What this office does
The county recorder is an elected county officer created by the Indiana Constitution. The recorder records and indexes deeds, mortgages, plats and other documents affecting land in the county and collects the fees for recording them [1, 2].
The job in full — the duties the Indiana Code puts in it, the term, what it pays and who sets that, and what to ask a candidate.
- Term limit
- No more than eight years in any twelve-year period (Indiana Constitution, Article 6, Section 2) [1]
- Qualifications
- Must have lived in the county for at least one year before the election, be registered to vote in the county by the filing deadline, and file a statement of economic interests [3]
- Pay and staff
- Set by the county council, which also fixes the number of deputies and employees; the officer files a budget estimate each summer [4, 5]
- On the 2026 ballot
- 54 counties; 14 contested (more candidates, including write-ins, than seats) [6]
What the law puts in this job (3)
- Records deeds, mortgages, plats and other documents presented for recording, and keeps indexes so they can be found [2].
- Collects recording fees set by state law [7].
- Must complete 15 hours of training in the first year in office and 40 hours over each three years, and certify it to the State Board of Accounts [8].
- What's included
- the U.S. House, statewide offices, every Indiana House and Senate district on the ballot, Indiana's statewide public questions and judicial retention questions, and county, township, city, town and school board races from the Indiana Election Division's candidate list.
- Everything else
- Local races (county, city, school board, judges) and anything else on your ballot are on your official sample ballot: IndianaVoters.in.gov.
- Candidate lists
- As of Sunday, October 18, 2026.
- At the polls
- Indiana law lets you bring a list of candidates and public questions into the polling place, including one stored on your phone, as long as you don't electioneer. IC 3-11-8-18.5
This is not an official ballot. Confirm your registration, polling place and ballot with your election office through vote.gov.