VOTE411 Voter Guide

The Clerk of the Circuit Court is an elected position authorized by Article 6, Section 2 of the Indiana Constitution and serves a four (4) year term.  The Clerk has a wide range of duties covering areas including the collection of court payments and record keeping, voter registration, child support payments, and the issuance of various licenses and certificates.  Detailed duties for the Clerk are found in IC 33-32-2, General Powers and Duties; IC 33-32-3, Record Keeping Duties; IC 3-7-27 Voter Registration; IC 33-32-4, Child Support Payments; and IC 33-32-5, Marriage Licenses and Distress Sales.The Voter Registration office reports directly to the Clerk of Circuit Court.  The duties and responsibilities of this department are defined in IC 3-7-27.  A statewide voter registration system (SVRS) was implemented in 2006 to maintain a shared and consistent electronic database across all 92 counties.  This system is linked to the Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles and the Social Security Administration databases and also exchanges data with the Indiana Department of Corrections to assist this office in maintaining accurate voter registration information.The General Assembly, by statue, has assigned responsibility for many of the administrative functions of the count courts to the clerk of the circuit court, which is sometines referred to as the county clerk. This is a Constitutional Office. In addition, the General Assembly has assigned other non-court related governmental duties to the office of the clerk. The following is a brief description of the functions of the clerk of the circuit court:The county clerks serve dual roles as state election law administrators and administrators to the judiciary.Election related Functions· Elections are fundamental to our democracy and the responsibility of making sure elections are run smoothly is given to the county clerks. The clerks administer Indiana’s election laws in a non-partisan manner.· The clerk receives fillings of candidacy from persons seeking certain elective offices and issues certificates of election to successful local candidates except in the cases of constitutional officers, who receive their commissions from the Governor.· The clerk serves as ex-officio member and secretary of the county election board and as a member and clerk of the county board of canvassers. The clerk appoints the other members of the county election board and the board of canvassers.· The clerks make sure all election polling sites meet state and federal guidelines and insures that election workers are trained,Access to the courts often begins in the county clerks’ office.The clerk maintains all records of pleadings, motions, papers, evidence and court rulings of the court. The clerk also issues summonses and subpoenas and witnesses ordering them to appear in court.The clerk issues marriage licenses, records, maintains oaths of offices, election duties, keeps a record of all judgements, orders and decrees of the court.The clerk also must certify and attest to complete transcripts of court proceedings involving title to property, the impositions of prison sentences and in all court cases where a complete court record in required.The clerk, in the presence of the jury commissioners, draws the names of perspective jurors for juries and issues summonses to prospective jurors.The clerk collects court costs, fines and money judgments levied by the court. In the case of a money judgement, the clerk pays the money to the person or county entitled to the judgement. In recent years, the collection of child support has become a major responsibility of the clerk’s office.