Ballot access requirements for presidential 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.
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In order to get on the ballot in Indiana, a candidate for president of the United States 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 presidential candidate must prepare to meet ballot access requirements in advance of primaries, caucuses, and the general election.
There are three basic methods by which an individual may become a candidate for president of the United States.
- An individual can seek the nomination of a political party. Presidential nominees are selected by delegates at national nominating conventions. Individual states conduct caucuses or primary elections to determine which delegates will be sent to the national convention.[1]
- An individual can run as an independent. Independent presidential candidates typically must petition in each state in order to have their names printed on the general election ballot.[1]
- An individual can run as a write-in candidate.[1]
The information on this page applies only to presidential candidates. For additional information about ballot access requirements for state and congressional candidates, see this page.
Year-specific filing information[edit]
2024[edit]
The tables below detail filing requirements for presidential candidates in Indiana in the 2024 election cycle. For additional information on candidate ballot access requirements in Indiana, click here.
Presidential primary candidates[edit]
| Filing requirements for presidential primary candidates in Indiana, 2024 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State | Party | Signatures required | Signature formula | Filing fee | Filing fee formula | Filing deadline | Source |
| Indiana | Democratic and Republican | 4,500 | 500 signatures from each congressional district | N/A | N/A | 2/9/2024 | Source |
Independent presidential candidates[edit]
| Filing requirements for independent candidates in Indiana, 2024 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State | Signatures required | Signature formula | Filing fee | Filing fee formula | Filing deadline | Source |
| Indiana | 36,943 | 2% of the total votes cast for secretary of state in the last general election | N/A | N/A | 7/1/24 | Source |
For filing information from previous years, click "[Show more]" below.
2020[edit]
The tables below detail filing requirements for presidential candidates in Indiana in the 2020 election cycle. For additional information on candidate ballot access requirements in Indiana, click here.
Presidential primary candidates[edit]
| Filing requirements for presidential primary candidates in Indiana, 2020 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State | Party | Signatures required | Signature formula | Filing fee | Filing fee formula | Filing deadline | Source |
| Indiana | Democratic and Republican | 4,500 | 500 signatures from each congressional district | N/A | N/A | 2/10/2020 | Source |
Independent presidential candidates[edit]
| Filing requirements for independent candidates in Indiana, 2020 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State | Signatures required | Signature formula | Filing fee | Filing fee formula | Filing deadline | Source |
| Indiana | 44,935 | 2% of the total votes cast for secretary of state in the last general election | N/A | N/A | 6/30/2020 | Source |
2016[edit]
The calendar below lists important filing deadlines in Indiana for the 2016 presidential election. For information about campaign finance reporting deadlines, see the chart further down the page.
| Dates and requirements for presidential candidates in 2016 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Deadline | Event type | Event description | |
| January 6, 2016 | Ballot access | Filing period opens for presidential candidates | |
| January 26, 2016 | Ballot access | Deadline for presidential primary candidates to file petitions with county-level voter registration offices for verification | |
| February 5, 2016 | Ballot access | Deadline for Democratic and Republican presidential primary candidates to file verified petitions with the secretary of state | |
| May 3, 2016 | Election date | Primary election | |
| June 30, 2016 | Ballot access | Deadline for independent candidates to file petitions with county-level voter registration offices for verification | |
| July 5, 2016 | Ballot access | Filing period closes for write-in presidential candidates | |
| July 15, 2016 | Ballot access | Deadline for independent candidates to file verified petitions with the secretary of state | |
| November 8, 2016 | Election date | General election | |
| Sources: Indiana Election Division, "CAN-2 Declaration of Candidacy for Primary Nomination in 2016," accessed August 13, 2015 Indiana Election Division, "CAN-3 Declaration of Intent to be a Write-in Candidate in 2016," accessed August 13, 2015 | |||
Qualifications[edit]
Article 2, Section 1, of the United States Constitution sets the following qualifications for the presidency:[2]
| “ | No Person except a natural born Citizen, or a Citizen of the United States, at the time of the Adoption of this Constitution, shall be eligible to the Office of President; neither shall any Person be eligible to that Office who shall not have attained to the Age of thirty five Years, and been fourteen Years a Resident within the United States.[3] | ” |
| —United States Constitution | ||
Article 2, Section 4, of the United States Constitution says an individual can be disqualified from the presidency if impeached and convicted:
| “ | The President, Vice President and all civil Officers of the United States, shall be removed from Office on Impeachment for, and Conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors.[3] | ” |
| —United States Constitution | ||
The 14th Amendment to the United States Constitution says an individual can also be disqualified from the presidency under the following conditions:
| “ | No person shall be a Senator or Representative in Congress, or elector of President and Vice President, or hold any office, civil or military, under the United States, or under any State, who, having previously taken an oath, as a member of Congress, or as an officer of the United States, or as a member of any State legislature, or as an executive or judicial officer of any State, to support the Constitution of the United States, shall have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof. But Congress may by a vote of two-thirds of each House, remove such disability.[3] | ” |
| —United States Constitution | ||
Party nomination processes[edit]
- See also: Primary election and Caucus
| Hover over the terms below to display definitions. | |
| Ballot access laws | |
| Primary election | |
| Caucus | |
| Delegate | |
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A political party formally nominates its presidential candidate at a national nominating convention. At this convention, state delegates select the party's nominee. Prior to the nominating convention, the states conduct presidential preference primaries or caucuses. Generally speaking, only state-recognized parties—such as the Democratic Party and the Republican Party—conduct primaries and caucuses. These elections measure voter preference for the various candidates and help determine which delegates will be sent to the national nominating convention.[1][4][5]
The Democratic National Committee and the Republican National Committee, the governing bodies of the nation's two major parties, establish their own guidelines for the presidential nomination process. State-level affiliates of the parties also have some say in determining rules and provisions in their own states. Individuals interested in learning more about the nomination process should contact the political parties themselves for full details.
In Indiana, the major political parties nominate presidential candidates by primary election. State law defines major political parties as those whose candidates for secretary of state received the highest and second highest number of votes cast for that office in the most recent election. By contrast, minor parties, defined here as those other parties whose candidates for secretary of state received at least 2 percent of the total votes cast for that office in the most recent election, nominate their candidates by convention alone.[6]
To be placed on a major party's primary ballot, a candidate must file a petition with the secretary of state's office. The petition must be signed by at least 4,500 registered state voters; at least 500 signatures must come from each of Indiana's congressional districts. Petition signatures must first be verified by county-level voter registration offices. Signatures must be verified by the voter registration office in the county in which they were collected. A candidate must submit his or her petitions to the appropriate county-level office no earlier than 118 days before the primary and no later than 98 days before the primary election. Petitions must then be filed with the secretary of state no later than 88 days before the primary election.[7][8][9]
General election requirements[edit]
The president of the United States is elected not by popular vote, but by the Electoral College. The Electoral College comprises a total of 538 electors. Each state is allocated a number of electors equal to the size of its congressional delegation. The Office of the Federal Register administers the Electoral College process:[10][11]
| “ | On Election Day, the voters in each State choose the Electors by casting votes for the presidential candidate of their choice. The Electors’ names may or may not appear on the ballot below the name of the candidates running for President, depending on the procedure in each State. The winning candidate in each State—except in Nebraska and Maine, which have proportional distribution of the Electors—is awarded all of the State’s Electors.[3] | ” |
| —The Office of the Federal Register | ||
Typically, electors are selected by state parties. Federal law does not require electors to vote "according to the results of the popular vote in their states." Some states and political parties have enacted policies requiring their electors to vote in accordance with the popular vote. According to the Office of the Federal Register, "throughout our history as a nation, more than 99 percent of electors have voted as pledged."[10][11]
Indiana was allocated 11 electoral college votes in the 2024 presidential election, the same number it was allocated in the 2012, 2016, and 2020 presidential contests.[12]
Political parties[edit]
State-recognized political parties must file the names of their presidential candidates and electors with the Indiana Secretary of State no later than noon on the second Tuesday in September preceding the general election.[13][14]
Independent candidates[edit]
Independent presidential candidates must petition for access to the general election ballot. The petition must be signed by a number of registered voters equaling at least 2 percent of the total votes cast for secretary of state in the most recent election. Petition signatures must first be verified by county-level voter registration offices. Signatures must be verified by the voter registration office in the county in which they were collected. A candidate must submit his or her petitions to the appropriate county-level office no earlier than 118 days before the primary election and no later than noon on June 30. Petitions must then be submitted to the secretary of state by July 15. Independent presidential candidates must file their names and those of their designated electors with the secretary of state no later than noon on the second Tuesday in September preceding the general election.[13][15][16]
Running for multiple offices[edit]
Some states prohibit candidates for the presidency from seeking other offices simultaneously. In Indiana, "the name of a person who has been nominated as a candidate for an elected office may not appear in more than one place on a ballot." Exceptions are provided for the following instances:[17]
- a candidate for a federal office in a primary election
- a candidate for the vice presidency, who "may appear on the general election ballot as a candidate for federal office and for Vice President of the United States"
Sore loser laws[edit]
Some states bar candidates who sought the nomination of a political party from running as independents in the general election. These restrictions are sometimes called sore loser laws. Under Indiana state law, a candidate who "is defeated in a primary election ... is not eligible to become a candidate for the same office in the next general [election]."[18][19][20]
Richard Winger, publisher of Ballot Access News, has argued that, generally speaking, "sore loser laws have been construed not to apply to presidential primaries." His analysis of state sore loser laws and their applicability in presidential elections can be accessed here.[21]
Write-in requirements[edit]
In Indiana, a write-in candidate for the presidency must file a declaration of intent with the secretary of state. The declaration of intent must be filed no earlier than 118 days before the primary and no later than noon on July 3 in the year of the election. A write-in candidate who fails to do this will not be qualified to serve should he or she be elected.[22][23][24]
Historical information[edit]
According to Richard Winger, publisher of Ballot Access News, between 1892 and 2012 there were 401 instances in which a state required an independent or unqualified party candidate to collect more than 5,000 signatures in order to appear on the general election ballot. In Indiana, there were 20 such instances. See the table below for further details. The first column lists the state, the second lists the year, and the third lists the signature requirement. Columns four through nine list candidates and/or parties that met the requirement.[21]
| Filing requirements for independent and minor party candidates, 1894-2012 | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State | Year | Requirement | Successful parties or candidates | |||||
| Indiana | 1936 | 7,213 | Union | Communist | -- | -- | -- | |
| Indiana | 1940 | 7,798 | Socialist | Prohibition | -- | -- | -- | |
| Indiana | 1944 | 6,446 | Socialist | -- | -- | -- | -- | |
| Indiana | 1948 | 6,641 | Progressive | Socialist | Socialist Labor | -- | -- | |
| Indiana | 1952 | 7,912 | Progressive | Socialist Labor | -- | -- | -- | |
| Indiana | 1956 | 7,950 | Socialist Labor | -- | -- | -- | -- | |
| Indiana | 1960 | 8,549 | Socialist Labor | -- | -- | -- | -- | |
| Indiana | 1964 | 8,863 | Prohibition | Socialist Labor | -- | -- | -- | |
| Indiana | 1968 | 8,320 | American | Prohibition | Socialist Workers | -- | -- | |
| Indiana | 1972 | 8,466 | Peace and Freedom | Socialist Labor | Communist | -- | -- | |
| Indiana | 1976 | 8,406 | Socialist Workers | U.S. Labor | -- | -- | -- | |
| Indiana | 1980 | 6,982 | Libertarian | Anderson | Citizens | Socialist Workers | Communist | |
| Indiana | 1984 | 35,040 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | |
| Indiana | 1988 | 31,077 | New Alliance | -- | -- | -- | -- | |
| Indiana | 1992 | 29,909 | Libertarian | R. Perot | -- | -- | -- | |
| Indiana | 1996 | 29,822 | Reform | -- | -- | -- | -- | |
| Indiana | 2000 | 30,717 | Reform | -- | -- | -- | -- | |
| Indiana | 2004 | 29,553 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | |
| Indiana | 2008 | 32,742 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | |
| Indiana | 2012 | 34,195 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | |
Campaign finance requirements[edit]
- See also: Campaign finance requirements in Indiana
The Federal Election Commission (FEC) is the only agency authorized to regulate the financing of presidential and other federal campaigns (i.e., campaigns for the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives). The states cannot impose additional requirements on federal candidates. Federal law requires all presidential candidates to file a statement of candidacy within 15 days of receiving contributions or making expenditures that exceed $5,000. The statement of candidacy is the only federally mandated ballot access requirement for presidential candidates; all other ballot access procedures are mandated at the state level. The candidacy statement authorizes "a principal campaign committee to raise and spend funds" on behalf of the candidate. Within 10 days of filing the candidacy statement, the committee must file a statement of organization with the FEC. In addition, federal law establishes contribution limits for presidential candidates. These limits are detailed in the table below. The uppermost row indicates the recipient type; the leftmost column indicates the donor type.[25][26]
| Federal contribution limits, 2023-2024 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate committees | Political action committees | State and district party committees | National party committees | Additional national party committee accounts | |
| Individual | $3,300 per election | $5,000 per year | $10,000 per year (combined) | $41,300 per year | $123,900 per account, per year |
| Candidate committee | $2,000 per election | $5,000 per year | Unlimited transfers | Unlimited transfers | N/A |
| Multicandidate political action committee | $5,000 per election | $5,000 per year | $5,000 per year (combined) | $15,000 per year | $45,000 per account, per year |
| Other political action committee | $3,300 per election | $5,000 per year | $10,000 per year (combined) | $41,300 per year | $123,900 per account, per year |
| State and district party committee | $5,000 per election | $5,000 per year | Unlimited transfers | Unlimited transfers | N/A |
| National party committee | $5,000 per election | $5,000 per year | Unlimited transfers | Unlimited transfers | N/A |
| Note: Contribution limits apply separately to primary and general elections. For example, an individual could contribute $3,300 to a candidate committee for the primary and another $3,300 to the same candidate committee for the general election. Source: Federal Election Commission, "Contribution limits," accessed May 8, 2023 | |||||
Presidential candidate committees are required to file regular campaign finance reports disclosing "all of their receipts and disbursements" either quarterly or monthly. Committees may choose which filing schedule to follow, but they must notify the FEC in writing and "may change their filing frequency no more than once per calendar year."[27]
For contribution limits from previous years, click "[Show more]" below.
| Federal contribution limits, 2019-2020 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate committees | Political action committees | State and district party committees | National party committees | Additional national party committee accounts | |
| Individual | $2,800 per election | $5,000 per year | $10,000 per year (combined) | $33,500 per year | $106,500 per account, per year |
| Candidate committee | $2,000 per election | $5,000 per year | Unlimited transfers | Unlimited transfers | N/A |
| Multicandidate political action committee | $5,000 per election | $5,000 per year | $5,000 per year (combined) | $15,000 per year | $45,000 per account, per year |
| Other political action committee | $2,800 per election | $5,000 per year | $10,000 per year (combined) | $35,500 per year | $106,500 per account, per year |
| State and district party committee | $5,000 per election | $5,000 per year | Unlimited transfers | Unlimited transfers | N/A |
| National party committee | $5,000 per election | $5,000 per year | Unlimited transfers | Unlimited transfers | N/A |
| Note: Contribution limits apply separately to primary and general elections. For example, an individual could contribute $2,800 to a candidate committee for the primary and another $2,800 to the same candidate committee for the general election. Source: Federal Election Commission, "Contribution limits," accessed August 8, 2019 | |||||
| Federal contribution limits, 2015-2016 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate committees | Political action committees | State and district party committees | National party committees | Additional national party committee accounts | |
| Individual | $2,700 per election | $5,000 per year | $10,000 per year (combined) | $33,400 per year | $100,200 per account, per year |
| Candidate committee | $2,000 per election | $5,000 per year | Unlimited transfers | Unlimited transfers | N/A |
| Multicandidate political action committee | $5,000 per election | $5,000 per year | $5,000 per year (combined) | $15,000 per year | $45,000 per account, per year |
| Other political action committee | $2,700 per election | $5,000 per year | $10,000 per year (combined) | $33,400 per year | $100,200 per account, per year |
| State and district party committee | $5,000 per election | $5,000 per year | Unlimited transfers | Unlimited transfers | N/A |
| National party committee | $5,000 per election | $5,000 per year | Unlimited transfers | Unlimited transfers | N/A |
| Note: Contribution limits apply separately to primary and general elections. For example, an individual could contribute $2,700 to a candidate committee for the primary and another $2,700 to the same candidate committee for the general election. Source: Federal Election Commission, "The FEC and Federal Campaign Finance Law," updated January 2015 | |||||
Election administration agencies[edit]
Election agencies[edit]
- See also: State election agencies
Individuals seeking additional information about voting provisions in Indiana can contact the following local, state, and federal agencies.
Indiana Election Administrators
Indiana Secretary of State, Election Division
- 302 West Washington Street, Room E-204
- Indianapolis, Indiana 46204
- Phone: 317-232-3939
- Fax: 317-233-6793
- Email: elections@iec.in.gov
- Website: https://www.in.gov/sos/elections/
U.S. Election Assistance Commission
- 633 3rd Street NW, Suite 200
- Washington, DC 20001
- Phone: 301-563-3919
- Toll free: 1-866-747-1471
- Email: clearinghouse@eac.gov
- Website: https://www.eac.gov
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Footnotes[edit]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Vote Smart, "Government 101: United States Presidential Primary," accessed October 13, 2023 Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; name "votesmart" defined multiple times with different content - ↑ The Constitution of the United States of America, "Article 2, Section 1," accessed August 3, 2015
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ The Washington Post, "Everything you need to know about how the presidential primary works," May 12, 2015
- ↑ FactCheck.org, "Caucus vs. Primary," April 8, 2008
- ↑ Indiana Code, "Title 3, Article 5, Chapter 2, Section 30," accessed October 13, 2023
- ↑ Indiana Code, "Title 3, Article 8, Chapter 3, Section 2," accessed October 13, 2023
- ↑ Indiana Code, "Title 3, Article 8, Chapter 3, Section 4," accessed October 13, 2023
- ↑ Indiana Code, "Title 3, Article 8, Chapter 2, Section 4," accessed October 13, 2023
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Archives.gov, "What is the Electoral College?" accessed August 25, 2015
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Archives.gov, "Who are the Electors?" accessed August 25, 2015
- ↑ Archives.gov, "Distribution of Electoral Votes," accessed October 13, 2023
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 Indiana Code, "Title 3, Article 10, Chapter 4, Section 5," accessed October 13, 2023
- ↑ Indiana Code, "Title 3, Article 8, Chapter 4, Section 10," accessed October 13, 2023
- ↑ Indiana Code, "Title 3, Article 8, Chapter 6, Section 3," accessed October 13, 2023
- ↑ Indiana Code, "Title 3, Article 8, Chapter 6, Section 10," accessed October 13, 2023
- ↑ Indiana Code, "Title 3, Article 8, Chapter 7, Section 19," accessed October 13, 2023
- ↑ SSRN, "Sore Loser Laws and Democratic Contestation," accessed October 13, 2023
- ↑ Harvard Journal of Law & Public Policy, "“If You Ain’t First, You’re Last”: How State “Sore-Loser” Laws Make It Impossible For Trump To Run A Successful Third-Party Campaign If He Loses The Republican Primary," accessed October 13, 2023
- ↑ Indiana Code, "Title 3, Article 8, Chapter 1, Section 5.5," accessed October 13, 2023
- ↑ 21.0 21.1 This information comes from research conducted by Richard Winger, publisher and editor of Ballot Access News.
- ↑ Indiana Code, "Title 3, Article 8, Chapter 2, Section 2.5," accessed October 13, 2023
- ↑ Indiana Code, "Title 3, Article 8, Chapter 2, Section 4," accessed October 13, 2023
- ↑ Indiana Code, "Title 3, Article 8, Chapter 2, Section 5," accessed October 13, 2023
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "The FEC and Federal Campaign Finance Law," updated January 2015
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "Quick Answers to Candidate Questions," accessed August 13, 2015
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "2016 Reporting Dates," accessed June 17, 2022
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