Indiana § 3-9-3-5 - False representation as office holder in campaign materials

§ 3-9-3-5. False representation as office holder in campaign materials

Sec. 5. (a) This section does not apply to the following:

(1) A communication relating to an election to a federal office.

(2) A person whose sole act is, in the normal course of business, participating in the preparation, printing, distribution, or broadcast of the advertising or material containing the false representation.

(b) As used in this section, "officeholder" refers to a person who holds an elected office.

(c) A person may not knowingly or intentionally authorize, finance, sponsor, or participate in the preparation, distribution, or broadcast of paid political advertising or campaign material that falsely represents that a candidate in any election is or has been an officeholder.

(d) For purposes of subsection (c), paid political advertising or campaign material that:

(1) contains only:

(A) a candidate's name; and

(B) the office to which the candidate seeks election; and

(2) does not contain the words "elect", "vote", or "for";

does not falsely represent that the candidate is or has been an officeholder.

As added by P.L.66-2003, SEC.21. Amended by P.L.241-2025, SEC.15.

IC 3-9-4Chapter 4. Administration by Election Division and County Election Boards

3-9-4-1Application of chapter 3-9-4-2Forms 3-9-4-3Information manual 3-9-4-4Filing, coding, and cross-indexing system; computer system; standardized software program; electronic submission 3-9-4-4.5Electronic filing of local campaign finance reports 3-9-4-5Reports and statements; public inspection and copying; sale of information copied 3-9-4-6Preservation of reports and statements 3-9-4-7List of statements 3-9-4-8Annual report 3-9-4-9Annual compilations 3-9-4-10Special reports 3-9-4-11Miscellaneous reports 3-9-4-12Repealed 3-9-4-13Audits; investigations 3-9-4-14Examination of statements of organization or reports; campaign finance reports 3-9-4-15Hearings 3-9-4-16Civil penalties; election commission 3-9-4-17Civil penalties imposed by county election board; procedure; disposition of penalties collected 3-9-4-18Delinquent or defective report 3-9-4-19Waiver or reduction of civil penalty 3-9-4-20Settlement agreement to pay proposed civil penalty