If a person votes straight Democrat, the person must also select the candidate or candidates he/she wants for an at-large city council seat. What that means is a person could vote for a straight democrat party slate and also vote for just one candidate running at large instead of being forced to vote for all 3 large City Council candidates with a straight party selection.
IC 3-12-1-8 Voting mark on political party device circle; individual votes required for candidates for at-large districts
(a) Except as provided in subsection (b), a voting mark made by a voter on or in a circle containing a political party device shall be counted as a vote for each candidate of that political party on that ballot.
(b) A voter who wishes to cast a ballot for a candidate for election to an at-large district to which more than one (1) person may be elected on a:
(1) county council;
(2) city common council;
(3) town council; or
(4) township board;
must make a voting mark for each individual candidate for whom the voter wishes to cast a vote. A voting mark on or in a circle containing a political party device shall not be counted as a straight party ticket voting mark as a vote for any candidate for an office described by this subsection.
[Pre-1986 Recodification Citation: 3-1-25-18(e).]
As added by P.L.5-1986, SEC.8. Amended by P.L.6-1986, SEC.38; P.L.3-1987, SEC.333; P.L.21-2016, SEC.25; P.L.278-2019, SEC.138.
In layman’s terms, “party political device†means a straight ticket vote.
As the highlighted portion states, it won’t count toward at-large seats unless the straight-ticket voter individually selects their desired at-large candidate.
