Hoosiers will vote to elect a new governor and the next U.S. president on Nov. 5, but important local races and issues will also be determined further down the ballot. 

Voters will decide on a constitutional amendment, elect or retain judges and choose new leaders for their local school districts. A full list of candidates can be found on the Indiana secretary of state’s webpage. 

Here are seven races and issues you might see on your ballot. 

Ballot question

Hoosiers will see one question on their ballots regarding gubernatorial succession. 

Currently, the Indiana Constitution lists the superintendent of public instruction as seventh in line for the governorship should emergencies arise, behind the lieutenant governor, speaker of the Indiana House of Representatives, Indiana Senate president pro tempore and several other statewide elected positions. 

Indiana removed the elected superintendent of public instruction position in favor of an appointed secretary of education in 2021. The Indiana General Assembly voted to send the constitutional change to voters in 2022 and 2024. 

Voters will be asked: “Shall the Constitution of the State of Indiana be amended to remove the state superintendent of public instruction from the list of officeholders who shall discharge the powers and duties of the governor if the office of the governor and lieutenant governor are both vacant?”

School board

Hundreds of seats on school boards across the state are up for grabs in 2024. These nonpartisan positions help shape the future of local schools by appointing district superintendents. 

Judges

Members at all levels of the Indiana judicial system are up for some form of election. 

At the state level, three Indiana Supreme Court justices and two Indiana Court of Appeals judges are up for a retention election: Chief Justice Loretta Rush, Justice Mark Massa, Justice Derek Molter, Judge Rudolph R. Pyle III and Judge Peter R. Foley. 

Judges in these positions are appointed by the governor, but every 10 years voters get a say in keeping the appointees through retention. The state’s website contains more information about each of the justices and judges on the ballot. 

Most Indiana counties also elect local judges to six-year terms. Several of those positions are also up for grabs. 

Countywide constitutional offices

Voters in some Indiana counties will select the following county officers: auditor, coroner, recorder, surveyor and treasurer. 

Auditors manage property tax deductions and some county accounting. 

Coroners determine the cause of death for anyone who dies in the county. 

Recorders preserve property and other important records. 

Surveyors provide surveying services to the county. 

Treasurers manage county finances, including collecting property taxes.

For information on the candidates for these positions, visit your county website.

County council/commission 

Some Indiana counties are also holding elections for commissioners or councilors, who as a board oversee county government.  Visit your county website to get details. 

Town council

Residents of Indiana’s smaller towns will also elect new leadership through town council elections. 

Referendums

Three school districts — Kokomo School Corp., Lake Station School Corp. and Twin Lakes School Corp. — will ask voters to approve a property tax increase to fund services.. Find more information on the referendums on the state Department of Local Government Finance’s webpage. 

Contact Rory Appleton on X at @roryehappleton or email him at [email protected].

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