Several bills are passing out of committee that could have an impact on the voting process.
by Johnny Kincaid
FEBRUARY 6, 2026
In the current Indiana legislative session, elections are on many lawmakers’ minds. They’re not worried about re-election since incumbents have the upper hand, but how elections are conducted.
Several bills are passing out of committee that could have an impact on the voting process.
Senate Bill 201 would change Indiana’s primaries from the current open system, which allows people to select whether they want a Democrat or Republican ballot when they go to the polls on primary election day, to a closed system requiring that they declare their party affiliation about four months before the election.
Primary elections have traditionally been, like party conventions, an opportunity for party members to nominate a candidate for office. However, they are still seen as a party activity rather than a public election. In the general election, party members decide who to run, and the general public votes for the person who will serve the community.
Some years ago, a different belief permeated the world of elections, and states started introducing open primaries. This allowed Democrats to encourage members of their party to vote in the Republican gubernatorial primary.
Some argue that closed primaries will discourage voter turnout, but I contend that they return the primary to its original purpose of nominating candidates. The closed primary system has damaged unity in both parties and allowed them to become more complacent.
But as with all legislation, the devil is in the details, and the requirement to register party affiliation 119 days before the primary is a poison pill that may sink this legislation. The voter registration deadline is only 29 days before the election, which adds the extra level of difficulty that we have come to expect from most legislation.
If Senate Bill 284 passes, the early voting window could be cut in half to 14 days. The current four-week span drains resources and is difficult to staff. Will reducing the number of days drastically reduce voter turnout, as some people believe?
Senate Bill 10 would require college students to obtain a state-issued photo ID in addition to their student ID in order to vote.
School board elections are currently non-partisan, but that could change with the passage of Senate Bill 287.
What do you think? Do we need these changes in the election process?
