Primary election day is here. Follow along throughout the day for updates from WFYI's newsroom. We'll have live election results on the homepage when they start coming in, after polls close at 6 p.m.
And if you have any questions about where and how to vote today, this article can help.
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6:00 p.m.
The polls are closed for Indiana's 2026 primary election
Watch live results come in for Indiana's U.S. House races, and follow us on social media and our website for ongoing coverage as winners are announced.
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5:55 p.m.
The race for Marion County sheriff
Demitrius Welch, 44, came out to vote this afternoon at the Indianapolis City-County Building, where both candidates for the Marion County sheriff's race were handing out pamphlets as voters walked in.
Welch said after speaking to candidate Gregory Patrick, he decided to vote for him right then and there.
What won him over was Patrick's emphasis on improving the city's mental health initiatives to help those involved in the criminal justice system.
"It is really nice to hear the person who wants to be the sheriff of this county saying something directly to that point, because I don't hear anyone else saying anything," Welch said.
"Personally, it matters to me the crime rate of this city, the people coming in and out of the prisons, the mental health situation, and the drugs happening on the streets, all of this is a huge concern to me," Welch said.
Welch, who is a Black man, also said it was important for him to see another Black man running for the sheriff's position.
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5:05 p.m.
The likely winner for Senate District 46 could be chosen today
The likely winner of Indiana's Senate District 46 will be decided today.
Three Democrats are running for the seat formerly held by Sen. Andrea Hunley, who announced earlier this year that she would not seek reelection and is now planning to run for Mayor of Indianapolis.
The seat, which represents parts of central and eastern Indianapolis, has been held by a democrat since 2021.
Since no Republicans are running for the nomination, whichever Democratic candidate wins will be the likely winner of the seat. An independent or minor party candidate could appear on the general election ballot in November.
The democratic candidates running are: Allissa Impink, Clif Marsiglio and Sam Glynn.
Polls close at 6 p.m.
Read our guide for Senate District 46
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4:15 p.m.
7 candidates are running for the open Senate District 29 seat today
Sen. J.D. Ford has held Senate District 29 since 2019, but he's not seeking re-election — he's running for the Democratic nomination in the 5th Congressional District instead. That leaves an open seat covering parts of Carmel, Indianapolis, and Zionsville.
Four Democrats are on today's primary ballot: the Rev. David Greene, Demetrice Hicks, Kristina Moorhead, and Kevin Short.
Three Republicans are also competing: former state lawmaker Mike Delph, John Ruckelshaus, and Roni Ford.
The winners of each party's primary will face each other in November.
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3:40 p.m.
First time primary voter
Niobe Woody lives in Carmel. She voted at Carmel Clay Public Library and said this was her first primary election.
"I feel like primaries are really important because it kind of gauges what's going on in the community and how people are feeling," Woody said. "There's a lot of concerning things going on in general, and if there is a time that your vote counts, I feel like it's in the primaries."
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3:15 p.m.
The fight for Indiana's 5th Congressional District
Today's primary election will determine which of seven Democratic candidates and two Republican candidates will represent the 5th Congressional District — north of Indianapolis — in the November general election.
Incumbent Republican U.S. Representative Victoria Spartz is running for a fourth term. She faces challenger Scott Anthony King for the nomination.
Democratic voters are looking at a crowded field of seven hopefuls, including Steve Avit Avitable, two-term Indiana State Senator J.D. Ford, Jackson Franklin, Phil Goss, Dylan McKenna, Tara Nelson and Deborah Pickett.
The Democratic candidates participated in a forum in Fishers last month to share their views on different topics and distinguish themselves from each other. The candidate forum exceeded attendance expectations.
Voters have chosen a Republican to represent them for the last 34 years.
Read our guide on the 5th District
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3:00 p.m.
'They're not coming out to vote'
We're at Emma Donnan Elementary & Middle School, where poll workers say the number of in-person voters this year has been slow and steady.
Brianna Bible was working as an inspector. She said almost 100 voters had come in by mid-afternoon.
"Our voices matter, you know, we want to be able to have an opportunity to have our voice count in our legislature," Bible said. "Issues that are important to us, who our leadership is in these roles… I feel like there's a lot of people that are not happy with the legislation, but they're not coming out to vote."
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2:35 p.m.
'The way things are going now, we really need to vote'
By late morning over 50 people had cast their ballots at the St. John AME Church in Martindale-Brightwood.
One of them was 84-year-old Mary Everett, who said she turned out to vote in part because she's frustrated with President Donald Trump.
"I'm not very happy at all with him," Everett said. "The way things are going now, we really need to vote."
Although Linda Crocheron, 68, declined to say how she voted, she said she was focused on local races, like sheriff.
"Even though a lot of times we look at the federal government," Crocheron said. "We really need to focus on our state and local government, because that's where change is made."
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2:00 p.m.
Senate District 31 is one of the most competitive open seats in central Indiana
Eight candidates are competing for one of the few truly open statehouse seats on the ballot — and we'll be watching how it shakes out.
Sen. Kyle Walker (R-Lawrence) is not seeking reelection after holding the seat since 2020. Walker was also among the Indiana Republicans who voted against redistricting.
Trump's redistricting push last year. His departure opens a district that's more competitive than most Indianapolis-area suburban seats — he won reelection in 2022 with 55% of the vote.
The district covers Fishers in Hamilton County, parts of northern Lawrence Township and the Geist Reservoir area in Marion County.
Four Republicans are on the Democratic primary ballot: Juanita Albright, Tiffanie Ditlevson, Travis Hankins and Jan Keefer. Four Democrats are running as well: Andrew Dezelan, a former policy director for the Indiana Senate Democratic Caucus; Kerry Forestal, the current Marion County sheriff; Lasima O. Packett; and Catherine Torzewski.
Dezelan recently made headlines when he was arrested on preliminary charges of cocaine possession and resisting law enforcement while canvassing. An arrest does not disqualify someone from running for office in Indiana. A person must be convicted of a felony to be barred from holding or running for office.
Read our guide on Senate District 31
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12:50 p.m.
Spencer Deery's Senate District 23 race tests Trump's sway
Spencer Deery's Senate District 23 race is another test of President Donald Trump's reach into Indiana politics today. And the race has attracted national attention — from the PACs, conservative activists and the media.
Republican state Sen. Spencer Deery is facing a primary challenger backed by Trump and Gov. Mike Braun — the result of his December vote against Trump's push to redraw Indiana's congressional map mid-decade.
Trump endorsed challenger Paula Copenhaver after vowing to campaign against any Republican who opposed the redistricting plan. The race has drawn significantly more outside money than the last time this seat was competitive.
Deery has pushed back on the outside pressure.
"It's about intimidating Indiana's elected officials into listening to outside voices, not Hoosiers," he told WFYI previously. "And that should concern anybody, no matter their politics."
Copenhaver sees the stakes differently.
"It could be the difference between a majority in Washington, D.C., for the Republicans or not," she said last month.
Deery is one of eight Republican incumbents facing Trump-backed challengers after the redistricting vote. We're watching all of them today.
Read our guide on Senate District 23
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11:20 a.m.
Checking in with the Hamilton County clerk
We talked to Hamilton County Clerk Kathy Kreag Williams this morning at the Hamilton County Government and Judicial Center.
A group of Republican and Democrat absentee counters worked their way through mail-in ballots in the Commissioners' Courtroom. Williams detailed the process the counters go through with each ballot.
"They open the envelopes, check the precinct, check the signature, and then they separate the card with the papers, and then the card gets put in an envelope to go upstairs, to be scanned," Williams said.
Williams said a lot of planning goes into preparing for the "big day." She is tasked with training poll workers, proofing, and making sure there are enough supplies for the polling locations. But today, in the Commissioners' Courtroom, she has another big job.
"One of my jobs today is make sure I feed these people. That's a big job. That's it. You got to make sure that's right," Williams said.
Williams said planning for an election is a year-long process. She noted that while the general election tends to get more voters, early voting numbers for this year's primary are up.
"We're over 14,000 early voting ballots, or early voters, and that's up almost 10,000 from four years ago," Williams said.
Williams told us she will retire at the end of the year, so this will be her last primary and general election. She's worked for Hamilton County for almost 50 years, serving as clerk from 1982 to 1991, then again from 2019 to the present.
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10:45 a.m.
Senate District 38 is the biggest test of Trump's influence in Indiana today
We're watching this one closely.
Republican voters in Senate District 38 — covering Vigo, Clay and part of Sullivan counties — will decide whether to keep Sen. Greg Goode (R-Terre Haute) or replace him with one of two primary challengers, in what's become the most closely watched race in Indiana over whether a Republican can survive crossing President Trump.
Goode, a first-term senator, was among the Indiana lawmakers who voted in December to reject Trump's push for the state to redraw its congressional map mid-decade. Trump responded by endorsing challenger Brenda Wilson, a Vigo County Council member. Gov. Mike Braun has also endorsed her.
A second challenger, Alexandra Wilson (no relation to Brenda Wilson) is also on the ballot after a legal fight. She faced White House pressure to drop out and questions about whether a since-expunged 2010 criminal charge would keep her off. A judge cleared her to run just weeks before today's election.
Read our guide on Senate District 38
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9:30 a.m.
'I can't complain if I don't vote'
A steady flow of voters stopped by the Brookside Park Family Center in the late morning. Voters brought up national and local issues, including frustration with the cost of living, opposition to new data centers and a desire for change in the local Democratic party.
Chris Ludden, 49, said he was frustrated by national issues like immigration enforcement but he knows local primaries give him the best chance to make his voice heard.
Ludden voted for Destiny Wells, who is challenging Rep. André Carson in the Democratic primary for U.S. House in Indiana's 7th Congressional District. Carson has held the seat since 2008.
"I'm kind of hoping for a little bit of a change in the party locally," Ludden said. "There's a lot of machinations, a lot of maneuvering behind the scenes, and maybe getting some new people in would be good for moving things forward."
Kalie Holdren, 34, brought along her 18-month-old daughter. Holdren, who voted in the Democratic primary, said she wanted to support candidates who value community. She was particularly excited to vote for Karla López Owens, who is challenging incumbent Marion County Clerk Kate Sweeney Bell.
"I do know how important community is for her, and how much she cares about the people in her community," Holdren said. "Not that other candidates don't feel the same way. I just feel like she's a little bit more on the ground."
Other votes had largely national politics on their minds. Fred Drain said that he was ready to vote for anyone who's anti-Trump.
At 74 years old, Drain said he is still working a full-time job, and his top concern is the cost of living — including utility bills, food and gas. "I just put $35 in my automobile, and it still could stand some more," he said.
"I can't complain if I don't vote," Drain said.
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9:00 a.m.
'There's a lot of motivation right now'
We're at the Historic Ambassador House at Heritage Park in Fishers. We spoke to Reece Clark, a polling place volunteer for J.D. Ford's campaign in the race for Indiana's 5th Congressional District.
"I think there's a lot of motivation right now," Clark said. "The economy is the big one right now. I think cost of living and affordability, it was the big issue in 2024, I think it's still the big issue here in the midterms. So, I'm hoping for — always hoping for — a lot of political participation by the voters. I think we're gonna get that, this primary season and in the midterms."
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8:45 a.m.
Carson faces 3 Democratic challengers in U.S. House 7th District
U.S. Rep. André Carson has represented Indianapolis in Congress since 2008, but three Democrats are making the case that it's time for new leadership.
Carson is running for his 10th term. His challengers are Destiny Wells, an attorney and Army Reserve lieutenant colonel; George Hornedo, an attorney who's been pitching himself as a fresh start for the district; and Denise Paul Hatch, a former constable.
The 7th District covers Marion County and is the only Democrat-held congressional seat in Indiana. It's also the state's most racially diverse district — nearly a third of residents are Black and 16% are Hispanic. A failed Republican redistricting push backed by President Trump would have broken up that coalition by folding those voters into suburban and rural districts.
Affordability, infrastructure and government accountability have been the main issues in this race.
Read our guide on the 7th District
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8:10 a.m.
'The right candidates'
We're at Roy G. Holland Memorial Park in Fishers this morning, and at least one voter showed up with something to prove — to himself.
Bryce Burgess said Tuesday was his first primary election.
"I just think it's important to... get the right candidates," Burgess said. "Hamilton County, it used to be a stronghold for a certain, you know, political party, and it's not anymore."
Republican Donald Trump won 52% of votes in Hamilton County for the 2024 presidential election, defeating Kamala Harris by 6 percentage points, nearly the same margins as 2020.
State Sen. J.D. Ford, who is running for the Democratic nomination in the 5th Congressional District, was also outside the polling location this morning talking with voters.
Burgess noticed — though he said Ford doesn't speak to him politically. He said he'd be more impressed if U.S. Rep. Victoria Spartz, the Republican incumbent Ford hopes to challenge in November, showed up to do the same.
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6:00 a.m.
The polls are open
Polls in Central Indiana are open from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. If you're registered and have a photo ID, you can vote. Check your county's website to find your polling location.
To see what's on your ballot in Marion County log in to the voter portal at vote.indy.gov. The Democratic primary for Indiana's 7th Congressional District, which covers most of Indianapolis, is one of the most crowded races on the ballot. U.S. Rep. André Carson faces three challengers: Denise Paul Hatch, George Hornedo and Destiny Wells.
One thing to watch: early in-person turnout in Marion County nearly doubled compared to recent primaries. As of noon Monday, when the last early voting window closed, 19,857 people cast an in-person ballot. That's approaching the combined total from the last two primary elections — 11,934 voters in 2024 and 11,176 voters in 2022.
Indiana's primary turnout is typically among the lowest in the country, and non-presidential years tend to be especially quiet.
