Greg Ballard's campaign says it has turned in at least 35,167 petition signatures to county clerks as it races a June 30 deadline to submit petitions to counties. The former Indianapolis mayor needs roughly 37,000 verified signatures to appear on the November ballot as an independent, and certified petitions must be filed with the state by noon on July 15.
According to WIBC, the 35,167 figure came from the Ballard campaign and an Indiana Election Division petition summary reported about 22,000 signatures logged with 25 counties. The campaign told reporters its number is a minimum because some signed petitions were delivered directly to clerks' offices rather than through campaign channels.
How Ballard's Team Is Gathering Names
The campaign launched a "100 Hoosiers, 100 Signatures" initiative in May that asks supporters to gather 100 signatures each and provides printable forms and a one-stop web resource for volunteers. As detailed by Greg Ballard's campaign, organizers say the push supplements paid circulators and aims to broaden collection beyond central Indiana.
Collection Challenges And Costs
Collectors say the work has been slow and often event-driven - circulators show up at farmer’s markets, street festivals and neighborhood doors to find registered voters - and the campaign describes the effort as an "uphill battle." WIBC also notes campaign financial records indicating roughly $150,000 was spent by mid-May on a North Carolina firm hired to assist with signature collection.
What's Next And The Stakes
County clerks must verify signatures before certified petitions are forwarded to the state, and the Indiana Election Division's 2026 calendar sets a county-submission cutoff of June 30 and a noon July 15 deadline to file a petition of nomination with the Election Division. You can find those dates on the Indiana Election Division.
If Ballard clears verification, he would likely be on the November ballot alongside Democrat Beau Bayh and Libertarian Lauri Shillings, with the Republican nominee to be decided at the GOP convention. WRTV has covered Bayh's role in the race, and Indiana Public Radio reported on Shillings' nomination.
