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Ballot question

Public Question #2: Ratification of State Constitutional Amendment

On the ballot in
Indiana
Vote
Yes or no
Election
Nov 3, 2026

The question, as printed on the ballot

Shall the Constitution of the State of Indiana be amended to permit the judge of a city or town court to reside in: (1) the county in which the court is located; or (2) the bordering county closest to the city or town in which the court is located? (This question concerns Article 6, Section 6 of the Constitution of the State of Indiana.)

A “Yes” vote means

A yes vote lets a city or town court judge live anywhere in the county where the court sits or in the bordering Indiana county closest to the city or town.

A “No” vote means

A no vote leaves Article 6, Section 6 unchanged: county, township and town officers must reside within their counties, townships and towns, with no added rule for city or town court judges.

Official plain English statement

The amendment would allow a judge of a city or town court to live in the county where the court is located or the bordering Indiana county that is the closest Indiana county to the city or town in which the court is located, calculated by measuring the shortest distance from the city or town limits to the county line.

Agreed to by the 123rd General Assembly (House Joint Resolution 6, P.L. 254-2023) and the 124th (House Joint Resolution 1, P.L. 244-2025); House Enrolled Act 1019 (P.L. 18-2026) set the ballot wording. It takes effect if ratified by a majority of the voters voting on the question. The plain-English summary follows the Indiana Election Division's (2026 Indiana Election Legislation Summary). On the ballot as "PUBLIC QUESTION #2" (Ratification of State Constitutional Amendment).

Sources

The question and plain English statement are copied word for word from official election materials. The Gist does not take a side on ballot questions.