The general election is coming up later this fall on Nov. 3, 2026, and the No. 1 office on the ballot is for Indiana Secretary of State. Republicans have controlled the secretary’s office since 1994, but the race is as tight as ever between Max Engling (R), Beau Bayh (D), Greg Ballard (I), and Lauri Shillings (L).
Meet the Candidates on the Get IN. Podcast
All four candidates have been featured as guests on the Get IN. Podcast in 2026.
Beau Bayh (D)
Beau Bayh (D) was the first to join in July, doing so alongside Lindsay Gramlich, CEO of Girls Inc. of Greater Indianapolis and Democratic candidate for Indiana House District 39. They talked about the importance of voter participation, political success measures, and important issues for young Hoosiers.
Max Engling (R)
Max Engling (R) was the second secretary of state candidate to come on Get IN. He won in the Republican convention, defeating incumbent Diego Morales and David Shelton with 53.3% of the vote. Engling, who was a behind-the-scenes Senate staffer, became the Republican nominee in just 31 days.
Greg Ballard (I)
Greg Ballard (I) joined the show to talk about his 23 years of experience in the U.S. Marine Corps, his two-term run as Indianapolis Mayor and achievements while he was in office, and the over 74,000 petition signatures he collected in his run for secretary of state, formed around expanding ballot access and voter information.
Lauri Shillings (L)
Lauri Shillings (L) is the latest candidate on the Get IN. Podcast. The Libertarian Party nominee talked about how she got involved with the party in Hamilton County, the ballot access rules tied to the secretary of state race (2% keeps the Libertarian Party on the ballot, and 10% would bring major-party status), and the administrative side of the office, including the state's election systems.
Get Indiana did not pursue interviews with Beau Bayh, Max Engling and Greg Ballard, and instead fulfilled requests from their representatives to be guests on the Get IN. Podcast. Lauri Shillings had a standing invitation to join the show.
What Does the Indiana Secretary of State Do?
According to ballotpedia.org, the Indiana Secretary of State is one of five statewide, elected constitutional officers. The secretary is responsible for the maintenance of state records and preservation of the state seal, charters new businesses, regulates the securities industry, oversees state elections, commissions notaries public, registers trademarks, and licenses Indiana automotive dealers.
How to Vote in Indiana's 2026 General Election
The voter registration deadline for in-person, online and postmarked mail is Oct. 5, 2026
Absentee/mail-in voting is not available to all voters
The absentee/mail-in ballot request deadline for in-person, online and received mail is Oct. 22, 2026
The absentee/mail-in ballot return deadline for in-person and received mail is Nov. 3, 2026
Early voting is available to all voters from Oct. 6, 2026 to noon on Nov. 2, 2026
Election Day polls are open from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. (ET/CT)
Check your registration, find your polling place, see who's on your ballot and request a mail-in ballot if you qualify at IndianaVoters.in.gov, the state's official voter portal.
The Oct. 7 Secretary of State Debate
The four secretary of state candidates were part of the Indy Chamber’s HobNob legislative forum, a moderated conversation that was held on Aug. 26 at The Crane Bay Event Center.
A more traditional debate, hosted by the Indiana Debate Commission, was held Wednesday, Oct. 7, inside the WFYI studios in Indianapolis. All four candidates took part, and University of Indianapolis political science professor Laura Merrifield Wilson moderated. The candidates discussed election security, voter fraud and the independence of the office.
Watch the full debate on WFYI.
