“There’s simply too much division,” Clere (R) said. “Partisanship is a big part of what’s driving it. We need to move away from that and try to find ways to come together as elected officials and unite our constituents, our communities.”

Indiana is one of just six states that allow straight-ticket voting, along with Alabama, Kentucky, Michigan, Oklahoma and South Carolina, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

While the General Assembly partially eliminated the practice in 2016 by abolishing straight-ticket voting for at-large races, lawmakers and election experts say the resulting hybrid system has only added confusion.

“Voters don’t always understand that they still have to select individual candidates for at-large races when they vote straight ticket,” Clere said. “So they choose not to vote at all.”

Clere, now in his ninth term, said he has authored or co-authored versions of the bill multiple times, first filing it jointly in 2023 with former Rep. Rita Fleming, D-Jeffersonville. He said the issue has only grown more urgent as political divisions have intensified.