Convention Delegate

To run for delegate to the Indiana Democratic Party State Convention, you must:

1. Have a Democratic Voting History: You must be registered to vote in Indiana and have a history of selecting the Democratic Party primary ballot.

2. Reside in the District You Want to Represent: You must live in the precinct, township, or district you're seeking to represent as a delegate.

3. File a Declaration of Candidacy: You’ll need to file the appropriate form (usually a CAN-37) with the Hamilton County Election Office by the deadline (typically in February of the election year—check with your local party or clerk’s office for exact dates).

4. Meet Age Requirements: You must be at least 18 years old on or before the date of the general election.

5. Be Active in the Democratic Party (Strongly Recommended)" While not strictly required, being involved with HamCo Dems or community makes your candidacy stronger and helps build support.

Updated info from INDems:

The 2026 State Democratic Convention will take place on Saturday, June 6, 2026 at the Indiana Marriott Downtown (350 W Maryland St, Indianapolis, IN 46225) and Indiana Convention Center in Downtown Indianapolis. Delegates will attend this convention from all 92 counties and gather to approve the Party platform, do Party business, and select the Party’s 2026 nominees for three statewide offices: Secretary of State, State Treasurer, and State Comptroller (last elected as State Auditor in 2022).

Types of Delegates: 

1. Automatic: Members of the State Central Committee, District Secretaries and Treasurers as of Nov. 15, 2025. And County Chairs, Vice Chairs, Secretaries and Treasurers. 

2. Elected: Elected at the May 5, 2026 Primary election.

3. Appointed: Appointed by a county chair due to vacant elected delegate spots on the primary ballot.

4. Alternate: An alternate may attend the Convention but will only vote if a delegate cannot attend or is not present during voting. 

Please complete this form so our county party can be sure to follow up with interested delegates. In order to officially become an delegate you will also need to do the following:

1. Elected Delegate

   1. File a CAN-37 – Declaration of Candidacy for PC or State Convention Delegate in 2026

      1. File with County Clerk between January 7 and noon February 6

      2. If filing for precinct chair and state convention delegate, you must file two forms.

      3. In order to be a delegate, your most recent primary vote must have been in the Democratic primary, or your County Chair can sign off.

   2. Get elected at the May 5 primary

2. Appointed Delegate

   1. If you missed the filing deadline or did not win your election, your county chair can appoint you. Please note that each county has an allocation of delegates, so HamCo might have filled all delegate spots through the elected delegate process. It's best to complete your paperwork for the May 5th primary election.