AP Decision Notes: What to expect in Indiana on Election Day

WASHINGTON (AP) — Indiana voters will elect leaders for federal, state and other offices on Tuesday. Here are some of the key facts about the election and data points the AP Decision Team will monitor as the votes are tallied:

When do polls close?

Polls close at 6 p.m. local time, which is 6 p.m. and 7 p.m. ET.

What’s on the ballot?

The Associated Press will provide vote results and declare winners in races for U.S. House, secretary of state, statewide ballot measures, state Senate, state House, state auditor and state treasurer.

How many people voted in the last midterm election?

About 1.9 million votes were cast in Indiana’s 2022 race for the U.S. Senate.

How much of the vote is cast early or by absentee ballot?

About 36% of all ballots cast in Indiana’s 2022 race for the U.S. Senate were cast early or by absentee ballot. The latest advance vote totals for Indiana can be found in the AP’s advance vote tracker.

When are early and absentee votes released?

Absentee ballots in Indiana may be processed once they are received, and counting may begin before the polls close on Election Day. This leads to relatively quick counting of absentee ballots. Elections officials from more than three-quarters of Indiana’s 92 counties are expected to include all or nearly all the results of absentee and early voting in their first vote update of the night.

How long does vote counting usually take?

The first results of the 2024 general election were reported starting at 6:05 p.m. ET on Nov. 5, or five minutes after polls closed in the Eastern time zone. Indiana reached 50% of votes reporting at 8:30 p.m. ET, and 90% of votes reporting at 11:49 p.m. ET.

When will the AP declare a winner?

The Associated Press does not make projections and will declare a winner only when it’s determined there is no scenario that would allow a trailing candidate to close the gap. If a race has not been called, the AP will continue to cover any newsworthy developments, such as candidate concessions or declarations of victory. In doing so, the AP will make clear that it has not yet declared a winner and explain why.

How do recounts work?

There are no automatic recounts in Indiana, but a candidate may request and pay for a recount regardless of the vote margin. The costs may be partly or fully refunded depending on the results of the recount. The AP may declare a winner in a race that is subject to a recount if it can determine the lead is too large for a recount or legal challenge to change the outcome.

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Follow the AP’s coverage of the 2026 election at https://apnews.com/projects/elections-2026/.