Indiana election results centered on a tight secretary of state race between Democrat Beau Bayh and Republican Max Engling as voters cast ballots on Election Day. The contest stayed competitive as Indiana's 2026 midterm elections moved through the final hours of voting.
Democrats were trying to win the office for the first time since 1994, when Joe Hogsett held the position before becoming Indianapolis mayor. Republicans were trying to keep the office under their control while polling showed a close race, and outside attention grew with endorsements, legal disputes and heavy advertising.
Marion County voting sites
Common Cause Indiana had volunteers at polling locations in about 25 counties, including Marion, Hamilton and St. Joseph. Julia Vaughn said there were hundreds of volunteers around the state and about 100 stationed in Marion County, where they answered basic questions about voter identification, registration and absentee ballots.
Vaughn said, "The goal is to ensure that every eligible voter is able to cast their ballot, that there are no bureaucratic or other barriers that might prevent someone from being able to exercise their right to vote." She also said, "So far, we've received absolutely no reports of these monitors causing any issues here in Indianapolis, and that's what we were expecting" and added, "That is not their role."
U.S. Department of Justice monitors
The U.S. Department of Justice sent 12 election monitors to Marion County for Election Day and also sent monitors to Lake County. The monitors could not enter vote centers, but they could observe outside for compliance with the Disabilities Act, language-assistance laws and the use of provisional ballots.
That monitoring sat alongside the work of Common Cause Indiana, which directed voters to 866-OUR-VOTE, 866-687-8683. The organization said the hotline was available for questions tied to voting access and the mechanics of casting a ballot.
Crossroads AME Church turnout
At Crossroads AME Church, Deanna Woodruff and Natissa Woodard handed out Dunkin' Donuts coffee, candy and other treats as part of Party at the Polls within When We All Vote. Woodruff said, "It's just so important for people to be engaged in the political process, and so we're not out here to support or push them or sway them anyway," and added, "We just want them to know it's important to utilize their right to vote, get out to the polls."
Ladema Zinsmeister biked to the polls on Tuesday to vote at the Pleasant Run Golf Course. Her trip captured the practical side of the day: voters were still turning out while the race between Bayh and Engling remained tight, and the source does not answer who won the secretary of state contest.
