Indiana election 2024 guide: Local voting information
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
/2024/10/07/1728313969248.gif?w=3840)
Illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios
Election Day is Nov. 5. Here's what you need to know about how to vote and what's on the ballot in Indiana.
Why it matters: In addition to the presidential race, control of Congress is at stake in this year's election.
- At the state level, the race for governor, U.S. Senate and attorney general are contested but Republicans are heavily favored.
Voting in Indiana
Early voting begins Tuesday at the City-County Building from 8am to 5pm.
- Additional early voting centers in Marion County open Saturday, Oct. 26.
- Find early voting centers online.
Polls are open from 6am to 6pm (local time) on Election Day.
- Marion County uses vote centers, rather than location-specific polling places, and registered voters can cast a ballot at any of them.
- Voters in other counties can find their polling location at indianavoters.in.gov.
Mail-in ballots must be postmarked or returned to an official ballot dropbox by 6pm (local time) on Election Day to be counted.
- Request a mail-in ballot by Oct. 24.
Governor: Jennifer McCormick (D) Sen. Mike Braun (R) vs. Donald Rainwater (L)
Republican Gov. Eric Holcomb is term-limited, making this an open race this year.
Republican Mike Braun didn't run for re-election to the U.S. Senate in favor of seeking this office.
Democrat Jennifer McCormick has won a statewide election — but as a Republican. The former school superintendent was the final elected state superintendent of public instruction in 2016.
- She decided not to run for re-election and switched parties after becoming disillusioned with Republicans in the Statehouse.
Libertarian Donald Rainwater is running for the second time but is not expected to best the nearly 11.5% of the electorate he pulled in 2020, riding a wave of right-wing anger at Holcomb over pandemic restrictions.
State of play: Should he win, Braun would start a third decade of Republican leadership in the governor's office. He is ahead in every poll and has a large fundraising lead, but his release of an attack ad against McCormick has some political watchers speculating he may be concerned about her gaining ground.
Attorney General: Destiny Wells (D) vs. Todd Rokita (R)
The attorney general is the state's chief legal officer, representing Indiana in cases involving the state's interest, providing legal defense to state officials and agencies, and giving legal advisory opinions.
Incumbent Republican Todd Rokita, a former congressman, has often courted controversy, rather than shying away from hot-button issues like student "indoctrination," immigration and abortion.
- Rokita was reprimanded by the Indiana Supreme Court for comments he made about OB-GYN Caitlin Bernard after she discussed performing an abortion on a 10-year-old from Ohio in the wake of the reversal of Roe v. Wade.
Democrat Destiny Wells, an attorney and veteran, is seeking statewide office for the second time. She lost the 2022 secretary of state race to Republican Diego Morales but is still seen as a rising star in the state's Democratic party.
U.S. Senate: Valerie McCray (D) vs. Rep. Jim Banks (R)
After nearly eight years in Congress, Republican Rep. Jim Banks is looking to assume the Senate seat being vacated by Braun.
- Banks, a military veteran who served in Afghanistan, is a rising conservative voice and the frontrunner in the race with a huge fundraising advantage. He's stayed in lockstep with former President Trump and could be a strong ally in the Senate if both are elected.
Democrat Valerie McCray, a psychologist from Indianapolis, made history as the first Black woman to become a major party's nominee for the U.S. Senate in Indiana. It's not her first campaign, though. She ran a longshot bid for president as an Independent in 2020.
1st Congressional District: Rep. Frank Mrvan (D) vs. Randy Niemeyer (R)
Northwest Indiana has been represented by a Democrat in Congress for nearly a century, but the 1st District is the most competitive congressional race in the state, being targeted by both the Democratic and Republican national congressional committees.
Democrat Rep. Frank Mrvan is running for his third term in the seat, having won by five points in 2022. He was a township trustee in the region for 15 years before running for Congress, succeeding Pete Visclosky who retired after more than 30 years representing the district.
Republican Randy Niemeyer, co-owner of his family's milk-hauling business, is a member of the Lake County Council. He told FOX59 he's running for Congress because he feels like the American dream is harder to achieve for his children's generation.
State of play: Political ratings groups are saying the race is likely or leaning Democratic, but an upset is possible.
4th Congressional District: Derrick Holder (D) vs. Rep. Jim Baird (R)
Republican Rep. Jim Baird is expected to easily win re-election for his fourth term. The Greencastle Republican served eight years in the Indiana House before heading to Congress.
Democrat Derrick Holder is a paralegal from Indianapolis and a former Marine.
State of play: Every major rating agency has declared the race safe for Republicans.
- The district extends from southwest suburban Indianapolis to the Illinois border.
5th Congressional District: Deborah Pickett (D) vs. Rep. Victoria Spartz (R)
Republican Rep. Victoria Spartz won a bitter Republican primary in May to pursue her third term in Congress, despite previously announcing plans to retire.
- Ukrainian-born Spartz lives in Noblesville and was a founding member of the Hamilton County Tea Party.
Democrat and veteran Deborah Pickett said she's running to protect the U.S. Constitution and personal freedoms, such as the right to abortion.
State of play: Every major rating agency has declared the race safe for Republicans.
- The district covers Hamilton and surrounding counties to the north and east.
6th Congressional District: Cynthia Wirth (D) vs. Jefferson Shreve (R)
After a failed Indianapolis mayoral campaign last year, Republican businessman Jefferson Shreve is trying to head to Congress.
Democrat Cynthia Wirth is a science teacher and resident of Columbus, Indiana, running on a platform supporting public education and abortion rights.
State of play: Every major rating agency has declared the race safe for Republicans.
- The district extends southeast from the southernmost portion of Marion County to the Ohio border.
7th Congressional District: Rep. André Carson (D) vs. John Schmitz (R)
Democrat Rep. André Carson is expected to win re-election to the seat he's held since 2008 when he won a special election to replace his grandmother, Julia Carson, after she died in office.
- Carson is an Indianapolis native and a graduate of Arsenal Tech.
Republican John Schmitz is a masonry contractor who was chosen by the GOP to replace primary winner Jennifer Pace, who died in March.
State of play: Every major rating agency has declared the race safe for Democrats.
- The district covers all but the southernmost portion of Marion County.
Statehouse races
All 100 of Indiana state House districts and half of its 50 state Senate districts are on the ballot this year.
State of play: Republicans hold a supermajority in both the House and Senate and the party is expected to maintain that control.
Yes, but: There are a few races around the Indianapolis area worth watching.
State Senate District 35: Jessica McCormick (D) vs. State Sen. Mike Young (R)
Republican Sen. Mike Young has served in the state Senate since 2000 but hit a rough patch with his party in recent years, leaving the Republican caucus during the 2022 special session during which the Indiana General Assembly passed a near-universal abortion ban.
- Young was concerned about the limited exceptions in the law. He subsequently lost a committee chairmanship.
Democrat Jessica McCormick is a member of the Indianapolis City-County Council and an engineer.
- She's currently serving on the committee investigating Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett's handling of sexual assault allegations against members of his administration.
The district covers parts of Marion and Hendricks counties.
State Senate District 36: Suzanne Fortenberry (D) vs. State Sen. Cyndi Carrasco (R)
Republican Sen. Cyndi Carrasco is the incumbent but is running for the seat for the first time. The former state inspector general was appointed to the seat by a GOP caucus after her predecessor, Sen. Jack Sandlin, died in office.
- Carrasco ran unsuccessfully for Marion County prosecutor in 2022.
Democrat Suzanne Fortenberry is a FedEx driver and Johnson County resident who said she's running because she's frustrated by the Republican-dominated state legislature.
The district covers parts of Marion and Johnson counties.
Indiana House District 39: Matt McNally (D) vs. Danny Lopez (R)
Republican Danny Lopez is seeking to retain the open Indiana House District 39 seat for the GOP after the retirement of longtime lawmaker Jerry Torr.
- Lopez is currently the vice president for external affairs and corporate communications at Pacers Sports & Entertainment but previously worked under Gov. Eric Holcomb, former U.S. Sen. Dan Coats and former Gov. Mike Pence.
Democrat Matt McNally retired from two decades of military service in 2022, the first year he ran for District 39. He lost that race by under 5 points to Torr.
The district covers parts of Carmel and Westfield.
Marion County races
While county treasurer, coroner and surveyor are on the ballot this year, only the treasurer race is being contested.
- Democrat Barbara Lawrence is seeking re-election to the treasurer's office, facing Republican Randy Wandell.
School boards
- Ten of Marion County's 11 public school districts have board seats up for election this year, but only six of them have contested races.
- Learn more about the races in Indianapolis Public Schools, Beech Grove, and Lawrence, Pike, Warren and Wayne townships from our partners at Chalkbeat Indiana.