At a prior meeting, the Senate Elections Committee heard HB 1377 on straight ticket voting sponsored by Sen. Johnson and authored by Rep. Payne. The bill:
- Repeals provisions that prohibit counting straight party votes for candidates for election to an at-large district to which more than one person may be elected.
- Removes a provision requiring particular ballot placement when more than one candidate may be elected to an office.
- Provides that if a voter votes a straight party ticket and also selects one or more individual candidates for an office to which more than one person may be elected, the: (1) individual votes shall be counted unless the total number of individual votes is greater than the number of persons to be elected to the office; (2) straight party votes for the office shall not be counted; and (3) straight party votes for other offices on the ballot shall be counted.
The Indiana Secretary of State’s Office and the Knox County Clerk testified in support of the bill.
On February 16, 2026, the Committee heard the bill for amend and vote. The Committee amended the bill by consent to specify how a vote is counted with a straight ticket with a paper ballot. The amended bill passed 7-2.
Read the bill at: https://iga.in.gov/legislative/2026/bills/house/1377/