What is Indiana Public Question 1 on the November 2026 Indiana ballot is a constitutional amendment concerning pre-trial bail.

What the Amendment Changes

• Current Law: Under Indiana's current constitution (Article 1, Section 17), only people charged with murder or treason can be denied bail automatically if the proof is evident or the presumption strong.

• Proposed Change: A "yes" vote expands judicial power to deny bail for any offense if the state proves by clear and convincing evidence that no release conditions will protect community safety.

• Ballot Meanings:

  • Yes: Support changing the constitution to allow courts to deny bail in more dangerous offender cases.

  • No: Oppose the change and keep current bail protection rules unchanged.

Pro-union Hoosiers,

I am writing to draw your attention to Indiana’s Question 1 on constitutional bail and the serious threat it poses to union members taking collective action.

Under current protections, bail restrictions are strictly limited, ensuring workers aren't arbitrarily detained. However, Question 1 expands the state’s authority to deny bail or set financial conditions that are completely out of reach. If passed, this constitutional amendment could easily be weaponized against working people on strike, on a picket line, or engaging in workplace protests.

During labor disputes, employers routinely attempt to criminalize routine union activity—framing peaceful picketing or civil disobedience as offenses that trigger arrest. Under Question 1, a worker arrested during a strike could be denied bail or held under unaffordable financial terms, taking workers away from their jobs, their work, and their livelihood. By locking up union members without bail and removing them from their workplace, families, and picket lines, this amendment creates a chilling effect that severely undermines our collective bargaining power and discourages workers from standing up against unfair employer practices.

We cannot allow the state constitution to be altered in a way that turns the justice system into an employer tool for strike-breaking.

NOW IS THE TIME TO ACT! 🗳️ Indiana’s Question 1 threatens union members engaging in collective action and workplace protests. Protecting worker rights means voting NO at the ballot box and spreading the word across our union halls, shop floors, and communities.

Talk to your fellow union brothers, sisters, and siblings today and make sure everyone votes NO on Question 1!