INDIANAPOLIS — Rep. Jennifer Meltzer, R-Shelbyville, has filed a bill that would allow any city or town in Indiana to pass an ordinance that moves municipal elections to even-numbered years.
The bill, HB 1055, was referred to the House Committee on Elections and Apportionment on Dec. 5. Rep. Alex Zimmerman, R-North Vernon, and Rep. Ethan Lawson, R-Greenfield, are listed as co-authors.
The bill could have implications for Columbus. Municipal elections in Columbus are currently held on odd-numbered years. The most recent municipal election was in 2023.
Under current law, only towns and cities with populations under 3,500 can adopt ordinances to move municipal elections to even-numbered years, according to state records. Should this bill become state law, Columbus could consider moving its municipal elections to an even-numbered year.
Local election officials and experts have said in the past that voter turnout is often much lower for municipal elections than in presidential elections or midterm elections because there are no national or state races on the ballot.
Turnout in the 2023 general election in Columbus was 23%, while turnout in the 2024 presidential election was 66.5% and 42.6% in the 2022 midterms, according to the Bartholomew County Clerk’s Office.
Offices up for grabs in municipal elections include Columbus mayor, Columbus City Council, Columbus City Clerk, among others.