Republican Party

§1Ballot status

✎ Drafted by AI from the public sources cited. Each sentence links to its source.

It is on Indiana's own list of parties qualified for the 2026 election.^1,2 The state's class for it: major party.^1,2

The Election Division classes the Republican Party as a major party because its candidate had one of the two highest vote totals for Secretary of State in 2022.¹ Where in the source: p. 3

How a party qualifies in Indiana

Indiana has no petition to register a new party; a party other than the Democratic, Libertarian and Republican parties gets each candidate on the general election ballot by a petition of nomination signed by registered voters equal to 2 percent of the votes cast for Secretary of State in 2022 in that election district.¹ Where in the source: p. 3 For a statewide office in 2026 that meant 36,943 signatures, 2 percent of the 1,847,179 votes cast for Secretary of State in 2022.¹ Where in the source: 2022 Vote Totals for Indiana Secretary of State On the 2026 general election list, candidates appear by petition under the labels American Solidarity, Green, Lincoln Party, Socialist Party of Indiana and Taxpayer Watchdog; conventions held by such parties do not count toward ballot placement.^1,2

How a party keeps its status

Party standing is set by the most recent race for Secretary of State: the parties with the two highest vote totals are major parties, and a party whose candidate won at least 2 percent but less than 10 percent may nominate by convention.¹ Where in the source: p. 3 Because standing comes from the last Secretary of State race, the Secretary of State contest on the November 3, 2026 ballot will set party standing for later elections.^1,2 Where in the source: p. 3

§2How it picks nominees

✎ Drafted by AI from the public sources cited. Each sentence links to its source.

Another method. Major parties nominate candidates for Congress, the legislature and local offices in the May 5, 2026 primary, while their 2026 candidates for Secretary of State, State Comptroller and Treasurer of State are chosen at the party's state convention.¹ Where in the source: p. 3, Ballot Access, Generally

Indiana's rules for nominating

The two major parties must hold a primary, where voters choose a Democratic or Republican ballot, for federal, state legislative and local offices; in 2026 their Secretary of State, State Comptroller and Treasurer of State candidates are picked at state conventions.¹ Where in the source: p. 3 The Libertarian Party nominates by convention and may fill a ballot vacancy where its convention chose no one, after notifying the Election Division or the county election board.¹ Where in the source: p. 3 Other minor parties and independent candidates reach the ballot only by petition of nomination, and a write-in candidate may not claim to belong to the Democratic, Libertarian or Republican party.¹ Where in the source: p. 3

§3On the 2026 ballot

9 Candidates for U.S. Senate, U.S. House or governor whose label on Indiana's November 3 ballot names this party, from the state's official candidate list. Labels are shown exactly as the ballot prints them. Other offices aren't covered yet.

§4Notes on Indiana’s party research

What the research couldn’t find or confirm about Indiana’s parties, in its own plain words. Nothing is left out silently.

• Indiana publishes no separate list of qualified parties; the list here comes from the Election Division's 2026 Candidate Guide, which names the Democratic and Republican parties as major parties and the Libertarian Party as the minor party that may nominate by convention.
• Candidates with other party labels appear on the 2026 general election list by petition of nomination (American Solidarity, Green, Lincoln Party, Socialist Party of Indiana, Taxpayer Watchdog). They are described under rules rather than listed as parties because their place on the ballot comes from each candidate's petition, not from party standing.
• We could not read the Indiana Code sections on party standing and nomination (iga.in.gov loads only through JavaScript), so the rules rest on the Election Division's guide, which cites them.