East Chicago, Indiana Public Records

Indiana's bond and bail system allows detainees to secure release pending trial, with details available through the jail's administrative office. Those searching for recently arrested individuals can contact the facility directly or use the online inmate search tool provided through the Sheriff's Office.

Registration must be completed at least 29 days before an election to vote in that contest. Online registration requires either an Indiana driver's license number or the last four digits of a Social Security number. The city holds municipal elections for Mayor, City Clerk, City Judge, and Common Council members. Municipal elections in Indiana typically occur in November of odd-numbered years, placing the next East Chicago municipal election in November 2027, with primary elections in May 2027 if necessary. Beyond local races, residents participate in federal, state, and county elections including presidential contests every four years, U.S. Senate races (Indiana's Senate seats are up in 2022 and 2028 cycles), and U.S. House elections every two years (East Chicago is in Indiana's 1st Congressional District). State-level races include Indiana Governor elections (next in 2028) and legislative contests for both the Indiana House and Senate. Lake County offices on the ballot include County Council, County Commissioners, County Clerk, Sheriff, Assessor, Auditor, Treasurer, Recorder, and Surveyor. Residents can find their specific polling place using the Polling Place Lookup tool on indianavoters. gov or by contacting the Lake County Voter Registration Office. Indiana law makes certain election records publicly available including voter registration lists (available for purchase for political purposes), campaign finance reports filed by candidates and political action committees (searchable through the Indiana Campaign Finance database), candidate declarations and filings, and precinct-level election results. The Lake County Elections Office publishes detailed election results by precinct on their website following each election. In the November 2024 presidential election, Lake County recorded voter turnout of approximately 53-56% of registered voters, with strong participation in urban areas including East Chicago where turnout typically favors Democratic candidates. Looking ahead to November 3, 2026, voters in the city and throughout Lake County will decide several important races. While 2026 is not a U.S. Senate year for Indiana (next Senate race is 2028), voters will elect all members of the U.S. House of Representatives including the 1st District seat. At the state level, all 100 Indiana House of Representatives seats and half of the 50 Indiana Senate seats will be on the ballot. Lake County voters will also elect various county officials whose terms expire in 2026. Indiana voters can request absentee ballots for specific reasons including being age 65 or older, having a disability, being unable to vote due to work schedule, being a scheduled worker on Election Day, being a voter who is caring for an individual confined to a private residence due to illness or injury, being a precinct election board member, or being a military or overseas voter. Absentee ballot applications can be submitted online through indianavoters. gov or by completing a paper application and submitting it to the Lake County Clerk's office. The deadline for requesting an absentee ballot by mail is 11 days before the election; in-person absentee voting at the Lake County election office is available up to the day before the election.