IN HB1377

Straight party ticket votes will now count for candidates in multi-member at-large offices (county council, city common council, town council, township board), reversing a previous exclusion that required individual voting for these positions

School board candidates remain excluded from straight party ticket voting; voters must individually mark their ballot for each school board candidate they wish to support

Ballots must include updated instructions clarifying that straight party votes do not apply to school board offices, with specific language required for single-seat and multi-seat school board races

Changes apply to paper ballots, ballot card voting systems, and electronic voting systems, with effective date of January 1, 2027

Political party devices cannot appear on ballots if the only candidates from that party are running for school board offices that are excluded from straight ticket voting