What does each position in government do? What do they affect? We've broken down the executive government positions in state and county government to make it easier to break down.
What exactly is each position in Indiana's elected executive government responsible for? What does the secretary of state do? What's the difference between the auditor of state and the treasurer of state? Learn more about Indiana's executive branch.
There are three statewide races in for executive government positions: treasurer, secretary of state and audtior.
The governor is the state's chief executive officer. They can recommend legislation to the General Assembly, sign or veto legislation. They also have the ability to issue executive orders on matters important to the state.
They fill judicial vacancies in between election years, grant pardons, appoint and remove department heads, and decide which holidays the state offices will be closed for.
The governor also serves as the commander-in-chief of the state's armed forces.
Indiana's current governor is Eric Holcomb. He was elected in 2016 and re-elected in 2020. The position is limited to two terms.
The lieutenant governor is the second highest executive branch position. They also preside over the state senate, and cast deciding votes when required.
In addition to their duties with the state senate, the lieutenant governor has 26 other statutory duties, including serving as Secretary of Agriculture and Rural Development; overseeing the offices of tourism, defense development, and small business and entrepreneurship; and acting as chairperson for Councils leading Tourism, Counterterrorism and Security, and Main Street.
If for some reason the current governor is incapacitated, the lieutenant governor will become the acting governor. If the current governor dies or resigns from office, the lieutenant governor will become governor.
Indiana's current lieutenant governor is Suzanne Crouch. She was elected in 2016 was re-elected in 2020.
The secretary of state serves as Indiana's chief elections officer. In addition to that role, they are also responsible for chartering new business, regulating the securities industry, commissioning notaries public, registrating trademarks and licensing vehicle dealerships throughout Indiana.
Indiana's current Secretary of State Holli Sullivan was appointed to the position in 2021, after former Secretary Connie Lawson retired. Former Mike Pence aide Diego Morales upset incumbent Sullivan to earn the GOP nomination for secretary of state for the 2022 election.
Morales faces Democratic nominee Destiny Wells in the 2022 election.
The state auditor serves as Indiana's chief financial officer. They are responsible for accounting for all state funds; overseeing and disbursing county, city, town and school tax distributions; and paying state bills and state employees.
The auditor also acts as the plan administer for the Indiana Deferred Compensation Plan, the secretary for the Board of Finance, and is a member of the Board of Depositories.
Current Auditor Tera Klutz was appointed in 2017, after Suzanne Crouch was elected lieutenant governor. She is up for re-election in 2022 and faces Democratic nominee ZeNai Brooks.
The attorney general represents the State of Indiana in every lawsuit the state has an interest. They also provide the legal defense for state officials or agencies in court.
Additionally, the attorney general advises the governor, members of the state legislature, other state officials and county prosecutors on legal issues; gives formal legal advisory opinions on constitutional or legal questions at the request of designated public officials; and represents teachers in court in school discipline lawsuits where they were acting within their school policy.
They are also a member of the Law Enforcement Training Advisory Council, Criminal Justice Advisory Council, Code Revision Commission, Indiana Grain Indemnity and the Criminal Law Enforcement Board of Trustees.
Current Attorney General Todd Rokita was elected in 2020, after defeating Curtis Hill – who criminally battered four women in 2018 – for the Republican nomination.
The state treasurer serves as Indiana's chief investment officer and banker. They are also member of several financial boards and commissions including the Board of Finance and the Indiana Finance Authority.
The treasurer is also the chairperson for Indiana Bond Bank, Wireless Enhanced 911 Board, and Indiana CollegeChoice 529 Savings Plan.
Current Treasurer Kelly Mitchell was elected in 2014 and re-elected in 2018. The position is term-limited. The Democratic nominee for the 2022 election is Jessica McClellan, who is currently the Monroe County treasurer. She will face Morgan County GOP Chair Daniel Elliott, who won the Republican nomination by the narrowest state convention margin in memory.
What exactly is each position in Indiana's elected county government responsible for? What is the difference between a county treasurer and a county auditor?
To find out what county elected positions are on your 2022 ballot, go to the Secretary of State's IndianaVoters.com to locate your ballot.
The county clerk or the clerk of the circuit court maintains all records of pleadings, motions, papers, evidence and rulings. To do so, he or she is required to attend all court sessions.
During elections, the county clerk receives candidates filings and provides them with certificates of election. The clerk also issues licenses, like marriage licenses, and registers bail agents.
In addition to law enforcement, the county sheriff is responsible for the operation of a county jail and the care of prisoners serving time there.
Outside of those duties, the sheriff is also responsible for selling mortgaged property in foreclosure and collecting delinquent state income taxes.
The primary responsibility of a county coroner is to determine the manner of death in cases involving violence, casualty, suspicious circumstances and when a person has been found dead.
A coroner does not have to be a physician. When an autopsy is required, a non-physician coroner must hire a physician to perform autopsies.
No matter their qualifications, every county surveyor is required to keep a legal survey record book showing maps of each section, grant tract, subdivision or group of areas.
If the county surveyor is a registered land surveyor, they must keep a corner record book. Otherwise, the county has to hire one. If the county surveyor is a civil engineer, they supervise all the civil engineering work in the county. If not, the county must hire a civil engineer for each project.
The county recorder's function is to maintain permanent public records involving real estate, mining, personal property, mortgages, liens, leases, subdivision plats, military discharges, personal bonds -- anything that may be needed in the future.
The auditor coordinates tax collection and distribution, acts as the financial officer for the county government, and is responsible for all documents, books, records, maps and papers deposited in the auditor's office.
As part of their role with taxes, the auditor must work with the assessor to keep a record of ownership and assessed value for every parcel in every township.
The treasurer’s primary duty is that of tax collection. The person in this role also works with the auditor to insure the proper distribution of funds.
The treasurer also receives distributions of local income and other taxes that are collected by the state and acts as the primary investment officer for the county government.
The assessor does exactly that, the person in this role certifies assessed property values to the county auditor.
In addition, the county assessor advises township assessors, performs annual trends in property values, and even selects the assessment computer system used by officials in the county.
County prosecutors represent the State of Indiana in court at the county level for: all adult and juvenile criminal cases; grand jury proceedings; handling child support issues, bad checks and citizen complaints; charging defendants; overseeing plea agreement policy; training police departments on laws and how they affect law enforcement; and establishing procedures for obtaining prosecution.
