The Marion County Election Board ratified the 2026 general-election ballot at its Sept. 4 meeting and said sample ballots will be posted online; Director Patrick Becker warned a pending judicial review could still affect the ballot.

Public commenters urged DeKalb officials to shift to hand-marked paper ballots; legislative counsel reported the General Assembly passed a bill delaying QR-code implementation to 2028, creating a committee and mandating manual recounts under narrow margins with state reimbursement.

Election officials process 21 provisional ballots before final results are announced on Monday

Clerk-Treasurer Linda Roth demonstrated the county's new Liberty Vote ballot-marking devices and ICX printers, described a voter-card workflow that prints a full-face paper ballot for review and deposit, and said instructional materials will be posted on the county website ahead of the election.

Elections staff presented canvass procedures and results: 1,111 ballots cast (about 38% turnout); Tommy Kent Olsen received 632 votes (57.66%) for mayor. The council unanimously accepted the canvass and signed necessary reports.