In just under three weeks, voters will head to the polls for the 2026 Indiana primary election and cast their ballots for candidates running for local, state and federal offices.
Offices up for election include county assessor, commissioner, clerk and prosecutor seats, as well as representative seats for Indiana House District 61 and Indiana’s 9th Congressional District.
Early voting in Monroe County opened April 7 and takes place at the Election Central site at 501 N. Morton St. The last day to vote early is May 4 at noon, and on May 5, official primary voting begins. Which of Monroe County’s 28 polling locations voters can use depends on their registered address.
Voters can check what precinct their address is in by using the Monroe County Voter Information Map. Indiana University Students living in Bloomington precincts 5, 18, 19 and 23 can vote at the Indiana Memorial Union at 900 E. Seventh St.
Using the precinct number, voters can find their polling place here.
Registered voters can also find their polling location and times by visiting Indiana’s voter portal at indianavoters.in.gov, clicking “Find Your Polling Place” under “Voting Location” and entering their name, date of birth and county of registration. The Indiana Voting Information Tool also allows users to find a designated voting location by searching the address where a voter is registered.
At the polls, voters must bring a photo ID issued by the State of Indiana or the federal government. Following a federal ruling Tuesday, students will be able to use their student identification cards to vote in the primary election.
In 2025, Indiana Gov. Mike Braun signed Senate Enrolled Act 10, now known as Public Law 70, into law. The law prohibited the use of university-issued student ID cards as a form of valid identification when voting. Nonpartisan advocacy groups Count US IN and Women4Change Indiana and an IU junior filed a lawsuit against Indiana Secretary of State Diego Morales, arguing the law violates the First, 14th and 26th Amendments.
On Tuesday, federal judge Richard Young granted a preliminary injunction allowing students to use their university IDs in the May 5 Indiana primary election.
Voters planning to cast their ballots by mail must apply for an absentee ballot by 11:59 p.m. April 23. The county election board must receive absentee ballots by 6 p.m. May 5, unless a voter is overseas. People voting by mail from overseas must send their envelopes by May 5, and they must be received by their registered county by 12 p.m. May 15.
In- and out-of-state college students can choose to register to vote using the address they live at while attending school or the address they live at while not attending school.
