Filing for Indiana school board seats opens today, and closes at noon on Thursday, June 18, a short window for anyone who wants to land on the November 3 ballot. For the first time, these races will appear with party labels, and the paperwork is specific. Every candidate needs both a petition and an economic-interest disclosure. There is no filing fee, but you will need signatures and you will have to navigate new party-affiliation rules that can trip up would-be candidates. Below are the forms, deadlines, and easy-to-miss details that often cause headaches.
What to file and when
To get on the November ballot, a prospective candidate must file a Petition of Nomination (CAN-34) with the county voter registration office between May 19 and 12:00 noon on June 18. That petition must be accompanied by a Statement of Economic Interests (CAN-12), and the county will reject a petition that does not include the CAN-12. These steps and the state filing schedule are laid out in the Indiana Election Division’s candidate guide, according to the Indiana Election Division’s Candidate Guide.
Signatures and petitions
Most school board candidates will need only a small number of signatures, in many districts that means about 10 registered voters from the school corporation. In metropolitan school corporations, those 10 signatures must come from voters in the board member district, and some districts have additional rules. The state CAN-34 form explains signature and filing instructions, so check the form and your county office early so signatures can be gathered and certified in time. See the CAN-34 on Hamilton County and guidance from the Indiana School Boards Association.
Partisan labels and party rules
A law that took effect July 1, 2025 made school board races partisan statewide, so candidates must either declare a political party, run as an Independent, or elect not to disclose an affiliation on the CAN-34. To claim a major-party label, a candidate must have voted in that party’s two most recent Indiana primaries or attach a certification from the county party chair, and that affiliation can be challenged at the county election board. The change and its filing implications are explained in the state’s election-law materials in the 2025 Indiana election-legislation summary.
Money and mandatory finance filings
There is no fee to file a school board petition, but once a candidate raises or spends more than $500, they must file a Statement of Organization (CFA-1) and begin campaign-finance reporting. Those reporting rules and the $500 threshold are laid out in the state’s Campaign Finance Manual, and routine campaign costs such as yard signs and pamphlets are commonly noted by local coverage like WFYI.
Who can’t run or serve
Indiana law prohibits an individual who is employed as a teacher or as a non-certificated employee of the school corporation from serving on that same governing body while still employed (IC 20-26-4-11). Separately, most federal civilian employees are restricted by the federal Hatch Act from being candidates in partisan elections, so check guidance from the Indiana Code and the U.S. Office of Special Counsel before you file.
Ground game: tips from experts
Campaign veterans say the basics still matter, show up, knock doors, and be ready to explain what you will do on the board. “That’s where your votes are,” a campaign trainer told WFYI. The Indiana School Boards Association runs free candidate webinars in May and June and offers checklists for first-time candidates, and those sessions are a practical way to get the paperwork and etiquette straight.
Where to get forms and help
The official CAN-34 and CAN-12 forms, the CFA-1, and other instructions are posted on the Indiana Secretary of State’s elections pages, and the full Candidate Guide and Campaign Finance Manual are available for download from the Secretary of State’s site. For district-specific questions, contact your county voter registration office early. Missing the noon June 18 deadline or misfiling a party affiliation can lead to removal from the ballot.
