In our Clerk’s Conference session with the Indiana Election Division last week we learned of an amendment affecting IC 3-5-2. During the 2025 legislative session, the definition of “candidate” was amended in House Enrolled Act 1679, Section 1 to clarify the word “candidate” currently used in several different ways in parts of the election laws, including the parts of the state election law that applies to campaign finance.

Effective July 1st, 2025, if you are currently holding an office (whether you were elected or appointed) and your position receives $5,000 or more in compensation, then you are REQUIRED to have an open candidate committee for as long as you remain in that office. Therefore, you must also file annual campaign finance reports every January unless you are on that year’s ballot, then you must file Pre-Primary & Pre-Election reports as always. This new requirement applies until you no longer hold that office and then you can disband your committee if you have a zero balance.

Previously, most office holders were encouraged to disband their committees as long as they had a zero balance Unfortunately, with this new law taking effect July 1st, ALL office holders that earn $5000 or more and don’t already have an open committee are REQUIREDto file a CFA-1 form with the Clerk opening their committee and by statute have 10 days to file this; therefore, are due by noon on July 11th. Your first CFA-4 finance report would then be due by noon on January 21, 2026.

You may email, fax or hand deliver your CFA-1 form.