HB 1679 Indiana House · 2025 Regular Session

Various elections matters.

Summary
Modifies the definition of "candidate". Provides that certain documents and material generated for or used by a political party caucus to select a person to fill a vacancy in an elected office are the property of the political party. Provides that the office of the circuit court clerk must remain closed on primary election day and general election day. Provides that the circuit court clerk shall perform required duties to conduct elections on primary election day and general election day. Specifies that the circuit court clerk is not required to perform on primary election day and general election day a duty other than conducting elections. Requires a county, city, town, township, or school to provide to an employee of a local government office who requests leave to serve: (1) on primary election day or general election day; and (2) as a precinct election officer; a paid day of leave to serve as a precinct election officer. Specifies an exception. Requires certain redistricting authorities to redistrict election districts or recertify existing election districts within the statutory deadlines and withholds payment to aa member of a redistricting authority for failure to do so. Prescribes fees to be charged by the election division for particular products and services. Changes the manner in which a copy of a complaint is to be provided to members of the Indiana election commission. Specifies the term of a chairman of a county election board, circumstances under which the chairman is considered to have vacated the office, and the process for electing a member of the board to serve as chairman following a vacancy. Provides that a person must: (1) be at least 18 years of age at the next general, municipal, or special election; (2) be a United States citizen; and (3) reside in a precinct continuously before a general, municipal, or special election for at least 30 days; to register to vote in that precinct and may, upon making a proper application, register to vote in that precinct. Requires absentee activity reports and other election day reports to be provided by a certain time and provides exceptions. Requires the county voter registration official to take certain actions concerning potential nonresidential addresses not later than August 1 of each year. Provides that the county voter registration official may not enter a nonresidential address into the statewide voter registration system as a voter's registration address. Provides that the spouse of a service member may elect to use the same residence as the member. Requires a county voter registration office to conduct a voter list maintenance program within 48 hours of receiving certain information. Allows a county voter registration office to use, for purposes of voter list maintenance: (1) information received by the county voter registration office indicating that a voter has moved to another state; (2) the return of an absentee ballot sent by the county election board to a voter because of an unknown or insufficient address. Requires a county voter registration office that receives information indicating that a voter has moved to another state to mail a specified form to the voter. Specifies that a full-time employee of the department of homeland security who is prohibited from participating in political activities is disqualified from assuming or being a candidate for an elected office. Requires a write-in candidate for a school board office to file a declaration of intent to be a write-in candidate with the county election board. Provides, for purposes of stating a candidate's affiliation with a political party in a declaration of candidacy, that if a candidate cast a nonpartisan ballot at an election held at either of the two most recent primary elections in which the candidate voted, a certification by the county chairman is required. Provides that, under certain circumstances, a county election board is not required to compile: (1) the addresses of persons for whom declarations of candidacy have been filed; or (2) information concerning precinct committeemen or state convention delegates. Specifies that a circuit court clerk who is required to conduct a special election is not required to publish the address of a candidate. Requires candidates for school board office and their candidate's committees to file required instruments with the county election board. Requires the names of all: (1) candidates for presidential electors and alternate presidential electors; and (2) nominees for President and Vice President of the United States; to be certified to the election division not later than noon September 1 before the general election. (Current law requires certification not later than noon on the second Tuesday in September before the general election.) Allows the county election board, by unanimous vote of the board's entire membership, to use bound materials instead of a paper envelope or bag in certain circumstances. Requires a voter registration application or absentee ballot application requested through electronic mail by a voter with print disabilities to be provided by electronic mail. (Current law permits providing these documents by fax or mail in certain circumstances.) Allows an individual to submit: (1) a replacement ballot statement request; and (2) a written replacement ballot request; by electronic mail. Repeals a provision that prohibits a voter from: (1) taking a digital image or photograph of the voter's ballot while in a polling place, except in specified circumstances; and (2) distributing or sharing the image using social media or by any other means. Requires that a voter entitled to cast an absentee ballot before an absentee voter board mark the voter's political party ballot selection on the electronic poll book instead of communicating the selection to the poll clerks. Permits a vendor to dispose of a voting system unit or an electronic poll book unit by transferring possession of the unit to a state or county historical society in Indiana. Specifies circumstances in which a candidate filing a petition for a recount or contest is liable for the expenses chargeable to another party. Provides that a petition for a recount or contest may not be filed earlier than noon 10 days after election day. Specifies, with regard to filling a candidate vacancy for a local office, that an authorization to fill vacancies given to a county chairman or a county committee expires at the time of the next election for precinct committeemen for the party with which the county chairman or county committee is affiliated. Provides that action to fill an early candidate vacancy must be taken not earlier than May 8 after the primary election if the vacancy exists on a general or municipal election ballot. Provides that if only one person seeks to fill a vacancy in a local office held by a major political party, a caucus vote is not required and the county chairman may select that person to fill the vacancy. Provides that certain state officers are liable to impeachment for crime, incapacity, or negligence in office. (Current law provides that these officers are liable to impeachment for any misdemeanor in office.) Specifies, for purposes of nepotism provisions, that the performance of certain duties of an absentee voter board, an absentee ballot counter, a provisional ballot counter, or an absentee ballot courier is not considered employment by a unit.
Bill status signed all 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Jan 2025
Committee Review
Apr 2025
House Passage
Apr 2025
Senate Passage
Apr 2025
Signed into Law
May 2025
Introduced Jan 21, 2025 Signed May 6, 2025
Maddy AI version diff · 5 comparisons

What changed between versions

House Bill (H) House Bill (S) · 5 edits
MODERATE
This bill was amended and engrossed for final passage to the Senate, with minor formatting updates. The digest was updated to reflect the new Senate sponsors and revised timeline. Substantive policy content remains largely unchanged, though some language was clarified regarding voter list maintenance timelines and redistricting authority payment provisions.
TIMELINE

Digest date updated from February 6, 2025 to March 31, 2025 to reflect Senate amendments

TECHNICAL

Added Senate sponsors (Gaskill, Rogers) and Senate action dates to the bill header

Minor text reorganization and formatting changes throughout the digest for clarity

REQUIREMENT

Voter list maintenance program timeline changed from 'at least once every 30 days' to 'within 48 hours of receiving certain information'

Redistricting authority payment language clarified to specify withholding payment for failure to meet deadlines

Floor votes · Senate Apr 15, 2025 · House Feb 13, 2025

How they voted

3710
Passed · 3 other
Total votes 50
Apr 15, 2025
D Democratic10
10 Nay
100% Nay
R Republican40
37 Yea 3
92% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea All Nay Mixed No data
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
39
Key actions
14
Committee
5
Amendments
7
May 6, 2025
Signed into law
Signed by the Governor
executive
Apr 29, 2025
Upper · Passed
Signed by the President of the Senate
upper
Apr 28, 2025
Upper · Passed
Signed by the President Pro Tempore
upper
Apr 25, 2025
Lower · Passed
Signed by the Speaker
lower
Apr 24, 2025
Upper · Passed
Rules Suspended. Conference Committee Report 1: adopted by the Senate; Roll Call 526: yeas 41, nays 7
upper
Apr 24, 2025
Lower · Passed
Rules Suspended. Conference Committee Report 1: adopted by the House; Roll Call 559: yeas 63, nays 24
lower
Apr 17, 2025
Introduced
House dissented from Senate amendments
lower
Apr 15, 2025
Upper · Passed
Third reading: passed; Roll Call 449: yeas 37, nays 10
upper
Apr 14, 2025
Upper · Passed
Amendment #1 (Ford J.D.) prevailed; voice vote
upper
Apr 10, 2025
Upper · Passed
Committee report: amend do pass, adopted
upper
Apr 1, 2025
Upper · Passed
Committee report: amend do pass adopted; reassigned to Committee on Appropriations
upper
Feb 13, 2025
Lower · Passed
Third reading: passed; Roll Call 163: yeas 87, nays 8
lower
Feb 11, 2025
Lower · Passed
Amendment #4 (Boy) prevailed; Roll Call 124: yeas 87, nays 3
lower
Feb 11, 2025
Introduced
Amendment #1 (Jackson C) ruled out of order
lower
Feb 11, 2025
Lower · Passed
Amendment #5 (Wesco) prevailed; voice vote
lower
Feb 11, 2025
Amended
Amendment #6 (Boy) failed; voice vote
lower
Feb 11, 2025
Introduced
Amendment #3 (Pryor) ruled out of order
lower
Feb 6, 2025
Lower · Passed
Committee report: amend do pass, adopted
lower
3 primary · 0 co-sponsors

Sponsors