirements for state legislative candidates, 2020
Chamber name Party Signatures required Filing fee Filing deadline Source
Indiana State Senate Qualified party N/A N/A 2/7/2020 Source
Indiana State Senate Unaffiliated 2% of votes cast for secretary of state in the last election in the district N/A 7/15/2020 Source

2018

See also: State and federal candidate filing deadlines for 2018 and Indiana elections, 2018

See below for 2018 candidate filing deadlines.

February 9, 2018

2016

See also: Indiana elections, 2016

The calendar below lists important filing deadlines for political candidates in Indiana in 2016.

Dates and requirements for candidates in 2016
Deadline Event type Event description
January 20, 2016 Campaign finance Annual 2015 campaign finance reports due
February 2, 2016 Ballot access Deadline for major party candidates for governor and the United States Senate to file petitions with county officials for verification
February 5, 2016 Ballot access Final filing deadline for major party candidates running in the primary
April 15, 2016 Campaign finance Pre-primary reports due
May 3, 2016 Election date Primary election
June 30, 2016 Ballot access Deadline for independent and minor party candidates to file petitions with county officials for verification
July 5, 2016 Ballot access Filing deadline for write-in candidates
July 15, 2016 Ballot access Filing deadline for independent and minor party candidates
October 21, 2016 Campaign finance Pre-election reports due
November 8, 2016 Election date General election
Source: Indiana Election Division, "2016 Indiana Election Calendar," accessed November 25, 2015
Alaska Public Offices Commission, "APOC Annual Calendar," accessed November 25, 2015

2015


2014


Process to become a candidate

The first page of Indiana's 2014 declaration of candidacy form

DocumentIcon.jpg See statutes: Title 3, Article 8 of the Indiana Code

A candidate in Indiana may run with an officially recognized political party, as an independent, or as a write-in. The process to qualify varies depending on the type of candidate and the office being sought. No fee is required to file for office in Indiana. Before the general election, registered voters have the right to challenge any candidate's placement on the ballot. Challenges must be filed with the Indiana Election Division 74 days before the general election.[5][4]

Democratic or Republican candidates

A Democratic or Republican candidate seeking the office of United States Senator must do the following:

  1. A candidate must file a declaration of candidacy and nomination petition with the Indiana Election Division in person or by mail by noon 88 days prior to the primary election.[6]
  2. The declaration of candidacy must be accompanied by a nomination petition. This petition must contain at least 4,500 signatures, including a minimum of 500 signatures from each of the state's congressional districts. Before being filed with the Indiana Election Division, petition signatures must be certified by county voter registration officials.[6]

A candidate seeking the office of United States Representative must do the following:[4]

  1. A candidate must a declaration of candidacy with the Indiana Election Division in person or by mail by noon (Indianapolis time) 88 days before the primary election.[6]

A candidate seeking a state office (such as governor or treasurer) must do the following:[4][7]

  1. A candidate must file a statement of economic interests with the Indiana Ethics Commission. The commission will then give the candidate a Certificate of Filing, which must be filed with the Indiana Election Division before the division can accept any other forms.
  2. A candidate must file a declaration of candidacy with the Indiana Election Division in person or by mail by noon 88 days prior to the primary election.[6]
  3. The declaration of candidacy must be accompanied by a nomination petition. This petition must contain at least 4,500 signatures, including a minimum of 500 signatures from each of the state's congressional districts. Before being filed with the Indiana Election Division, petition signatures must be certified by county voter registration officials.[6]
  4. A Democratic or Republican party candidate must be nominated at the party's state convention. Party officials must file a certificate of nomination with the Indiana Election Division by noon (Indianapolis time) on July 15.

A candidate seeking office in the Indiana State Legislature must do the following:[4]

  1. The candidate must file a statement of economic interests (filing location varies based on office). If a candidate is seeking office in the Indiana State Senate, this form must be filed with the Principal Secretary of the Indiana State Senate. If a candidate is seeking office in the Indiana House of Representatives, this form must be filed with the Principal Clerk of the Indiana House of Representatives. Statements of economic interests must be filed as original documents, submitted in person or sent by mail. No faxes or photocopies will be accepted. Candidates may turn this form in as early as January 2 of the election year. The Indiana Election Division will not accept any other form until the statement of economic interests, stamped by the corresponding office, has been submitted.[8]
  2. A candidate must file a declaration of candidacy with the Indiana Election Division in person or by mail by noon (Indianapolis time) 88 days before the primary election.[6]

Libertarian candidates

A Libertarian candidate seeking the office of United States Senator must do the following:

  1. A candidate must file with the Libertarian Party.
  2. A candidate must be nominated at the party's state convention. After the convention, the party must file a certificate of nomination with the Indiana Election Division by noon (Indianapolis time) on July 15 in the year of the general election.[9]

A candidate seeking the office of United States Representative must do the following:[4]

  1. A candidate must file with the Libertarian Party.
  2. A candidate must be nominated at the party's state convention. After the convention, the party must file a certificate of nomination with the Indiana Election Division by noon (Indianapolis time) on July 15 in the year of the general election.[9]

A candidate seeking a state office (such as governor or treasurer) must do the following:[4][7]

  1. A candidate must file a statement of economic interests with the Indiana Ethics Commission. The commission will then give the candidate a certificate of filing, which must, in turn, be filed with the Indiana Election Division before the division can accept any other forms.
  2. A candidate must be nominated at the party's state convention. Party representatives must then file a certificate of nomination with the Indiana Election Division by noon (Indianapolis time) on July 15.

A candidate seeking office in the Indiana State Legislature must do the following:

  1. A candidate must file a statement of economic interests (filing location varies based on office). If a candidate is seeking office in the Indiana State Senate, this form must be filed with the Principal Secretary of the Indiana State Senate. If a candidate is seeking office in the Indiana House of Representatives, this form must be filed with the Principal Clerk of the Indiana House of Representatives. Statements of economic interests must be filed as the original document, submitted in person or sent by mail. No faxes or photocopies will be accepted. A candidate may turn this form in as early as January 2 of the election year. The Indiana Election Division will not accept any other forms until the statement of economic interests, stamped by the corresponding office, has been submitted.[4][8]
  2. A candidate must file with the Libertarian Party.
  3. A candidate must be nominated at the party's state convention. After the convention, the party must file a certificate of nomination with the Indiana Election Division by noon (Indianapolis time) on July 15 before the general election.[9]

Minor party or independent candidates

A minor party or independent candidate seeking the office of United States Senator must do the following:[4][10]

  1. A candidate must collect signatures from registered voters equal to 2 percent of the total votes cast for secretary of state in the last election. The petition circulation period begins 118 days before the primary election and ends June 30. Signatures must then be certified by the applicable county voter registration office.
  2. A candidate must file a candidate consent form and the certified petition of nomination with the Indiana Election Division by noon (Indianapolis time) on July 15 in the year of the election.

A candidate seeking the office of United States Representative must do the following:[4][10]

  1. A candidate must collect signatures from registered voters equal to 2 percent of the total votes cast for secretary of state in the last election in the congressional district the candidate seeks to represent. The petition circulation period begins 118 days before the primary election and ends June 30. Signatures must then be certified by the applicable county voter registration office.
  2. A candidate must file a candidate consent form and the certified petition of nomination with the Indiana Election Division by noon (Indianapolis time) on July 15 in the year of the election.

A candidate seeking a state office (such as governor or treasurer) must do the following:

  1. A candidate must file a statement of economic interests with the Indiana Ethics Commission. The commission will then give the candidate a filing certificate, which must, in turn, be filed with the Indiana Election Division before the division can accept any other forms.
  2. A candidate must collect signatures from registered voters equal to 2 percent of the total votes cast for secretary of state in the last election. The petition circulation period begins 118 days before the primary election and ends June 30. Signatures must then be certified by the applicable county voter registration office.
  3. A candidate must file a candidate consent form and the certified petition of nomination with the Indiana Election Division by noon (Indianapolis time) on July 15.

A candidate seeking office in the Indiana State Legislature must do the following:

  1. A candidate must file a statement of economic interests form (filing location varies based on office). If a candidate is seeking office in the Indiana State Senate, this form must be filed with the Principal Secretary of the Indiana State Senate. If a candidate is seeking office in the Indiana House of Representatives, this form must be filed with the Principal Clerk of the Indiana House of Representatives. Statements of economic interests forms must be filed as original documents, submitted in person or sent by mail. No faxes or photocopies will be accepted. A candidate may turn the form in as early as January 2 in the year of the election. The Indiana Election Division will not accept any other filings until the statement of economic interests, stamped by the corresponding office, has been submitted.[4][8]
  2. A candidate must collect signatures from registered voters equal to 2 percent of the total votes cast for secretary of state in the last election in the election district the candidate seeks to represent. The petition circulation period begins 118 days before the primary election and ends June 30. Signatures must then be certified by the applicable county voter registration office.
  3. A candidate must file a candidate consent form and the certified petition of nomination form with the Indiana Election Division by noon (Indianapolis time) on July 15.

Write-in candidates

A write-in candidate seeking the offices of United States Senator or United States Representative must do the following:[4][11]

  1. A candidate must file a declaration of intent with the Indiana Election Division by noon (Indianapolis time) on July 3 in the year of the election.

A candidate seeking a state office (such as governor or treasurer) must do the following:

  1. A candidate must file a statement of economic interests with the Indiana Ethics Commission. The commission must then give the candidate a certificate of filing, which must, in turn, be filed with the Indiana Election Division before the division can accept any other forms.
  2. A candidate must file a declaration of intent with the Indiana Election Division by noon (Indianapolis time) on July 3 in the year of the election.

A candidate seeking office in the Indiana State Legislature must do the following:

  1. A candidate must file a statement of economic interests form (filing location varies based on office). If a candidate is seeking office in the Indiana State Senate, this form must be filed with the Principal Secretary of the Indiana State Senate. If a candidate is seeking office in the Indiana House of Representatives, this form must be filed with the Principal Clerk of the Indiana House of Representatives. Statements of economic interests forms must be filed as original documents, submitted in person or sent by mail. No faxes or photocopies will be accepted. A candidate can file the form in as early as January 2 in the year of the election. The Indiana Election Division will not accept any other forms until the statement of economic interests, stamped by the corresponding office, has been submitted.[4][8]
  2. A candidate must file a declaration of intent with the Indiana Election Division by noon (Indianapolis time) on July 3 in the year of the election.

Petition requirements

See also: Methods for signing candidate nominating petitions

In some cases, political parties and/or candidates may need to obtain signatures via the petition process to gain ballot access. This section outlines the laws and regulations pertaining to petitions and circulators in Indiana.

A registered voter that agrees to sign a candidate's petition must provide his or her name in legible, printed form and his or her residential address. Once a petition is completed, it must be filed with the county voter registration office to certify each signature's validity. Contact information for Indiana's county voter registration offices can be found on this page under the section titled "Election-related agencies."[12]

The code does not specify circulator requirements.

Election-related agencies

See also: State election agencies

Indiana Election Division

200 W. Washington St., Room 201
Indianapolis, Indiana 46204
Telephone: 317-232-6531
Fax: 317-233-3283
Website: http://www.in.gov/sos/elections/index.htm

Indiana Ethics Commission

315 West Ohio Street, Room 104
Indianapolis, Indiana 46202
Telephone: 317-232-3850
Fax: 317-232-0707
Email: info@ig.in.gov
Website: http://www.in.gov/ig/2335.htm
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Term limits

Indiana state executives are term-limited. These limits are established in Article 5 of the Indiana Constitution.

State executives

State Executive Officials
See also: State executives with term limits, States with gubernatorial term limits and Indiana state executive official elections, 2016

The state executive term limits in Indiana are as follows:[13][14]

State legislators

See also: State legislatures with term limits

Indiana does not place term limits on state legislators.

Congressional partisanship

Portal:Legislative Branch
See also: List of United States Representatives from Indiana and List of United States Senators from Indiana

Below is the current partisan breakdown of the congressional delegation from Indiana.

Congressional Partisan Breakdown from Indiana
Party U.S. Senate U.S. House Total
Democratic 0 2 2
Republican 2 7 9
Independent 0 0 0
Vacancies 0 0 0
Total 2 9 11

State legislative partisanship

Portal:State legislatures

Below is the current partisan breakdown of members of the state legislature of Indiana.

Indiana State Senate

Party As of January 2024
     Democratic Party 9
     Republican Party 40
     Other 0
     Vacancies 1
Total 50

Indiana House of Representatives

Party As of January 2024
     Democratic Party 30
     Republican Party 70
     Other 0
     Vacancies 0
Total 100

Related legislation

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The embedded table below lists state bills affecting ballot access requirements for candidates introduced in Indiana. The following information is included for each bill:

  • State
  • Bill number
  • Official name or caption
  • Most recent action date
  • Legislative status
  • Topics dealt with by the bill

Bills are organized alphabetically, first by state and then by bill number. To view additional results, use the arrows in the upper-right corner of the table. For more information about a particular bill, simply click the bill number. This will open a separate page with additional information.

Ballotpedia’s comprehensive Ballotpedia's Election Administration Legislation Tracker is the basis for this data. This user-friendly tracker covers thousands of election-related bills in state legislatures, and organizes them by topic with neutral, expert analysis from Ballotpedia’s election administration researchers.

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See also

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External links

Official state and federal links

Other information

Footnotes

  1. ↑ Indiana Election Division, "2015 Election Calendar," accessed January 12, 2015
  2. ↑ This information comes from correspondence with Indiana Election Division on September 18, 2013.
  3. ↑ Indiana Secretary of State, "2014 Indiana Election Calendar," accessed November 27, 2013
  4. ↑ 4.00 4.01 4.02 4.03 4.04 4.05 4.06 4.07 4.08 4.09 4.10 4.11 4.12 4.13 Indiana Secretary of State, "2014 Indiana Candidate Guide" accessed November 27, 2013 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name "in2014guide" defined multiple times with different content
  5. ↑ This information comes from correspondence with the Indiana Election Division in December 2013.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 Indiana Code, "Section 3-8-2-4," accessed December 17, 2013
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Indiana Code, "Section 3-8-4," accessed December 17, 2014
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 Indiana Code, "Section 2-2.1-3, Legislative Ethics," accessed December 18, 2013
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 Indiana Code, "Section 3-8-7-8," accessed December 17, 2013
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 Indiana Code, "Section 3-8-6," accessed December 17, 2013
  11. ↑ Indiana Code, "Section 3-8-2," accessed December 17, 2013
  12. ↑ Indiana Code, "Section 3-8-6," accessed December 31, 2013
  13. ↑ Indiana Constitution, "Article V," accessed November 11, 2013
  14. ↑ Council of State Governments, "2012 Book of the States" accessed November 27, 2013
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