Indiana 2025 Regular Session

Indiana Senate Bill SB0199 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New		Differences
	1	+	ES0199.1
	2	+	March 13, 2025
	3	+	ENGROSSED
	4	+	SENATE BILL No. 199
	5	+	_____
	6	+	DIGEST OF SB 199 (Updated March 12, 2025 12:40 pm - DI 140)
	7	+	Citations Affected: IC 3-6.
	8	+	Synopsis: Conduct of primary elections. Provides that two or more
	9	+	candidates of a political party may sign a written statement indicating
	10	+	their desire to name a watcher to be present at a county primary
	11	+	election. (Current law requires that 26% or more of all candidates of a
	12	+	political party must sign a written statement to indicate a desire to
	13	+	name a watcher.) Allows a county chairman of a political party to
	14	+	appoint a watcher to each precinct in which the political party has a
	15	+	candidate on the ballot if two or more candidates do not sign a written
	16	+	statement to request a watcher.
	17	+	Effective: July 1, 2025.
	18	+	Gaskill, Rogers
	19	+	(HOUSE SPONSORS — WESCO, KING)
	20	+	January 8, 2025, read first time and referred to Committee on Elections.
	21	+	January 14, 2025, reported favorably — Do Pass.
	22	+	January 16, 2025, read second time, ordered engrossed. Engrossed.
	23	+	January 21, 2025, read third time, passed. Yeas 49, nays 0.
	24	+	HOUSE ACTION
	25	+	March 3, 2025, read first time and referred to Committee on Elections and Apportionment.
	26	+	March 13, 2025, reported — Do Pass.
	27	+	ES 199—LS 6371/DI 149 March 13, 2025
1	28		First Regular Session of the 124th General Assembly (2025)
2	29		PRINTING CODE. Amendments: Whenever an existing statute (or a section of the Indiana
3	30		Constitution) is being amended, the text of the existing provision will appear in this style type,
4	31		additions will appear in this style type, and deletions will appear in this style type.
5	32		Additions: Whenever a new statutory provision is being enacted (or a new constitutional
6	33		provision adopted), the text of the new provision will appear in this style type. Also, the
7	34		word NEW will appear in that style type in the introductory clause of each SECTION that adds
8	35		a new provision to the Indiana Code or the Indiana Constitution.
9	36		Conflict reconciliation: Text in a statute in this style type or this style type reconciles conflicts
10	37		between statutes enacted by the 2024 Regular Session of the General Assembly.
11		-	SENATE ENROLLED ACT No. 199
12		-	AN ACT to amend the Indiana Code concerning elections.
	38	+	ENGROSSED
	39	+	SENATE BILL No. 199
	40	+	A BILL FOR AN ACT to amend the Indiana Code concerning
	41	+	elections.
13	42		Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Indiana:
14		-	SECTION 1. IC 3-6-9-1 IS AMENDED TO READ AS FOLLOWS
15		-	[EFFECTIVE JULY 1, 2025]: Sec. 1. (a) If:
16		-	(1) twenty-six percent (26%) two (2) or more of all candidates of
17		-	a political party who are candidates for:
18		-	(A) nomination to elected offices at a county primary election
19		-	(or municipal primary election within the municipality in
20		-	which the municipal primary is to be conducted), not including
21		-	candidates for delegates to the state convention or candidates
22		-	for precinct committeemen; or
23		-	(B) precinct committeemen at an election for precinct
24		-	committeemen, whose names are certified to the county
25		-	election board as candidates to be voted for at the primary
26		-	election for precinct committeemen; or
27		-	(2) any candidate or group of candidates for a school board office;
28		-	desire to have watchers at the polls in any precinct of the county or
29		-	municipality, they shall sign a written statement indicating their desire
30		-	to name watchers.
31		-	(b) If the candidates signing the statement are candidates for
32		-	nomination at a county primary election or for election as precinct
33		-	committeemen or to a school board office, the written statement shall
34		-	be filed with the circuit court clerk of the county where the candidates
35		-	reside.
36		-	(c) If the candidates signing the statement are candidates for
37		-	SEA 199 2
38		-	nomination at a municipal primary election, the written statement shall
39		-	be filed with the circuit court clerk of the county that contains the
40		-	greatest percentage of the population of the election district.
41		-	SECTION 2. IC 3-6-9-1.5 IS ADDED TO THE INDIANA CODE
42		-	AS A NEW SECTION TO READ AS FOLLOWS [EFFECTIVE JULY
43		-	1, 2025]: Sec. 1.5. If two (2) or more candidates of a political party
44		-	do not sign a written statement indicating their desire to have a
45		-	watcher under section 1 of this chapter, the county chairman of a
46		-	political party is entitled to appoint a watcher in each precinct in
47		-	which the political party has a candidate on the ballot.
48		-	SEA 199 President of the Senate
49		-	President Pro Tempore
50		-	Speaker of the House of Representatives
51		-	Governor of the State of Indiana
52		-	Date: Time:
53		-	SEA 199
	43	+	1 SECTION 1. IC 3-6-9-1 IS AMENDED TO READ AS FOLLOWS
	44	+	2 [EFFECTIVE JULY 1, 2025]: Sec. 1. (a) If:
	45	+	3 (1) twenty-six percent (26%) two (2) or more of all candidates of
	46	+	4 a political party who are candidates for:
	47	+	5 (A) nomination to elected offices at a county primary election
	48	+	6 (or municipal primary election within the municipality in
	49	+	7 which the municipal primary is to be conducted), not including
	50	+	8 candidates for delegates to the state convention or candidates
	51	+	9 for precinct committeemen; or
	52	+	10 (B) precinct committeemen at an election for precinct
	53	+	11 committeemen, whose names are certified to the county
	54	+	12 election board as candidates to be voted for at the primary
	55	+	13 election for precinct committeemen; or
	56	+	14 (2) any candidate or group of candidates for a school board office;
	57	+	15 desire to have watchers at the polls in any precinct of the county or
	58	+	16 municipality, they shall sign a written statement indicating their desire
	59	+	17 to name watchers.
	60	+	ES 199—LS 6371/DI 149 2
	61	+	1 (b) If the candidates signing the statement are candidates for
	62	+	2 nomination at a county primary election or for election as precinct
	63	+	3 committeemen or to a school board office, the written statement shall
	64	+	4 be filed with the circuit court clerk of the county where the candidates
	65	+	5 reside.
	66	+	6 (c) If the candidates signing the statement are candidates for
	67	+	7 nomination at a municipal primary election, the written statement shall
	68	+	8 be filed with the circuit court clerk of the county that contains the
	69	+	9 greatest percentage of the population of the election district.
	70	+	10 SECTION 2. IC 3-6-9-1.5 IS ADDED TO THE INDIANA CODE
	71	+	11 AS A NEW SECTION TO READ AS FOLLOWS [EFFECTIVE JULY
	72	+	12 1, 2025]: Sec. 1.5. If two (2) or more candidates of a political party
	73	+	13 do not sign a written statement indicating their desire to have a
	74	+	14 watcher under section 1 of this chapter, the county chairman of a
	75	+	15 political party is entitled to appoint a watcher in each precinct in
	76	+	16 which the political party has a candidate on the ballot.
	77	+	ES 199—LS 6371/DI 149 3
	78	+	COMMITTEE REPORT
	79	+	Mr. President: The Senate Committee on Elections, to which was
	80	+	referred Senate Bill No. 199, has had the same under consideration and
	81	+	begs leave to report the same back to the Senate with the
	82	+	recommendation that said bill DO PASS.
	83	+	(Reference is to SB 199 as introduced.)
	84	+
	85	+	GASKILL, Chairperson
	86	+	Committee Vote: Yeas 9, Nays 0
	87	+	_____
	88	+	COMMITTEE REPORT
	89	+	Mr. Speaker: Your Committee on Elections and Apportionment, to
	90	+	which was referred Senate Bill 199, has had the same under
	91	+	consideration and begs leave to report the same back to the House with
	92	+	the recommendation that said bill do pass.
	93	+	(Reference is to SB 199 as printed January 15, 2025.)
	94	+	WESCO
	95	+	Committee Vote: Yeas 10, Nays 0
	96	+	ES 199—LS 6371/DI 149