INDIANAPOLIS — An initiative aimed at promoting independent candidates in Indiana released a new study on Monday, one that the organization hopes to help Indiana out of a period of what they call “sustained political stagnation.”

Within Independent Indiana’s recent study on competitive elections, the group calls for the elimination of straight-ticket voting, along with changes to the signature requirement for independent candidates in the state of Indiana.

This comes after Independent Indiana released a series of polls earlier this year, including one centered around the state’s redistricting effort as well as another surrounding whether or not Indiana is on the right track politically.

Within the study, the group aimed to answer questions surrounding the competitive nature of elections in the state, many of which the group claims is decided before the general election through partisan primaries, party caucuses or districts designed to be held by one party.

“The result is a negative cycle: fewer competitive races, weaker accountability, policy incentives skewed toward the most ideological voters and declining public engagement,” the executive summary of the study read.

The study aims to look at what could be learned from the independent candidates who have won in Indiana, and what reforms and investments are likely to restore competition and accountability in elections.

“Indiana’s democracy will not be renewed through a single reform or a single election cycle,” the study’s executive summary read. “But this study’s findings point to a clear opportunity: Hoosiers want fairer elections, more choices and leaders who are accountable to voters rather than party machinery.”

The recommendations that the organization offered in the study include:

• Repeal straight-ticket voting

• Returning the signature requirement threshold for independent candidates to 0.5%, the figure it was at before the state’s 1980 legislative session

• Build durable campaign infrastructure for independent candidates, including training, toolkits and membership networks.

“We launched this study because we wanted to understand what’s really happening across our state—how big the problem is, what’s driving it, and where we might find hope,” said Nathan Gotsch, executive director of Independent Indiana. “We gathered data, interviewed experts, and listened to people from every corner of Indiana and every part of the political spectrum. We also looked closely at a growing number of independent candidates who are making an impact in their communities.”

“Indiana is a place with a proud independent streak and a long tradition of innovation,” Gotsch continued. “…This study began as an effort to understand whether independents could compete at higher levels, but it quickly evolved into something much bigger. We ended up with a comprehensive picture of how our political system actually works—and an in-depth examination of possible remedies to return competitive general elections within four years.”

Ultimately, the group stated that Hoosier voters deserve better than the status quo, something that they believe the study is “clear in.”

“The reforms recommended in this study represent real change and opportunity,” said Jay Chaudhary, a member of the board of the Center for Independent and Effective Government, the parent organization of Independent Indiana.“The reforms recommended in this study represent real change and opportunity.”

For a look at the full study, look at the document below. For more information about Independent Indiana, click here.