Counties Face Canvass and Recount Deadlines

Counties in Indiana's 8th Congressional District must finish canvassing and certifying the Nov. 3 general election by noon Monday, Nov. 16, under the Indiana Election Division's 2026 calendar and Indiana Code 3-12-5. Circuit court clerks prepare certified statements of votes for federal, state, legislative, judicial and many local offices and transmit them to the Election Division.

A separate window for recounts and contests opens the same week. The Election Division calendar says a candidate or party chair may file a verified recount or contest petition no earlier than noon Friday, Nov. 13. Candidates must file by noon Tuesday, Nov. 17. A party chair who has not already been covered by a candidate petition has until noon Friday, Nov. 20.

Where a petition is filed depends on the office. Candidates for federal, statewide or state legislative offices file with the Indiana Election Division; the state recount commission decides those cases under Indiana Code 3-12-11. Candidates for local or school board offices file with the circuit court clerk where the recount is sought; a county recount commission appointed by the court conducts that recount under Indiana Code 3-12-6.

Petitioners must post a cash deposit of at least $100. When more than 10 precincts are recounted, the deposit rises by $10 per extra precinct if the margin on the face of the returns is not more than 1% of the total votes cast for the office, or by $100 per extra precinct if the margin exceeds 1%, under Indiana Code 3-12-6-10 and 3-12-11-10. Indiana does not order automatic recounts based on margin alone.

For U.S. House races, the Election Division tabulates the county statements after they arrive and prepares a certificate of election for the secretary of state to send to the clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives, under Indiana Code 3-12-5-9. A separate noon deadline on Tuesday, Nov. 24, covers Election Division tabulation of presidential electors, statewide offices other than governor and lieutenant governor, and certain judicial offices under Indiana Code 3-12-5-7.

Unofficial results remain unofficial until those certifications are complete. Hoosier First previously reported Rep. Mark Messmer's unofficial lead over Democrat Mary Allen in the 8th District. Vigo County's election-night summary, labeled unofficial with all 87 precincts reporting, shows Allen ahead there, 14,816 to 12,640. No public announcement of a recount or contest petition in the district's counties was found as of Monday, Nov. 9.