Indiana 2020 Regular Session Status: Passed Senate 3 R cosponsors

SB 178 — Various election matters.

Last action — House advisors appointed: Bosma, Lehman, Steuerwald, Boy, Moseley and Pfaff

  1. ✓
    Introduced
  2. ✓
    In Committee
  3. 3
    Passed Senate
  4. 4
    Passed House
  5. 5
    To Executive
  6. 6
    Enacted

This bill died with 2020 Regular Session. It reached “Passed Senate” and never advanced before the session ended, so it can no longer move — a new version would have to be reintroduced in the current session.

This bill is no longer active — its legislative session has ended, so there is no live prognosis. It would have to be reintroduced in the current session to move again.

Summary

Requires the election division instead of the Indiana election commission to prescribe a uniform generic seal for use on certain ballots when the circuit court clerk is a candidate on the ballot. Provides that a candidate for the office of attorney general may not have been disbarred in Indiana or suspended from the practice of law in Indiana for at least 30 days without automatic reinstatement at any time during the period of five years before taking office. Provides that if the individual who holds the office of attorney general is disbarred in Indiana or suspended from the practice of law in Indiana for at least 30 days, the individual forfeits the office and a vacancy in the office exists. Requires certification by the county chairman of a candidate in a political party primary or town convention if the candidate cast a nonpartisan ballot at the most recent primary election in which the candidate voted beginning in January, 2021. Updates municipal primary dates. Prohibits the printing of an independent or political party device on a ballot under specified circumstances. Specifies ballot placement of names when there are both at-large and district candidates. Specifies that language in a public question not contain beginning and ending quotation marks. Adds references to the Porter County election board. Adds references to instances in which an absentee ballot may be recast. Adds references to vote centers. Specifies a procedure for folding ballots when voting in front of an absentee voter board. Specifies a comparison of signature upon receipt of an absentee ballot and time frame. Sets forth a procedure if a county election board does not unanimously determine that an absentee ballot signature is genuine. States that the position of an absentee ballot counter or a provisional ballot counter is not a lucrative office for purposes of the state Constitution. Authorizes the secretary of state to establish a pilot program during the May, 2020 primary for testing of a voting system. Requires precinct returns to be sent to the director of the board of elections and registration if the counting location is outside the county. Allows a member of the Indiana election commission to appoint a proxy, and specifies the process and limitations. Adds a Level 6 felony for inducing or procuring another person to vote or refrain from voting for or against a candidate or public question at: (1) a caucus; or (2) the appointment of a candidate by a political party chairman or central committee officer; by giving, offering, or promising a person money or other property. Changes certification of a question on a referendum from 60 days to 74 days. Repeals language concerning absentee ballots (moving some language to central voting statutes) and repeals certain absentee voter boards.

Bill Text

We don't have the full text on file for this bill yet.

Read SB 178 on the official Indiana source →

Action History

  1. House advisors appointed: Bosma, Lehman, Steuerwald, Boy, Moseley and Pfaff

  2. House conferees appointed: Wesco and Dvorak

  3. Senate advisors appointed: Ford Jon and Breaux

  4. Senate conferees appointed: Messmer and Randolph Lonnie M

  5. Senator Crane removed as third author

  6. Senator Ford Jon removed as second author

  7. Senate dissented from House amendments

  8. Motion to dissent filed

  9. Returned to the Senate with amendments

  10. Third reading: passed; Roll Call 285: yeas 83, nays 13

  11. Representative Manning added as cosponsor

  12. Representative Judy removed as cosponsor

  13. Second reading: amended, ordered engrossed

  14. Amendment #1 (Wesco) prevailed; Roll Call 244: yeas 84, nays 9

  15. Committee report: amend do pass, adopted

  16. Committee report: amend do pass, adopted

  17. Referred to Committee on Rules and Legislative Procedures pursuant to House Rule 84

  18. First reading: referred to Committee on Elections and Apportionment

  19. Referred to the House

  20. Cosponsor: Representative Judy

  21. House sponsor: Representative Wesco

  22. Third reading: passed; Roll Call 116: yeas 47, nays 0

  23. Senator Grooms added as coauthor

  24. Senator Crane added as third author

  25. Senator Ford Jon added as second author

  26. Second reading: ordered engrossed

  27. Committee report: amend do pass, adopted

  28. First reading: referred to Committee on Elections

  29. Authored by Senator Walker

Sponsors

Sponsorship breakdown

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2 sponsors · 2 co-sponsors · 146 not signed on

Sponsors (2)

Co-sponsors (2)

Not signed on (146)

146 members have not signed on to this bill.

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"Not signed on" means a member has not sponsored or co-sponsored this bill — it does not imply opposition. Members flagged Voted No have a recorded No vote on this bill.

Whip count is in markup. Polling the chamber and every recorded vote this session. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Calling the roll · Tallying · Engrossing

Subjects

elections
Cross-referencing the record. Reading this bill against every other bill in the corpus by meaning, not keywords. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Matching · Ranking · Engrossing

Frequently asked questions

What does SB 178 do?
Requires the election division instead of the Indiana election commission to prescribe a uniform generic seal for use on certain ballots when the circuit court clerk is a candidate on the ballot. Provides that a candidate for the office of attorney general may not have been disbarred in Indiana or suspended from the practice of law in Indiana for at least 30 days without automatic reinstatement at any time during the period of five years before taking office. Provides that if the individual who holds the office of attorney general is disbarred in Indiana or suspended from the practice of law in Indiana for at least 30 days, the individual forfeits the office and a vacancy in the office exists. Requires certification by the county chairman of a candidate in a political party primary or town convention if the candidate cast a nonpartisan ballot at the most recent primary election in which the candidate voted beginning in January, 2021. Updates municipal primary dates. Prohibits the printing of an independent or political party device on a ballot under specified circumstances. Specifies ballot placement of names when there are both at-large and district candidates. Specifies that language in a public question not contain beginning and ending quotation marks. Adds references to the Porter County election board. Adds references to instances in which an absentee ballot may be recast. Adds references to vote centers. Specifies a procedure for folding ballots when voting in front of an absentee voter board. Specifies a comparison of signature upon receipt of an absentee ballot and time frame. Sets forth a procedure if a county election board does not unanimously determine that an absentee ballot signature is genuine. States that the position of an absentee ballot counter or a provisional ballot counter is not a lucrative office for purposes of the state Constitution. Authorizes the secretary of state to establish a pilot program during the May, 2020 primary for testing of a voting system. Requires precinct returns to be sent to the director of the board of elections and registration if the counting location is outside the county. Allows a member of the Indiana election commission to appoint a proxy, and specifies the process and limitations. Adds a Level 6 felony for inducing or procuring another person to vote or refrain from voting for or against a candidate or public question at: (1) a caucus; or (2) the appointment of a candidate by a political party chairman or central committee officer; by giving, offering, or promising a person money or other property. Changes certification of a question on a referendum from 60 days to 74 days. Repeals language concerning absentee ballots (moving some language to central voting statutes) and repeals certain absentee voter boards.
Who sponsors SB 178?
SB 178 is sponsored by Ethan Manning (Republican), Timothy Wesco (Republican), Ronald Grooms, and Greg Walker (Republican).
What is the current status of SB 178?
This bill died with 2020 Regular Session. It reached “Passed Senate” and never advanced before the session ended, so it can no longer move — a new version would have to be reintroduced in the current session.
Where can I track SB 178?
Track SB 178 free on One Click Politics — get push/email alerts when it moves.

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