Indiana § 3-12-8-17 Hearing and determination of contest; judgment declaring candidate
elected or nominated; ineligible contestee only candidate; candidate or
office vacancy; order for special election

Indiana Statutes

§ 3-12-8-17 — Hearing and determination of contest; judgment declaring candidate elected or nominated; ineligible contestee only candidate; candidate or office vacancy; order for special election

Indiana § 3-12-8-17

Art. 12ASCERTAINING RESULTS OF ELECTIONS

Ch. 8Contest Procedures for Nomination for or Election to

This text of Indiana § 3-12-8-17 (Hearing and determination of contest; judgment declaring candidate elected or nominated; ineligible contestee only candidate; candidate or office vacancy; order for special election) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Indiana primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook

Ind. Code § 3-12-8-17 (2026).

Text

(a)A contest shall be heard and determined by the court without a jury subject to the Indiana Rules of Trial Procedure.

(b)The court shall determine the issues raised by the petition and answer to the petition.

(c)After hearing and determining a petition alleging that a candidate is ineligible, the court shall declare as elected or nominated the qualified candidate who received the highest number of votes and render judgment accordingly. If the court rules that the contestee is ineligible, and no other individual was a candidate for nomination or election, the court shall declare that no candidate has been:

(1)nominated at the primary, and that a ballot vacancy exists that the political party may fill under IC 3-13-1 or IC 3-13-2; or

(2)elected at the general or municipal election, an

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(a) A contest shall be heard and determined
by the court without a jury subject to the Indiana Rules of Trial
Procedure.
(b) The court shall determine the issues raised by the petition and
answer to the petition.
(c) After hearing and determining a petition alleging that a
candidate is ineligible, the court shall declare as elected or nominated
the qualified candidate who received the highest number of votes and
render judgment accordingly. If the court rules that the contestee is
ineligible, and no other individual was a candidate for nomination or
election, the court shall declare that no candidate has been:
(1) nominated at the primary, and that a ballot vacancy exists that
the political party may fill under IC 3-13-1 or IC 3-13-2; or
(2) elected at the general or municipal election, and that an office
vacancy exists that may be filled under IC 3-13, subject to the
right of an individual currently serving in the office to hold over
in that office under Article 15, Section 3 of the Constitution of the
State of Indiana.
(d) If the court finds that:
(1) a mistake in the printing or distribution of the ballots used in
the election;
(2) a mistake in the programming of an electronic voting system;
(3) a malfunction of an electronic voting system; or
(4) the occurrence of a deliberate act or series of actions;
makes it impossible to determine which candidate received the highest
number of votes, the court shall order that a special election be
conducted under IC 3-10-8.
(e) The special election shall be conducted in the precincts
identified in the petition in which the court determines that:
(1) ballots containing the printing mistake or distributed by
mistake were cast;
(2) a mistake occurred in the programming of an electronic voting
system;
(3) an electronic voting system malfunctioned; or
(4) the deliberate act or series of actions occurred.
[Pre-1986 Recodification Citation: 3-1-28-6 part.]

Legislative History

As added by P.L.5-1986, SEC.8. Amended by P.L.10-1989, SEC.14; P.L.4-1991, SEC.119; P.L.14-2004, SEC.161; P.L.221-2005, SEC.121; P.L.169-2015, SEC.149.