(INDIANAPOLIS) - Indiana's 2026 election season officially begins this week as candidate filing opens for the May primary, Secretary of State Diego Morales announced Monday.
Wednesday, Jan. 7, marks the first day Democratic and Republican candidates may file declarations of candidacy to appear on the 2026 primary ballot. The primary election will be held in May.
Minor party, independent, and write-in candidates will file later in the year for the November general election, after the primary concludes.
"Candidate filing marks an important step in Indiana's election process," Morales said. "My office is committed to ensuring candidates have the information and resources they need to file correctly and on time, while continuing to uphold the integrity of our elections."
Candidates seeking offices including U.S. House of Representatives, state legislative seats, and judicial positions--such as county prosecuting attorney--must file with the Indiana Secretary of State's Office or the Indiana Election Division. Filings will be accepted weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., beginning Jan. 7 through noon on Feb. 6.
Candidates for non-judicial county offices, township and town offices, school boards, precinct committeeman, and state convention delegate positions must file with the county clerk in the county where they reside.
The deadline to file a declaration of candidacy is Friday, Feb. 6, at noon. Under Indiana law, election officials are prohibited from accepting filings after that time.
Additional filing information and guidance for candidates is available through the Indiana Secretary of State's Office.