SB 211

                                                *SB0211.2*
                                                                       Reprinted
                                                                January 21, 2026
           SENATE BILL No. 211
                 _____
   DIGEST OF SB 211 (Updated January 20, 2026 3:27 pm - DI 149)
Citations Affected: IC 3-13.
Synopsis: Cancellation of caucus meeting. Allows a person who
wishes to be a candidate for a pro tempore appointment to certain local
offices or school board offices to file a declaration of candidacy with
the chair of the caucus or the circuit court clerk. Requires a circuit
court clerk to send a copy of a declaration of candidacy filed with the
clerk to the chairman of the caucus on the same day the declaration of
candidacy is received. Allows a notice of a caucus meeting to be
rescinded if only one candidate seeks to fill a vacancy in a local office
or a school board office held by a major party.
Effective: July 1, 2026.
                 Holdman, Baldwin
   January 8, 2026, read first time and referred to Committee on Elections.
   January 12, 2026, amended, reported favorably — Do Pass.
   January 20, 2026, read second time, amended, ordered engrossed.
SB 211—LS 6644/DI 149
                                                                                    Reprinted
                                                                             January 21, 2026
            Second Regular Session of the 124th General Assembly (2026)
 PRINTING CODE. Amendments: Whenever an existing statute (or a section of the Indiana
 Constitution) is being amended, the text of the existing provision will appear in this style type,
 additions will appear in this style type, and deletions will appear in this style type.
   Additions: Whenever a new statutory provision is being enacted (or a new constitutional
 provision adopted), the text of the new provision will appear in this style type. Also, the
 word NEW will appear in that style type in the introductory clause of each SECTION that adds
 a new provision to the Indiana Code or the Indiana Constitution.
  Conflict reconciliation: Text in a statute in this style type or this style type reconciles conflicts
 between statutes enacted by the 2025 Regular Session of the General Assembly.
                   SENATE BILL No. 211
    A BILL FOR AN ACT to amend the Indiana Code concerning
 elections.
     Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Indiana:
1    SECTION 1. IC 3-13-11-3, AS AMENDED BY P.L.278-2019,
2 SECTION 162, IS AMENDED TO READ AS FOLLOWS
3 [EFFECTIVE JULY 1, 2026]: Sec. 3. (a) Except as provided in
4 subsections (b) and (e) and section 3.5 of this chapter, after a vacancy
5 occurs and not later than ten (10) days after a vacancy occurs in an
6 office subject to this chapter, the county chairman:
7(1) of the county in which the greatest percentage of the
8population of the election district of the office is located; and
9(2) of the same political party that elected or selected the official
10who vacated the office;
11 shall give notice of a caucus to all eligible precinct committeemen.
12    (b) A county chairman may give notice of a caucus before the time
13 specified under subsection (a) if a vacancy will exist because the
14 official has:
15(1) submitted a written resignation under IC 5-8-3.5;
16(2) been elected to another office; or
17(3) submitted a notice under IC 5-9-4 to take a leave of absence
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                                    2
1for active duty in the armed forces or national guard.
2    (c) Notwithstanding IC 5-8-4, a person may not withdraw the
3 person's resignation after the resignation has been accepted by the
4 person authorized to accept the resignation less than seventy-two (72)
5 hours before the announced starting time of a caucus under this section.
6    (d) Except as provided in subsections (e) and (f) and section
7 sections 3.5 and 10(c) of this chapter, a caucus under this section shall
8 be held after giving notice to caucus members under section 4 of this
9 chapter and not later than thirty (30) days after the vacancy occurs.
10    (e) If a vacancy exists in an office because of the death of the
11 officeholder, the caucus shall meet and select an individual to fill the
12 vacancy not later than thirty (30) days after the county chairman
13 receives notice of the death under IC 5-8-6. The county chairman shall
14 give notice to caucus members under section 4 of this chapter. The
15 county chairman may not give the notice required by section 4 of this
16 chapter until the county chairman receives notice of the death under
17 IC 5-8-6.
18    (f) If a person or entity that receives notice of a resignation under
19 IC 5-8-3.5-1(b) fails to provide timely notice of the resignation to the
20 person or entity with the power to fill the vacancy or call the caucus,
21 the person or entity with the power to fill the vacancy or call that
22 caucus:
23(1) may immediately proceed to fill the vacancy or call the caucus
24without prior receipt of the notice; and
25(2) must do so not later than thirty (30) days after receiving the
26notice from the person or entity that received the notice of
27resignation.
28    SECTION 2. IC 3-13-11-3.5, AS AMENDED BY P.L.119-2005,
29 SECTION 24, IS AMENDED TO READ AS FOLLOWS [EFFECTIVE
30 JULY 1, 2026]: Sec. 3.5. (a) If a vacancy exists on a town council
31 because a circumstance has occurred under IC 36-5-2-6.5(3), except as
32 provided in section 10(c) of this chapter, the caucus shall meet and
33 select an individual to fill the vacancy not later than thirty (30) days
34 after the county chairman receives a notice of the vacancy under
35 IC 5-8-5.
36    (b) The county chairman shall:
37(1) give notice of the caucus meeting to caucus members under
38section 4 of this chapter; and
39(2) keep the notice of the vacancy with the records of the caucus.
40    SECTION 3. IC 3-13-11-4 IS AMENDED TO READ AS
41 FOLLOWS [EFFECTIVE JULY 1, 2026]: Sec. 4. The notice for a
42 caucus under section 3 of this chapter must:
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                                      3
1(1) be in writing;
2(2) state the name, address, electronic mail address, and
3telephone number of the chairman of the caucus;
4(3) state the purpose of the caucus;
5(4) state the date, time, and place of the caucus; and
6(5) be sent by first class mail to each member of the caucus at
7least ten (10) days before the caucus.
8     SECTION 4. IC 3-13-11-7 IS AMENDED TO READ AS
9 FOLLOWS [EFFECTIVE JULY 1, 2026]: Sec. 7. (a) This section does
10 not apply to a vacancy filled by a county chairman under section 5(c)
11 of this chapter.
12     (b) A person who wishes to be a candidate for pro tempore
13 appointment to fill a vacancy under this chapter must file:
14(1) a declaration of candidacy with:
15(A) the chairman of the caucus; and or
16(B) the circuit court clerk; and
17(2) a statement of economic interests with the commission on
18judicial qualifications if the vacancy is in the office of prosecuting
19attorney;
20 at least seventy-two (72) hours before the time fixed for the caucus.
21     (c) A circuit court clerk who receives a declaration of candidacy
22 under subsection (b)(1)(B) shall send a copy of the filing to the
23 chairman of the caucus. The circuit court clerk must send the filing
24 to the chairman of the caucus on the same day it is received.
25     SECTION 5. IC 3-13-11-10, AS AMENDED BY P.L.240-2025,
26 SECTION 34, IS AMENDED TO READ AS FOLLOWS [EFFECTIVE
27 JULY 1, 2026]: Sec. 10. (a) Except as provided in subsection (c), the
28 members of a caucus held under this chapter shall select, by a majority
29 vote of those casting a vote for a candidate, a person to fill the vacancy
30 described in the written notice of the caucus.
31     (b) If more than one (1) person seeks to fill the vacancy, the
32 selection shall be conducted by secret ballot.
33     (c) The following apply if only one (1) person seeks to fill the
34 vacancy:
35(1) The notice for a caucus sent under section 4 of this chapter
36may be rescinded and the caucus is not required to meet.
37(1) (2) A vote under subsection (a) is not required.
38(2) (3) The county chairman may select that person to fill the
39vacancy.
40     (d) If a notice is rescinded under subsection (c)(1), the chairman
41 of the caucus shall make a reasonable effort to notify the members
42 of the caucus that the meeting has been canceled.
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                                 4
                    COMMITTEE REPORT
Mr. President: The Senate Committee on Elections, to which was
referred Senate Bill No. 211, has had the same under consideration and
begs leave to report the same back to the Senate with the
recommendation that said bill be AMENDED as follows:
Page 2, between lines 39 and 40, begin a new paragraph and insert:
"SECTION 3. IC 3-13-11-7 IS AMENDED TO READ AS
FOLLOWS [EFFECTIVE JULY 1, 2026]: Sec. 7. (a) This section does
not apply to a vacancy filled by a county chairman under section 5(c)
of this chapter.
(b) A person who wishes to be a candidate for pro tempore
appointment to fill a vacancy under this chapter must file:
  (1) a declaration of candidacy with:
      (A) the chairman of the caucus; and or
      (B) the circuit court clerk; and
  (2) a statement of economic interests with the commission on
  judicial qualifications if the vacancy is in the office of prosecuting
  attorney;
at least seventy-two (72) hours before the time fixed for the caucus.".
Renumber all SECTIONS consecutively.
and when so amended that said bill do pass.
   (Reference is to SB 211 as introduced.)
                                             GASKILL, Chairperson
Committee Vote: Yeas 7, Nays 2.
                            _____
                       SENATE MOTION
Mr. President: I move that Senate Bill 211 be amended to read as
follows:
Page 2, between lines 39 and 40, begin a new paragraph and insert:
"SECTION 3. IC 3-13-11-4 IS AMENDED TO READ AS
FOLLOWS [EFFECTIVE JULY 1, 2026]: Sec. 4. The notice for a
caucus under section 3 of this chapter must:
  (1) be in writing;
  (2) state the name, address, electronic mail address, and
  telephone number of the chairman of the caucus;
  (3) state the purpose of the caucus;
SB 211—LS 6644/DI 149
                             5
 (4) state the date, time, and place of the caucus; and
 (5) be sent by first class mail to each member of the caucus at
 least ten (10) days before the caucus.".
   Page 3, between lines 10 and 11, begin a new paragraph and insert:
   "(c) A circuit court clerk who receives a declaration of
candidacy under subsection (b)(1)(B) shall send a copy of the filing
to the chairman of the caucus. The circuit court clerk must send
the filing to the chairman of the caucus on the same day it is
received.".
   Page 3, after line 25, begin a new paragraph and insert:
   "(d) If a notice is rescinded under subsection (c)(1), the
chairman of the caucus shall make a reasonable effort to notify the
members of the caucus that the meeting has been canceled.".
   Renumber all SECTIONS consecutively.
   (Reference is to SB 211 as printed January 13, 2026.)
                                                       GASKILL
SB 211—LS 6644/DI 149