Voting Information

Here is helpful “voter information” for the upcoming election year.

Are you registered to vote?

HELPFUL LINKS:

Indiana Voters – Government
Indiana Absentee Ballot Info

When to re-register

Your registration is permanent unless you move or change your name.

ABSENTEE BALLOT PROCEDURE

General Election Information on Absentee Ballots

All registered voters in Indiana are eligible to vote absentee-in-person at the county election board office beginning 28 days before Election Day.

In order to vote absentee-by-mail, one of the following must apply:

You have a specific, reasonable expectation that you will be absent from the county on Election Day during the entire 12 hours that the polls are open (6 am until 6 pm).

You have a disability.
You are at least 65 years of age.
You will have official election duties outside of your voting precinct.
You are scheduled to work at your regular place of employment during the entire 12 hours that the polls are open.
You will be confined due to illness or injury or you will be caring for an individual confined due to illness or injury during the entire 12 hours that the polls are open.
You are prevented from voting because of a religious discipline or religious holiday during the entire 12 hours that the polls are open.
You are a participant in the state's address confidentiality program.
You are a member of the military or a public safety officer.
You are a "serious sex offender" as defined in Indiana Code 35-42-4-14(a).
You are prevented from voting due to the unavailability of transportation to the polls.

Note:Voters voting absentee-by-mail are NOT required to show photo ID.

In order to vote absentee-by-traveling board, one of the following must apply:

The voter expects to be confined, due to illness or injury, or the voter expects to be caring for a confined person at a private residence, on Election Day.
The voter is a voter with disabilities and believes their polling place is not accessible to them.
The voter is physically unable to complete the ballot and sign the affidavit on their own.
The ballot will be delivered to you by a bi-partisan absentee voter board who will be able to assist you with your ballot.
Voters voting by traveling board are NOT required to show photo ID.

APPLICATION FOR ABSENTEE VOTING

Address changes

If you have moved within the County, you must transfer your registration by re-registering. You may choose to write your new address on the back of your voter identification card and mail it to the Clerk's office.

You must re-register with the local election authority or county clerk if you move to an address outside of the County.

Name changes

Voters who legally change their name, but not their address, do not have to re-register. If you have changed your name, you can vote after updating your information at the polls.

What do I need at the polls?

Indiana’s Photo ID Law:

Before signing the poll list and casting a ballot, you must present a government-issued photo ID to verify your identity. An valid ID for voting purposes must:

Include the voter’s name, which must confirm—not necessary to be identical - to the name on the individual's voter registration record.

Include a photograph of the individual.

Except for certain military and veterans documents, include an expiration date that shows the ID current or expired after November 6, 2018.

Be issued by the State of Indiana or the U.S. Government.

If you are unable or decline to present the photo ID OR a member of the precinct election board determines that your ID does not qualify under state law, a member of the precinct election board will challenge you and you must be offered a provisional ballot.

Both the challenger and the challenged voter must complete the challenged voter’s affidavit (PRE-4 form) before the voter may be issued a provisional ballot. After completing the provisional ballot, it is sealed inside the provisional ballot security envelope (PRO-2 form) and the challenged voter completes the affidavit on the PRO-2 form.

A voter casting a provisional ballot due to an ID issue must present a valid, photo ID (one that meets the standards above) to the county election board no later than noon, ten days after the election to have their provisional ballot be counted. Voters with a religious exemption or who are indigent must complete an affidavit at the county election board’s office no later than noon, ten days after the election in order for their provisional ballot to be counted.

Fail-Safe Procedures

If your name does not appear on the poll list, you are still allowed to vote if one of the following fail-safe procedures applies to you:

Certificate of Error – If your name does not appear on the poll list because of an error by the county, then the county must issue a Certificate of Error before you are allowed to cast a regular ballot.

Written Affirmation – If, at one time, you were registered to vote in this precinct, but your name no longer appears on the poll list where you are attempting to cast your ballot, and you are willing to sign a written statement (or make an oral affirmation in the presence of the inspector or one of the judges) that you still live at the same address, then you may cast a regular ballot.

Receipt from Voter Registration – If your name does not appear on the poll list, but you have a receipt from a voter registration agency indicating that you applied to register while the registration period was still open (before the last 29 days before the election), and the county voter registration office does not have any record of receiving the application, then you may vote a regular ballot after the information on your receipt is recorded on the poll list and you fill out a voter registration application.

If your name is on the poll list but the name or address listed does not match your current name or address, you may still qualify to vote a regular ballot if one of the following fail-safe procedures applies to you:

Name Changed - If your name is on the poll list but it has changed (example: due to marriage, divorce or adoption), you may vote a regular ballot if you sign the poll book with the new name or if an electronic poll book is used, signing an affidavit provided by election officials.

Moved within the precinct - If your name is on the poll list but you have moved within the same precinct, you may vote a regular ballot if you sign the poll book with the new address or if an electronic poll book is used, signing an affidavit provided by election officials.

Moved but still live in the same county and congressional district – If you moved to another precinct that is still in the same county and congressional district regardless of when you moved, you may vote a regular ballot at your old precinct one last time. You must sign an affidavit provided by local election officials or make an oral affirmation of these facts in the presence of the precinct election board before proceeding to vote.

Moved within the State of Indiana less than 30 days before the election - If you moved to another precinct in Indiana less than 30 days before the election, you may vote a regular ballot in your old precinct, one last time, by signing an affidavit provided by local election officials.

Moved outside the State of Indiana less than 30 days before a presidential election – If you moved from an Indiana precinct to a new residence outside of Indiana less than 30 days before Election Day, you may vote at your old precinct one last time by signing an affidavit provided by local election officials. However, you will only be given a ballot to vote for president and vice president. This fail-safe does not apply in any 2018 election.

Should any of the above listed fail-safes to vote a regular ballot not apply to you, then you may vote by provisional ballot. The challenger (a member of the precinct election board, typically) and the challenged voter must complete the challenged voter’s affidavit (PRE-4 form). After being issued the provisional ballot, the challenged voter seals the ballot in the PRO-2 security envelope, and the challenged voter executes the affidavit on the form. You are to be given instructions concerning your provisional ballot (PRO-9 form), which includes providing testimony at the Election Board hearing to determine if your provisional ballot will be counted.