Indiana voters will choose their next Secretary of State on November 3, 2026, in a rare four-way general election. Republican Max Engling and Democrat Beau Bayh were nominated at their parties' June conventions, joining Libertarian Lauri Shillings and independent Greg Ballard—a former Indianapolis mayor running under the Lincoln Party label—whose ballot status is pending county-clerk certification.
The Secretary of State is Indiana's chief election officer. The office certifies elections, oversees the statewide voter file, regulates campaign and business filings, and sits at the center of how every Hoosier's vote is counted. It is also, historically, a partisan office: Indiana Secretaries of State have endorsed, fundraised for, and donated to candidates who appear on the very ballots they oversee. In 2026, that arrangement is itself one of the questions on the ballot—because at least one candidate is running specifically to change it. Most voters never think about this office until something goes wrong. This is the year to look at it before that happens.
The Secretary of State is Indiana's chief election officer. The office certifies elections, oversees the statewide voter file, regulates campaign and business filings, and sits at the center of how every Hoosier's vote is counted.
We track every candidate who has officially entered Indiana's 2026 Secretary of State race. We provide this information so independent voters can make an informed choice. Independent Center Voice does not endorse candidates. Information below is sourced from each candidate's public statements and campaign materials, and is provided in the same structure for everyone on the ballot.
Attorney and seventh-generation Hoosier; son of former Indiana Governor and U.S. Senator Evan Bayh. Served as a U.S. Marine Corps infantry officer, rising to the rank of captain; deployed to Europe in support of the U.S. response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Graduate of Harvard University and Harvard Law School.
First-time candidate, 2026
Former two-term Republican mayor of Indianapolis (2008–2015); retired U.S. Marine Corps lieutenant colonel. Running under the newly formed Lincoln Party label, Ballard submitted over 74,000 signatures to county clerks on June 30—well above the ~37,000 required—with certification pending by July 15.
Mayor of Indianapolis, 2007 (won); 2011 (won)
Creative director in the University of Indianapolis' marketing office; Hamilton County Libertarian Party chair since 2021. Carmel resident and lifelong Hoosier focused on bringing a nonpartisan, service-oriented approach to state government.
Indiana's 5th Congressional District, 2024 (Libertarian nominee)
Senior advisor to U.S. Senator Jim Banks; former U.S. House committee staffer with experience in federal election law oversight, including work under then-House Speaker Kevin McCarthy. Hamilton County resident and graduate of Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis; holds a master's degree from the Naval War College.
Indiana's 5th Congressional District Republican primary, 2024 (lost)
The Secretary of State doesn't write laws on the issues that dominate the headlines. What it controls is quieter and arguably more fundamental: whether your election runs cleanly, who gets onto the ballot, and whether you can trust the count. Here's what's genuinely at stake.
The Secretary of State also oversees business registrations, securities regulation, and notaries—the administrative plumbing of Indiana's economy.
Indiana voters across the spectrum say they want government they can audit. This office sets how openly election data, certifications, and campaign filings are reported.
Maintaining the statewide voter file, securing election systems, and keeping registration rolls both accurate and accessible all run through this office.
This office sits at the center of ballot-access rules—including why a major-party nominee is chosen at a convention while an independent must gather tens of thousands of signatures.
The central question of this race: whether the official who administers elections should also endorse, fundraise for, and donate to candidates on the ballots they oversee.
The Secretary of State is Indiana's chief election officer, overseeing how votes are cast, counted, and certified in all 92 counties. This is the office on the ballot.
Indiana doesn't register voters by party. There's no box on your registration that says Democrat or Republican. All 4.7 million registered Hoosiers are, in the state's own records, independent.
You are not locked into a team. You can look at every candidate on this ballot on the merits and decide for yourself. That's exactly what this page is built to help you do. Independent Center Voice exists for voters like you. We poll independent voters so their views get counted. We educate independent voters about their options. And we push for the structural reforms—open primaries, fair ballot access, transparent administration—that keep unaffiliated voters at the center of American democracy.
Get our Indiana Secretary of State election updates, 2026 polling, and reform news—by email and (optionally) by text.