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Laws governing local ballot measures in Indiana

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Laws governing ballot measures in the U.S.
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Laws governing ballot measures in the U.S.

Changes to laws governing ballot measures

Types of ballot measures

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Select a state from the dropdown to learn more about laws governing ballot measures in that state.

This page describes the state constitutional provisions and statutes that govern local ballot measures in Indiana. Jurisdictions often establish additional rules within the parameters of state law; those can be found in local ordinances and home-rule charters.

Explore the links below for more information:

Law

The Indiana Constitution and Indiana Code establish the rules that govern local ballot measures in the state.

  • Constitution: There are no provisions for home rule or the powers of initiative and referendum in the Indiana Constitution.
  • Statutes: I.C. 3-10-9 and I.C. 36-1-3

General

The following outlines the general rules that govern local ballot measures in Indiana, including both citizen-initiated measures and referred measures from local government bodies.

  • Election timing: In Indiana, election timing differs based on when the measure is certified to appear on the ballot.[1]
    • For a measure to be placed on the ballot during a primary or municipal primary election, it must be certified by noon at least 74 days in advance before the election.
    • For a measure to be placed on the ballot during a general election, it must be certified by August 1.
  • Vote requirements: All local ballot measures in Indiana require a simple majority vote to be approved, unless specified by state statute.
  • Required ballot measures: In Indiana, a measure may only be placed on the ballot at the local level if it is expressly authorized by statute.[2]
    • The Indiana Code requires voter-approved ballot measures for the following:[1]
      • Issuing new bonds.
      • Base tax levies.
      • School tax levies.

Initiatives

The following outlines the general rules that govern local citizen-initiated ballot measures in Indiana.

  • Authority: I.C. 3-10-9-6 grants the power of initiative if a state statute explicitly authorizes it for that specific local public question.[3]
  • Signatures: There is no general signature requirement for initiatives. Each threshold is specified in the individual state statute that authorizes a petition.[3]
  • Deadline: Measures must be certified:[1]
    • No later than noon.
    • Seventy-four (74) days before a primary election, if the question is to be placed on the primary or municipal primary election ballot.
    • August 1, if the question is to be placed on the general or municipal election ballot.

Referrals

The following outlines the general rules that govern local referred ballot measures in Indiana.

Laws governing local ballot measures in the U.S.

Laws governing local ballot measures in the United States

As state laws govern ballot measures, the rules are different from state to state. Click on a state below to explore that state's laws on local ballot measures.

http://ballotpedia.org/Laws_governing_local_ballot_measures_in_STATE

See also

Footnotes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Indiana Code, Section 3-10-9-3," accessed December 12, 2025
  2. ↑ Indiana General Assembly, "Indiana Code, Section 3-10-9-5," accessed December 12, 2025
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Indiana General Assembly, "Indiana Code, Section 3-10-9-6," accessed December 12, 2025
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