Handbook·Elections

Running for office in Indiana

State page·Verified 2026-07-10

This page covers what's specific to Indiana on top of the general guide to filing for local office.

Filing in Indiana

Indiana splits candidate filing by office type and by path onto the ballot, and charges no monetary filing fee at any level. If you're running as a Democrat or Republican in the primary, you file a declaration of candidacy during the primary filing window. Independent and minor-party candidates instead file a Petition of Nomination (form CAN-19) with a much later deadline, requiring signatures equal to at least 2 percent of the total votes cast in that district for Secretary of State in 2022. Candidates for U.S. House, the Indiana General Assembly, and judicial offices including county prosecuting attorney file with the Secretary of State or Election Division. Candidates for non-judicial county offices, township offices, town offices, school board, and precinct committeeman file with their County Clerk. The Election Division cannot accept late filings under any circumstances, so treat these dates as hard cutoffs.

Deadlines and numbers

  • 2026 primary filing window: opened January 7, 2026, closed Friday, February 6, 2026 at noon (weekday filings, 8am-5pm)
  • Petition of Nomination (independent/minor-party, form CAN-19): due noon Indianapolis time, July 15, 2026
  • Signature threshold, state legislative Petition of Nomination: at least 2 percent of total votes cast in that district for Secretary of State in 2022
  • No filing fee at any level

The dossier could not confirm exact filing fee or signature-count rules for county, township, town, and school board races filed at the County Clerk level, or the specific declaration-of-candidacy form number for major-party primary candidates. Route both to /engage or your County Clerk.

Where to go