Get Ready for the 2026 Election

On Indiana midterm ballots this year are:

• Secretary of State, Indiana Comptroller, and Indiana Treasurer
• All nine of Indiana’s U.S. House seats
• All 100 Indiana House seats
• 25 of the 50 Indiana Senate seats
• Local school district budget referendums
• Public Question 1: Constitutional Bail Amendment
• Public Question 2: Voters decide whether county judges must reside in the county of their jurisdiction.

Additionally, voters will see local races or other ballot items depending on where they live. See what is on your ballot at IndianaVoters.in.gov.

This year, the ACLU is committed to federal election safegurding, well as state initiatives to support voters.

• Know Your Rights: Voting in Indiana
• Yes! You Can Vote Campaign
• Know Your Rights: Federal Voting Laws | ACLU National
• Indiana Voter Bill of Rights
• Indiana Secretary of State: Voters with Disabilities

You can vote in Indiana if you:

• Are a U.S. citizen
• Are a resident of Indiana
• Will be at least 18 years old on or before the next General Election
• Have lived in the precinct where you vote for at least 30 days before the election, unless a special “fail-safe” rule applies
• Are not currently in prison after being convicted of a crime
• Are registered to vote

Voting in person? Bring an acceptable photo ID.

Your voter ID must:

• Include your photo
• Include your name, which must reasonably conform to the name on your voter registration record
• Be issued by the State of Indiana, the U.S. government, or a federally recognized Native American Tribe or band
• Include an expiration date and be current or have expired sometime after November 5, 2024, with limited exceptions for certain military, veterans and Tribal IDs

Common acceptable IDs include an Indiana driver’s license, Indiana state ID, U.S. passport and certain military IDs. College or university-issued student IDs are not accepted as voter ID in Indiana.

Your address on your photo ID does not generally have to match the address on your voter registration. Some first-time voters may be required to provide additional documentation showing where they live.

Don’t have an acceptable photo ID?

You can still cast a provisional ballot. You generally have until noon 10 days after the election to provide acceptable identification to your county election board or affirm that you qualify for an exemption. Indiana residents who do not have an acceptable ID can also obtain a free state ID for voting purposes from the BMV.

How does judicial retention work?

Some judges appear on the ballot without an opponent. Instead, voters answer a simple yes-or-no question about whether the judge should remain in office.

• Vote YES to keep the judge in office for another term.
• Vote NO if you do not want the judge to remain in office.

In Indiana, appellate judges generally serve 10-year terms after their first retention election, while local trial court judges serve six-year terms. Depending on where you live, your ballot may include judicial retention questions, contested judicial elections, or both.

Who’s on the ballot in 2026?

Four statewide appellate-level judges are up for retention in 2026: three Indiana Court of Appeals judges and one Tax Court judge. There will also be local judges on the ballot in certain counties. The statewide appellate judges up for retention include:

• Judge Mary A. DeBoer | Indiana Court of Appeals
• Judge Paul A. Felix | Indiana Court of Appeals
• Judge Dana J. Kenworthy | Indiana Court of Appeals
• Judge Justin L. McAdam | Indiana Tax Court

Do your research before voting. The Indiana Judicial Branch provides information about each judge, including their background and past decisions. You can also review the Indiana State Bar Association’s 2026 Judicial Retention Poll to see how surveyed attorneys evaluated the judges up for retention.

For the two Public Questions on Hoosier ballots, a YES vote supports changing the Constitution as proposed, while a NO vote keeps the current constitutional language in place. Each amendment must receive a majority of votes cast on that question to pass.

Public Question 1: Expanding Pretrial Detention

Under Indiana’s Constitution, people accused of crimes generally have a right to bail before trial, with exceptions for murder and treason when the evidence meets a specified standard.

Public Question 1 would expand when someone can be held in jail without bail before being convicted of a crime. It would allow judges to deny bail for other offenses when the evidence of the charge meets the constitutional standard, and the state proves by clear and convincing evidence that no conditions of release would reasonably protect others or the community.

• YES: Allow judges to deny bail in these additional circumstances.
• NO: Keep the Constitution’s existing limits on denying bail.

Want to know more about what’s at stake? Explore the ACLU of Indiana’s Public Question 1 webpage to understand the proposed amendment, Indiana’s current bail system, and its implications for due process and the presumption of innocence.

Public Question 2: Residency Requirements for Local Judges

Currently, Indiana’s Constitution requires city and town court judges to live in the city or town where they serve.

Public Question 2 would allow city/town court judges to live outside the communities they serve, including in neighboring counties.

• YES: Allow city and town court judges to live in these additional areas.
• NO: Keep the existing residency requirement.

The exact ballot language will read:

“Shall the Constitution of the State of Indiana be amended to permit the judge of a city or town court to reside in: (1) the county in which the court is located; or (2) the bordering county closest to the city or town in which the court is located? (This question HEA 1019 2 concerns Article 6, Section 6 of the Constitution of the State of Indiana.)”

These proposed changes will appear on ballots statewide in this midterm election. Visit IndianaVoters.com to view your sample ballot before voting.