Democratic and Republican candidates for city office, and for town office in towns that hold a primary, get on Indiana's May 4, 2027 primary ballot by filing a sworn declaration of candidacy together with a Statement of Economic Interests (form CAN-12). Both go to the county election board in the county that has the largest share of the district's population, between Wednesday, January 6, 2027 and noon on Friday, February 5, 2027. The declaration must be on the current state form and signed before a notary or another person authorized to give oaths. No petition is needed, and a filing that arrives after noon on February 5 must be rejected.
Party candidates in small towns that hold no primary file a different declaration (form CAN-16) by noon on Monday, August 2, 2027. Independent and minor party candidates do not file a declaration for the primary; they file a petition of nomination instead. This guide walks through the filing in the order you will do it. The rules come from the Indiana Election Division's candidate guides, 2027 calendars and state forms, with Indiana Code (IC) citations. Confirm anything specific to your office with your county election board.
For the full process of running in 2027, see our guide to running for local office in Indiana.
Who files which form
| Candidate | What to file | Deadline |
|---|---|---|
| Democrat or Republican, city office | Declaration of candidacy for the municipal primary, and CAN-12 | Noon, Friday, February 5, 2027 |
| Democrat or Republican, large town, or small town with a primary ordinance | Declaration of candidacy for the municipal primary, and CAN-12 | Noon, Friday, February 5, 2027 |
| Democrat, Libertarian or Republican, small town with no primary | Town office declaration (CAN-16), and CAN-12 | Noon, Monday, August 2, 2027 |
| Write-in candidate | Declaration of intent (CAN-51), and CAN-12 | Noon, Tuesday, July 6, 2027 |
| Independent or minor party candidate | Petition of nomination (CAN-44), consent (CAN-45) and CAN-12 | Noon, Wednesday, June 30, 2027 (petition); noon, Thursday, July 15, 2027 (final filing) |
All of these filing windows open on Wednesday, January 6, 2027. City and town judge candidates file a judicial statement of economic interests with the Commission on Judicial Qualifications in place of the CAN-12 and attach a filed copy. The Libertarian Party nominates its city and large-town candidates at a party convention, so those candidates should contact the party. If you plan to run as an independent, our guide to running as an independent in Indiana covers the petition.
The rest of this guide covers the declaration for the May 4 primary.
Step 1: Get the current forms
How a new number gets approved
- Open your account100 free SMS included
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- Verify your campaignCampaign Verify, $95 per two-year cycle. Needs your committee's EIN and filing.
- We file the registrationToll-free verification, or 10DLC for a local number ($75 one time)
- The carriers review itAbout three business days for a toll-free number
- Send your first textStart with a small test group
Indiana requires every filing to be on the most recent version of the state form. A county election board must reject a filing on an outdated version (IC 3-5-4-8). Each state form carries its form number and a revision date, usually in the upper left or upper right corner, so you can check which version you have.
Ask your county election board for the 2027 declaration of candidacy for the municipal primary and the CAN-12, or download them from the Election Division's candidate information page at in.gov/sos/elections once the 2027 versions are posted. Do not reuse a form from an earlier election.
Step 2: Check your party record
To file in a party's primary, your Indiana primary voting record must match that party (IC 3-8-2-7). The rule looks at the party ballot you requested in the last two Indiana primaries in which you actually voted. Primaries you skipped do not count against you.
- If both of those ballots were the party's ballot, you meet the rule.
- If they were different parties' ballots, or if either was a nonpartisan ballot, attach a certification from the party's county chair in the county where you live confirming that you are a member of the party.
A missing certification does not cause the county to reject your declaration. It does give a voter of your district or a county chair grounds to challenge your filing. If you are unsure which ballots you requested, ask your county voter registration office before you file, and talk with your party's county chair early if you will need a certification.
Step 3: Decide how your name will appear on the ballot
The declaration asks how your name should be printed on the ballot. Indiana law (IC 3-5-7) sets the rules, and the state's declaration forms summarize them:
- You may use your legal first name or its initial, your middle name or its initial, and your surname.
- You may use a nickname only if you are commonly known by it, and it may be no more than 20 characters. Nicknames are printed in parentheses, for example John R. (Jack) Doe.
- You may not use a title or degree, such as MD or JD, or anything that implies one.
A name that does not follow these rules can be challenged. The state's declaration forms also include a request that your voter registration record show the same name as your declaration (IC 3-8-2-7).
Step 4: Sign before a notary
You sign the declaration after swearing or affirming that its statements are true, in front of a person authorized to give oaths, such as a notary public (IC 3-8-2-7). The Election Division provides notary services for federal, statewide and state legislative candidates, so local candidates should ask their county election board whether a notary is available in its office. If not, arrange a notary before you go to file, and do not sign the declaration until you are in front of the notary.
Step 5: Attach the Statement of Economic Interests
The CAN-12 is an ethics form. State law requires it with every local candidate's declaration, and the county must reject a declaration that arrives without it (IC 3-8-9-6). Fill it out completely and file it with your declaration.
Indiana's declaration forms also ask candidates to acknowledge that some offices require a surety bond or training before the officeholder can serve. Ask your county election board whether either applies to the office you are seeking.
Step 6: File in the right place, before noon
Where. File with the county election board in the county that has the greatest share of your district's population. In most counties, this is the office of the circuit court clerk. A few counties have a board of elections and registration that serves as the county election board.
When. Between Wednesday, January 6, 2027 and noon on Friday, February 5, 2027. Indiana candidate deadlines fall at noon local time, not at 5 p.m.
How. Deliver the forms by hand if you can. A late filing must be rejected (IC 3-5-4-1.9), and a mailed form counts as filed only when the county receives it, regardless of the postmark. The Election Division calls hand delivery the best option. File early in the window so there is time to fix a problem, and keep a copy of everything you hand over.
Step 7: After you file
Withdrawal. You may withdraw from the primary for any reason until noon on Friday, February 12, 2027. The Election Division's 2027 calendar lists the municipal primary withdrawal form as CAN-43.
Challenges. A registered voter of your district, or a county chair of a major party, may challenge a candidate's eligibility by filing a sworn statement with the county election board (IC 3-8-1-2). The board holds a public meeting and decides the question. State law sets the deadlines for challenges, so ask your county election board for the 2027 dates. A complete, accurate filing is the best protection.
The "sore loser" law. If you lose the primary, you cannot run for the same office in the November election, including as a write-in (IC 3-8-1-5.5).
The dates ahead. Voter registration ends on Monday, April 5, early voting begins on Tuesday, April 6, and the primary is on Tuesday, May 4, 2027. Our Indiana 2027 municipal election calendar lists every date through November 2.
Start your supporter list on filing day
Filing day is often when friends and neighbors first hear that you are running, and some will want updates. Collect their permission properly from the start so you can text them later.
Bring a sign-up sheet that plainly says the person agrees to receive campaign texts from you, with a line for the date. In CampaignCNX+, add those supporters to a group, record the consent date and source in a custom field, and tag where you met them, such as "filing day" or "pancake breakfast." Every first message ends with "Reply STOP to opt out," and STOP replies are handled automatically. Never add people from a voter list who did not ask to hear from you.
Before your first text, CampaignCNX+ files your registration with the carriers (the mobile phone companies) and files your Campaign Verify token with it. Campaign Verify confirms that a political sender is a real campaign. It requires a 527 committee (the federal tax status of a political committee) with an EIN (the committee's federal tax ID number) and a filing with an election authority that is published online. Check that your committee filing with the county election board is viewable online before you request Campaign Verify, and ask Campaign Verify Support if it is not. A $95 request made on or after Sunday, November 15, 2026 lasts until January 31, 2029. Campaign Verify decides eligibility. For texting rules across the region, see campaign texting in the Midwest.
100 free SMS included. Your number is $5 a month.
File early in the window
Gather the current forms, check your party record and line up a notary before January 6, then file in the first weeks of the window rather than on February 5. When you are ready to reach the supporters you collect along the way, start a CampaignCNX+ trial.
