{"data":{"id":"us-in/ic-3-5-2.1-16","jurisdiction":"us-in","citation":"IC 3-5-2.1-16","heading":"\"Candidate\"","body":"Sec. 16. (a) Except as provided in subsections (b), (c), and (d), \"candidate\" means an individual who:\n(1) has taken the action necessary to qualify under Indiana law for listing on the ballot at an election or to become a write-in candidate;\n(2) has publicly announced or declared candidacy for an elected office; or\n(3) otherwise seeks nomination for or election to an elected office, regardless of whether the individual wins election to the office.\n(b) As used in IC 3-9, an individual becomes a \"candidate\" when the individual, the candidate's committee, or a person acting with the consent of the individual:\n(1) receives more than one hundred dollars ($100) in contributions;\n(2) makes more than one hundred dollars ($100) in expenditures;\n(3) is required to file a written instrument designating a principal committee under IC 3-9-1-5.5 or IC 3-9-5-1;\n(4) is subject to campaign contribution limits under IC 3-9-2;\n(5) is subject to campaign expense restrictions under IC 3-9-3; or\n(6) is subject to requirements for campaign communications including fabricated media under IC 3-9-8.\n(c) As used in IC 3-13-1 and IC 3-13-2, \"candidate\" includes an individual filling a general or municipal election ballot vacancy under IC 3-13-1 or IC 3-13-2 when a county or town election board, the Indiana election commission, or a court has determined that the required action of:\n(1) the individual; or\n(2) another person under IC 3-13-1 or IC 3-13-2;\nis void or invalid.\n(d) As used in IC 3-14-3-18, \"candidate\" includes an individual described in IC 3-14-3-18(a).","path":["TITLE 3. ELECTIONS","ARTICLE 5. GENERAL PROVISIONS","Chapter 2.1. Definitions"],"source_url":"https://iga.in.gov/ic/2026/Title_3.html#3-5-2.1-16","current_through":"2026","vintage":"2026","retrieved_at":"2026-09-08T08:01:41Z","sha256":"5b671fc112e6dea132407e302bf59a6ed66ce8f4f98b9ecb750c7d119b263d1c","source_id":"us-in","stale":false,"prev":"us-in/ic-3-5-2.1-15","next":"us-in/ic-3-5-2.1-17"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}