Indiana candidate filing & campaign-finance deadlines
Official 2026 report due dates for Indiana state candidates file with Indiana Election Division (Office of the Indiana Secretary of State).
1 more deadline follows in this cycle.
Electbase emails you before every deadline — 14, 7, and 2 days out — and stays current as the official schedule changes.
Get deadline remindersIncluded in every Electbase plan · See pricingThis page also covers Indiana candidate-filing (ballot access) deadlines for 2027–2028 — the process of becoming a qualified candidate, distinct from the campaign-finance reporting below. Here's how to run for office in Indiana: what to file, when, and with whom.
4 report deadlines for the 2026 cycle.
These are the campaign-finance report due dates a Indiana state candidate files with Indiana Election Division (Office of the Indiana Secretary of State) for the 2026 election cycle, stored verbatim from the official schedule. The 2026 primary is May 5, 2026.
| Due | Type | Report | Covers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual/Year-end | IN 2025 Annual Report Annual report covering calendar year 2025, due at noon January 21, 2026. |
Jan 1, 2025 – Dec 31, 2025 | |
| Pre-election | IN 2026 Pre-Primary Report Pre-primary report for the May 5 primary, covering January 1 – April 10, 2026, due at noon April 17. |
Jan 1, 2026 – Apr 10, 2026 | |
| Pre-election | IN 2026 Pre-Election Report Pre-general report for the November 3 general, covering April 11 – October 9, 2026, due at noon October 16. |
Apr 11, 2026 – Oct 9, 2026 | |
| Annual/Year-end | IN 2026 Annual Report Year-end annual report covering October 10 – December 31, 2026, due at noon January 20, 2027. |
Oct 10, 2026 – Dec 31, 2026 |
Shaded rows are deadlines that have already passed.
Good to know
Schedule for STATE LEGISLATIVE candidates (Indiana House/Senate) and other non-statewide candidate committees. STATEWIDE candidates on the 2026 ballot (Secretary of State, Comptroller, Treasurer) file a QUARTERLY schedule instead. All deadlines are 12:00 noon, local prevailing time (a weekend/holiday deadline rolls to noon the next business day). Large single-source contributions ($1,000+) must be reported within 48 hours on Form CFA-11 during the primary (Apr 11 – May 3) and general (Oct 10 – Nov 1) windows — event-driven, not listed here. State candidates must file online; local/judicial candidates file with the county.
Indiana candidate-filing deadlines — 2027–2028.
Deadlines to become a qualified candidate for office in Indiana — declarations of candidacy, nominating petitions, and related ballot-access filing requirements — compiled from Indiana Secretary of State, Election Division. Distinct from the campaign-finance report deadlines above.
2027
Municipal
Mayor
Not yet published. Indianapolis holds mayoral elections every four years in odd-numbered years. Filing deadline set by Indianapolis municipal ordinance; specific date not yet published for 2027.
Filing authority: Marion County Clerk's Office (City of Indianapolis).
Next check: Jun 1, 2027.
Indianapolis Municipal Code and Marion County Clerk Procedures · accessed Jul 13, 2026
Last verified Jul 13, 2026
The official filing deadline for Mayor in City of Indianapolis for the 2027 Indianapolis Mayoral Election (Nov 2, 2027) has not yet been published; check with Marion County Clerk's Office (City of Indianapolis). Source: City of Indianapolis.
2028
Federal
President of the United States
Filing window: –
Candidacy method: Party Primary · Deadline type: Party primary filing
Files with: Indiana Secretary of State, Election Division
Indiana Code Title 3, Article 8, Chapter 2, Section 4 (Declaration of Candidacy for Primary Election) · accessed Jul 13, 2026
Not yet independently verified
Filing for President of the United States in Statewide for the 2028 Indiana Primary Election (May 2, 2028) closes Feb 4, 2028 at 12:00 PM America/Indiana/Indianapolis. Opens Jan 5, 2028. This date is calculated from statute and is not an official calendar date. Source: Indiana Legislature.
U.S. Senate (Class 3 - Todd Young's seat)
Filing window: –
Candidacy method: Party Primary · Deadline type: Party primary filing
Files with: Indiana Secretary of State, Election Division
Indiana Code Title 3, Article 8, Chapter 2, Section 4 (Declaration of Candidacy for Primary Election) · accessed Jul 13, 2026
Not yet independently verified
Filing for U.S. Senate (Class 3 - Todd Young's seat) in Statewide for the 2028 Indiana Primary Election (May 2, 2028) closes Feb 4, 2028 at 12:00 PM America/Indiana/Indianapolis. Opens Jan 5, 2028. This date is calculated from statute and is not an official calendar date. Source: Indiana Legislature.
U.S. House of Representatives — Districts 1-9 (all districts)
Filing window: –
Candidacy method: Party Primary · Deadline type: Party primary filing
Files with: Indiana Secretary of State, Election Division
Indiana Code Title 3, Article 8, Chapter 2, Section 4 · accessed Jul 13, 2026
Not yet independently verified
Filing for U.S. House of Representatives in Statewide for the 2028 Indiana Primary Election (May 2, 2028) closes Feb 4, 2028 at 12:00 PM America/Indiana/Indianapolis. Opens Jan 5, 2028. This date is calculated from statute and is not an official calendar date. Source: Indiana Legislature.
U.S. Senate (Class 3)
Not yet published. Party-nominated candidates proceed from primary to general election. Party must file certificate of nomination.
Filing authority: Indiana Secretary of State, Election Division.
Next check: Mar 1, 2028.
Indiana Secretary of State Election Division 2028 Election Calendar (forthcoming) · accessed Jul 13, 2026
Not yet independently verified
The official filing deadline for U.S. Senate (Class 3) in Statewide for the 2028 Indiana General Election (Nov 7, 2028) has not yet been published; check with Indiana Secretary of State, Election Division. Source: Indiana Secretary of State.
U.S. House of Representatives — Districts 1-9
Not yet published. VERIFIER-EDIT: (1) Corrected election_date from 2028-11-05 to 2028-11-07 — November 5, 2028 is a Sunday; first Tuesday after the first Monday in November 2028 is November 7. (2) Corrected per SCHEMA.md hard rule—populated dates with date_status:not_yet_published violates contract. Dates were estimated from 2026 pattern. Set all date fields to null per schema requirement. Expected publishing authority: Indiana Secretary of State's Election Division.
Filing authority: Indiana Secretary of State, Election Division.
Next check: Mar 1, 2028.
Indiana Secretary of State Election Division 2028 Election Calendar (forthcoming) · accessed Jul 13, 2026
Not yet independently verified
The official filing deadline for U.S. House of Representatives in Statewide for the 2028 Indiana General Election (Nov 7, 2028) has not yet been published; check with Indiana Secretary of State, Election Division. Source: Indiana Secretary of State.
U.S. Senate and U.S. House (Independent/Nonpartisan) — U.S. House Districts 1-9 (Senate is statewide)
Not yet published. Two-step process: petitions filed with county by June 30 for verification; final filing with Secretary of State by July 15 after county verification is complete.
Filing authority: County Voter Registration Office (for verification); Secretary of State for final filing.
Next check: Mar 1, 2028.
Indiana Secretary of State Election Division 2026 General Election Materials and Candidate Guide · accessed Jul 13, 2026
Not yet independently verified
The official filing deadline for U.S. Senate and U.S. House (Independent/Nonpartisan) in Statewide for the 2028 Indiana General Election (Nov 7, 2028) has not yet been published; check with County Voter Registration Office (for verification); Secretary of State for final filing. Source: Indiana Secretary of State.
U.S. Senate and U.S. House (Minor Party) — U.S. House Districts 1-9
Not yet published. Minor party candidates file petitions of nomination similar to independent candidates. Minor party must file Certificate of Candidate Selection by July 15.
Filing authority: County Voter Registration Office (for verification); Secretary of State for final filing.
Next check: Mar 1, 2028.
Indiana Secretary of State Election Division Candidate Guide and Forms · accessed Jul 13, 2026
Not yet independently verified
The official filing deadline for U.S. Senate and U.S. House (Minor Party) in Statewide for the 2028 Indiana General Election (Nov 7, 2028) has not yet been published; check with County Voter Registration Office (for verification); Secretary of State for final filing. Source: Indiana Secretary of State.
U.S. Senate and U.S. House (Write-In) — U.S. House Districts 1-9
Not yet published. Write-in candidate votes are only counted in the general election if the candidate filed a declaration of intent by the deadline.
Filing authority: Indiana Secretary of State, Election Division.
Next check: Mar 1, 2028.
Indiana Secretary of State Election Division 2026 Election Calendar and Candidate Guide · accessed Jul 13, 2026
Not yet independently verified
The official filing deadline for U.S. Senate and U.S. House (Write-In) in Statewide for the 2028 Indiana General Election (Nov 7, 2028) has not yet been published; check with Indiana Secretary of State, Election Division. Source: Indiana Secretary of State.
Statewide
Governor and Lieutenant Governor
Filing window: –
Candidacy method: Party Primary · Deadline type: Party primary filing
Files with: Indiana Secretary of State, Election Division
Indiana Code Title 3, Article 8, Chapter 2, Section 4 · accessed Jul 13, 2026
Not yet independently verified
Filing for Governor and Lieutenant Governor in Statewide for the 2028 Indiana Primary Election (May 2, 2028) closes Feb 4, 2028 at 12:00 PM America/Indiana/Indianapolis. Opens Jan 5, 2028. This date is calculated from statute and is not an official calendar date. Source: Indiana Legislature.
State Auditor
Filing window: –
Candidacy method: Party Primary · Deadline type: Party primary filing
Files with: Indiana Secretary of State, Election Division
Indiana Code Title 3, Article 8, Chapter 2, Section 4 · accessed Jul 13, 2026
Not yet independently verified
Filing for State Auditor in Statewide for the 2028 Indiana Primary Election (May 2, 2028) closes Feb 4, 2028 at 12:00 PM America/Indiana/Indianapolis. Opens Jan 5, 2028. This date is calculated from statute and is not an official calendar date. Source: Indiana Legislature.
Governor and Lieutenant Governor (General Election)
Not yet published. Primary winners proceed to general election through party certification.
Filing authority: Indiana Secretary of State, Election Division.
Next check: Mar 1, 2028.
Indiana Secretary of State Election Division 2028 Election Calendar (forthcoming) · accessed Jul 13, 2026
Not yet independently verified
The official filing deadline for Governor and Lieutenant Governor (General Election) in Statewide for the 2028 Indiana General Election (Nov 7, 2028) has not yet been published; check with Indiana Secretary of State, Election Division. Source: Indiana Secretary of State.
State Legislative
State Senate — Districts 1-50 (all districts)
Filing window: –
Candidacy method: Party Primary · Deadline type: Party primary filing
Files with: Indiana Secretary of State, Election Division
Indiana Code Title 3, Article 8, Chapter 2, Section 4 · accessed Jul 13, 2026
Not yet independently verified
Filing for State Senate in Statewide for the 2028 Indiana Primary Election (May 2, 2028) closes Feb 4, 2028 at 12:00 PM America/Indiana/Indianapolis. Opens Jan 5, 2028. This date is calculated from statute and is not an official calendar date. Source: Indiana Legislature.
State House of Representatives — Districts 1-100 (all districts)
Filing window: –
Candidacy method: Party Primary · Deadline type: Party primary filing
Files with: Indiana Secretary of State, Election Division
Indiana Code Title 3, Article 8, Chapter 2, Section 4 · accessed Jul 13, 2026
Not yet independently verified
Filing for State House of Representatives in Statewide for the 2028 Indiana Primary Election (May 2, 2028) closes Feb 4, 2028 at 12:00 PM America/Indiana/Indianapolis. Opens Jan 5, 2028. This date is calculated from statute and is not an official calendar date. Source: Indiana Legislature.
School Board
School Board Member (Nonpartisan/Partisan) — All Indiana ISDs
Not yet published. School board elections held on first Tuesday after first Monday in November in even-numbered years only (2028-11-07). Candidates may file as nonpartisan or, as of 2025 (per SB 287), with party label. Filing deadline approximately 30-40 days before election based on 2026 pattern.
Filing authority: School District Office (typically superintendent or board secretary).
Next check: Apr 1, 2028.
Indiana Secretary of State Election Division School Board Election Procedures and 2026 School Board Candidate Election Procedures · accessed Jul 13, 2026
Not yet independently verified
The official filing deadline for School Board Member (Nonpartisan/Partisan) in Statewide (All Independent School Districts) for the 2028 Indiana School Board Election (held on General Election Date) (Nov 7, 2028) has not yet been published; check with School District Office (typically superintendent or board secretary). Source: Indiana School Boards Association / Indiana Secretary of State.
Electbase compiles these dates from official state sources as a workflow aid. It is not legal advice. Confirm every deadline with your filing authority before you rely on it.
Last updated August 27, 2026