Election administration in Indiana

Election Information
Voter registration
Early voting
Absentee/mail-in voting
All-mail voting
Voter ID laws
State poll opening and closing times
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Election administration encompasses a state's voting policies and methods of enforcing them. These include voter identification requirements, early and absentee voting provisions, voter list maintenance methods, and more. Each state's voting policies dictate who can vote and under what conditions.

THE BASICS

Indiana permits online voter registration.

Indiana permits early voting.

Indiana does not permit no-excuse absentee voting.

In Indiana, polls are open from 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. local time.

Indiana requires photo identification to vote.

Indiana holds open primary elections.

Indiana has tools for verifying voter registration.

Below, you will find details on the following election administration topics in Indiana:

• Poll times
• Voter registration
• Early and absentee/mail-in voting policy
• Voter identification requirements
• Provisional ballot rules
• Primary election type
• Time off work for voting
• Voting rules for people convicted of a felony

• Voter list maintenance
• Post-election auditing
• Election policy ballot measures
• Election policy legislation
• Ballot access
• Redistricting
• Election administration agencies

Poll times

See also: State poll opening and closing times

In Indiana, polls are open from 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. local time on the date of an election. An individual who is in line at the time polls close must be allowed to vote.

Voter registration

Check your voter registration status here.

To register to vote in Indiana, an individual must be a U.S. citizen who has resided in the precinct in which the individual will be voting for at least 30 days preceding the next election. The individual must be at least 18 years old by the time of the next general or municipal election. Proof of residence is required to register. Registration can be completed online, by mail, or in person. The deadline to register to vote is 29 days before the next election.

Prospective voters can register in person at the following locations:

“

1) a Bureau of Motor Vehicles (“BMV”) license branch while applying for or renewing a driver’s license, permit, or identification card; 2) a public assistance office while applying for services; 3) certain agencies serving persons with disabilities while applying for assistance; 4) armed forces recruitment agencies; 5) county voter registration offices and the Indiana Election Division; and 6) unemployment compensation offices while applying for services. (IC 3-7-14; 3-7-15; 3-7-16; 3-7-19 and 3-7-20.5)

”

Automatic registration

Indiana does not practice automatic voter registration.

Online registration

See also: Online voter registration

Indiana has implemented an online voter registration system. Residents can register to vote by visiting this website.

Same-day registration

Indiana does not allow same-day voter registration.

Residency requirements

Indiana law requires 30 days of residency in a precinct before a person may vote.

Verification of citizenship

See also: Laws permitting noncitizens to vote in the United States

Indiana does not require proof of citizenship for voter registration.

Verifying your registration

The Indiana Secretary of State website allows residents to check their voter registration status online.

Early and absentee voting policy

Early voting

See also: Early voting

Indiana permits early voting. Learn more by visiting this website. Indiana refers to early voting as voting absentee-in-person.

Absentee voting

See also: Absentee voting

An individual is eligible to vote absentee by mail in an election if he or she cannot make it to the polls on the day of an election for one of the following reasons:

1. The voter has "a specific, reasonable expectation" that he or she will be absent from his or her home county on Election Day during the entire voting period.
2. The voter is disabled.
3. The voter is 65 years of age or older.
4. The voter will be responsible for official election duties outside of his or her voting precinct.
5. The voter is scheduled to work during the entire voting period.
6. The voter will "be confined due to illness or injury" or "will be caring for an individual confined due to illness or injury" during the entire voting period.
7. The voter is prevented from voting during the regular voting period due to religious reasons.
8. The voter is a participant in the state's address confidentiality program.
9. The voter is a military service member or public safety officer.
10. The voter is a "serious sex offender" as defined in Indiana Code 35-42-4-14(a).
11. The voter is prevented from voting due to the unavailability of transportation to the polls.

A request to vote absentee must be received by the appropriate official at least eight days prior to the election. The ballot must then be returned by close of polls on Election Day.

Returning absentee ballots

See also: Mail ballot collection and return laws by state

Indiana residents voting absentee-by-mail can return their ballot to the county election board by mail or authorize their attorney or a member of their household to mail or physically deliver their ballot. The following household family members may assist an absentee voter in returning his or her ballot: spouse, parent, father-in-law, mother-in-law, child, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, grandparent, grandchild, brother, sister, brother-in-law, sister-in-law, uncle, aunt, nephew, or niece. An absentee ballot will not be counted if it is received by county election officials after 6 p.m. on Election Day.

Signature requirements and cure provisions

In Indiana, an absentee ballot return envelope includes a printed affidavit that the absentee voter must sign. County election officials compare the signature on an absentee ballot return envelope to the voter's signatures on file. Indiana law includes a cure provision, which is a law allowing a voter to correct an issue with the signature on his or her ballot. Under state law, a voter can cure a signature mismatch by filing a signed signature verification affidavit with his or her county election board by no later than noon eight days after Election Day.

Voter identification requirements

See also: Voter ID in Indiana

See also: Voter identification laws by state

Indiana requires voters to present photo identification at the polls. The following list of criteria for accepted photo ID was current as of April 2023.

“

Under Indiana Code 3-5-2-40.5, which defines "proof of identification", your photo ID must meet 4 criteria to be acceptable for voting purposes. It Must: 1. Display your photo. 2. Display your name, and the name must conform to your voter registration record. Conform does not mean identical. Below are examples of names that would conform to "Robert John Crew": Robert John Crew, Robert J. Crew, Robert Crew, R. John Crew, R. J. Crew, Bob John Crew, Bob J. Crew, Bob Crew, John Crew, or J. Crew. 3. Display an expiration date and either be current or have expired sometime after the date of the last General Election (November 6, 2018). NOTE: An ID issued by the US Department of Defense, a branch of the uniformed services, the Merchant Marine, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (or Veterans Administration), or the Indiana National Guard is not required to have an expiration date, or may state that the document has an "Indefinite" expiration date. 4. Be issued by the State of Indiana or the U.S. government. In most cases, an Indiana driver license, Indiana photo ID card, Military ID or U.S. Passport is sufficient. A student ID from an Indiana State school may only be used if it meets all of the 4 criteria specified above. A student ID from a private institution may not be used for voting purposes.

”

A voter can obtain a free Indiana identification card from the Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles.

Voters who are "indigent, those with a religious objection to being photographed, and those living in state-licensed facilities that serve as their precinct's polling place" can claim an exemption from the voter identification law. If the voter is claiming an exemption based on indigence or a religious objection, the voter can cast a provisional ballot on Election Day and visit the county election office within 10 days to claim the exemption. A voter who is a resident of a state-licensed facility can claim the exemption at the polls on Election Day.

Background

As of August 2023, 34 states required voters to present identification in order to vote at the polls on Election Day. Of these states, 23 required voters to present identification containing a photograph, and 11 accepted other forms of identification. The remaining 16 states did not require voters to present identification in order to vote at the polls on Election Day. Valid forms of identification differ by state. Commonly accepted forms include driver's licenses, state-issued identification cards, and military identification cards.

Provisional balloting for voters without ID

Voters who do not have ID while voting may cast provisional ballots. See below for provisional ballot rules.

Provisional ballot rules

Voters in Indiana are given provisional ballots, or ballots requiring additional steps or information before they can be counted, under the following circumstances:

(1) If there is a "question about the voter's qualification to vote in the precinct," such as the voter's name not appearing on the poll book, he or she has the right to cast a provisional ballot.

(2) If the "voter has been challenged as not qualified to vote in his/her precinct," the voter has the right to cast a provisional ballot. For example, if the voter does not have photo ID, he or she can cast a provisional ballot.

(3) If a court issues an order to extend polling hours, the voter may be required to cast a provisional ballot.

Provisional ballots will be counted no later than 3 p.m. 10 days after election day. County election boards are required to provide a toll-free telephone number or website that indicates whether the provisional ballot was accepted or rejected, according to the Indiana Election Administrator’s Manual.

A provisional ballot is rejected in the following circumstances:

• If the provisional voter affidavit is incomplete or missing required information;
• If the voter is not qualified to vote in the precinct;
• If the voter failed to provide photo identification;
• If the voter failed to register at a registration agency during the registration period; or
• If the poll clerks’ initials do not appear on the ballot.

Local election officials

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Do you need information about elections in your area? Are you looking for your local election official? Click here to visit the U.S. Vote Foundation and use their election official lookup tool.

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Primary election type

See also: Primary elections in Indiana

A primary election is an election in which registered voters select a candidate that they believe should be a political party's candidate for elected office to run in the general election. They are also used to choose convention delegates and party leaders. Primaries are state-level and local-level elections that take place prior to a general election. Indiana utilizes an open primary system. Voters are not required to register with a party, but state statutes stipulate that citizens vote in the primary of the party they have voted for most often in the past.

For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, see this article.

Time off work for voting

Ballotpedia did not find a law specifying whether voters must be given time off from work to vote in this state. Nolo.com notes that states without such state laws may have administrative regulations or local ordinances pertaining to time off for voting and suggests calling your local board of elections or state labor department for more information.

If you know of a relevant policy in this state, please email us. As of 2020, 28 states had laws requiring employers to provide time off for voting under certain conditions.

Voting rules for people convicted of a felony

See also: Voting rights for convicted felons

In Indiana, people convicted of a felony regain their voting rights automatically upon completion of their prison sentences. People on parole, probation, or with outstanding fines are eligible to vote.

Voting rights for people convicted of a felony vary from state to state. In the majority of states, people convicted of a felony cannot vote while they are incarcerated but may regain the right to vote upon release from prison or at some point thereafter.

Voter list maintenance

All states have rules under which they maintain voter rolls—or, check and remove certain names from their lists of registered voters. Most states are subject to the parameters set by The National Voter Registration Act (NVRA). The NVRA requires states to make efforts to remove deceased individuals and individuals who have become ineligible due to a change of address. It prohibits removing registrants from voter lists within 90 days of a federal election due to change of address unless a registrant has requested to be removed, or from removing people from voter lists solely because they have not voted. The NVRA says that states may remove names from their registration lists under certain other circumstances and that their methods for removing names must be uniform and nondiscriminatory.

When names can be removed from the voter list

Indiana law authorizes a county voter registration office to remove the names of voters from the registered voting list if an individual:

• Requests in writing to be removed from the registration list,
• Becomes incarcerated or is convicted of a felony,
• Dies, or
• Remains on the inactive voter registration list for two general elections.

Inactive voter list rules

The Indiana Secretary of State’s Office conducts a voter registration maintenance program in odd-numbered years by mailing all voters on the active list a non-forwardable address confirmation notice. If the notice is returned as undeliverable, a forwardable notice is sent. If no response is received, the voter is placed on an inactive list.

In addition, if the county voter registration office is conducting a voter registration maintenance program and a voter does not respond to a forwardable notice (after having been sent a non-forwardable notice), the voter is placed on an inactive list. Inactive voters are eligible to vote under Indiana law. If a voter remains on the inactive list through two general elections, their registration is to be canceled.

The Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC)

See also: Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC)

According to its website, ERIC is a nonprofit corporation that is governed by a board of member-states. These member states submit voter registration and motor vehicle registration information to ERIC. ERIC uses this information, as well as Social Security death records, to provide member states with detailed reports showing voters who have moved within their state, moved out of their state, died, have duplicate registrations in their state, or are potentially eligible to vote but are not yet registered. ERIC's website describes its funding as follows: "Each state pays annual dues, which are determined by a formula approved by the ERIC membership. The formula includes a state's citizen voting age population as a factor."

By 2022, 33 states and the District of Columbia had joined ERIC. As of August 2023, 26 states and the District of Columbia were members in the ERIC program.

As of April 2023, Indiana was not participating in the ERIC program.

Post-election auditing

Indiana state law requires post-election audits. County election officials conduct a procedural audit if the secretary of state determines that one should be conducted because of an investigation or a recount in a specific county. Additionally, a "procedural audit must also be conducted if the total number of votes cast and the total number of voters recorded in the poll book differ by the 'audit threshold,'" according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

A risk-limiting pilot program was approved beginning in 2020. The secretary of state "designates risk-limiting audit pilot counties, and supervises the procedural audit in cases of an investigation or recount," according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

Post-election audits check that election results tallied by a state's voting system match results from paper records, such as paper ballots filled out by voters or the paper records produced by electronic voting machines. Post-election audits are classified into two categories: audits of election results—which include traditional post-election audits as well as risk-limiting audits—and procedural audits.

Typically, traditional post-election audits are done by recounting a portion of ballots, either electronically or by hand, and comparing the results to those produced by the state's voting system. In contrast, risk-limiting audits use statistical methods to compare a random sample of votes cast to election results instead of reviewing every ballot. The scope of procedural audits varies by state, but they typically include a systematic review of voting equipment, performance of the voting system, vote totals, duties of election officials and workers, ballot chain of custody, and more.

As of December 2023, 41 states and the District of Columbia required some form of post-election audit. Of these, 36 states and the District of Columbia required traditional post-election audits, three states required risk-limiting post-election audits, and two states required procedural post-election audits.

Noteworthy events

Signing of SB398 into law (2021)

On April 23, 2021, Governor Eric Holcomb (R) signed SB398 into law, enacting a series of changes to the state's election administration procedures, including (but not limited to) the following:

• Provided that a "political subdivision that conducts or administers an election may not receive or expend funds received from a person (other than from the state or from the federal government) for preparing, administering, or conducting elections, including registering voters."
• Specified that the following household family members may assist an absentee voter: spouse, parent, father-in-law, mother-in-law, child, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, grandparent, grandchild, brother, sister, brother-in-law, sister-in-law, uncle, aunt, nephew, or niece.
• Prohibited counting a ballot deposited in a drop-box or container not under the physical control and supervision of the county election board.
• Provided that a county must compare signatures upon receipt of an absentee ballot.
• Extended the time in which an absentee ballot must be received on Election Day from noon to 6 p.m.
• Authorized all counties to open absentee ballot envelopes by machine (prior law only allowed for Marion County to use a machine to open ballots).
• Established procedures and forms for the curing of mismatched signatures involving an absentee ballot and unsigned absentee ballots.

SB398 was introduced in the Indiana State Senate on January 14, 2021. The Indiana House of Representatives approved an amended version of the bill on March 25, 2021, by a vote of 58-30. The Senate accepted the House's amendments on April 15, 2021, by a vote of 40-2.

Election policy ballot measures

See also: Elections and campaigns on the ballot and List of Indiana ballot measures

Ballotpedia has tracked the following ballot measures relating to election and campaign policy in Indiana.

1. Indiana Protect Right to Vote Act, Public Question 1 (1998)
2. Indiana Governor and Lieutenant Governor Joint Campaign, Amendment 2 (1974)

Recent legislation related to election administration in Indiana

The table below lists bills related to election administration that have been introduced during (or carried over to) the current legislative session in Indiana. The following information is included for each bill:

• State
• Bill number
• Official name or caption
• Most recent action date
• Legislative status
• Topics dealt with by the bill

Bills are organized alphabetically, first by state and then by bill number. The table displays up to 100 results by default. To view additional results, use the arrows in the upper-right corner of the table. For more information about a particular bill, click the bill number. This will open a separate page with additional information.

Ballotpedia's Election Administration Legislation Tracker

State election laws are changing. Keeping track of the latest developments in all 50 states can seem like an impossible job.

Here's the solution: Ballotpedia's Election Administration Legislation Tracker.

Ballotpedia's Election Administration Tracker sets the industry standard for ease of use, flexibility, and raw power. But that's just the beginning of what it can do:

• Ballotpedia's election experts provide daily updates on bills and other relevant political developments
• We translate complex bill text into easy-to-understand summaries written in everyday language
• And because it's from Ballotpedia, our Tracker is guaranteed to be neutral, unbiased, and nonpartisan

The Ballot Bulletin

The Ballot Bulletin is a weekly email that delivers the latest updates on election policy. The Ballot Bulletin tracks developments in election policy around the country, including legislative activity, big-picture trends, and recent news. Each email contains in-depth data from our Election Administration Legislation Tracker. You'll also be able to track relevant legislation, with links to and summaries of the bills themselves.

Click here to view recent issues and subscribe.

Ballot access

See also: Ballot access requirements for political candidates in Indiana

A cardboard ballot box at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History

In order to get on the ballot in Indiana, a candidate for state or federal office must meet a variety of state-specific filing requirements and deadlines. These regulations, known as ballot access laws, determine whether a candidate or party will appear on an election ballot. These laws are set at the state level. A candidate must prepare to meet ballot access requirements well in advance of primaries, caucuses, and the general election.

There are three basic methods by which an individual may become a candidate for office in a state.

1. An individual can seek the nomination of a state-recognized political party.
2. An individual can run as an independent. Independent candidates often must petition in order to have their names printed on the general election ballot.
3. An individual can run as a write-in candidate.

This article outlines the steps that prospective candidates for state-level and congressional office must take in order to run for office in Indiana. For information about filing requirements for presidential candidates, see "Ballot access requirements for presidential candidates in Indiana." Information about filing requirements for local-level offices is not available in this article (contact state election agencies for information about local candidate filing processes).

Redistricting

See also: Redistricting in Indiana

"Gerrymandering"

Redistricting is the process by which new congressional and state legislative district boundaries are drawn. Each of Indiana's nine United States Representatives and 150 state legislators are elected from political divisions called districts. United States Senators are not elected by districts, but by the states at large. District lines are redrawn every 10 years following completion of the United States census. The federal government stipulates that districts must have nearly equal populations and must not discriminate on the basis of race or ethnicity.

Indiana was apportioned nine seats in the U.S. House of Representatives after the 2020 census, the same number it received after the 2010 census. Click here for more information about redistricting in Indiana after the 2020 census.

HIGHLIGHTS

Following the 2020 United States Census, Indiana was apportioned nine congressional districts, which was unchanged from the number it had after the 2010 census.

Indiana's House of Representatives comprises 100 districts; Indiana's State Senate comprises 50 districts.

In Indiana, the state legislature is responsible for drawing both congressional and state legislative district lines. The governor may veto the maps drawn by the legislature.

State process

See also: State-by-state redistricting procedures

In Indiana, the state legislature is responsible for drawing both congressional and state legislative district lines. The legislature must approve a redistricting plan by the close of the first legislative session occurring after completion of the United States Census. The governor may veto the lines drawn by the state legislature.

In the event that both chambers of the state legislature do not approve a congressional redistricting plan, a backup commission must draw the lines. The commission comprises the following members:

1. Speaker of the House
2. President Pro Tempore of the Senate
3. Chair of the Elections Committee, Indiana State Senate
4. Chair of the Elections and Apportionment Committee, Indiana House of Representatives
5. A gubernatorial appointment

The Indiana Constitution mandates that state legislative districts be contiguous. There are no such requirements for congressional district lines.

Election administration agencies

Election agencies

Seal of the U.S. Election Assistance Commission

See also: State election agencies

Individuals seeking additional information about voting provisions in Indiana can contact the following local, state, and federal agencies.

Indiana Election Administrators

Click here for a list

Indiana Secretary of State, Election Division

302 West Washington Street, Room E-204

Indianapolis, Indiana 46204

Telephone: 317-232-3939

Email: elections@iec.in.gov

U.S. Election Assistance Commission

633 3rd Street NW, Suite 200

Washington, DC 20001

Telephone: 301-563-3919

Toll free: 1-866-747-1471

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Recall

Democratic primaries 2024

• United States Senate Democratic Party primaries, 2024
• United States House Democratic Party primaries, 2024
• Democratic Party gubernatorial primaries, 2024
• Democratic Party Secretary of State primaries, 2024
• Democratic Party Attorney General primaries, 2024
• State legislative Democratic primaries, 2024

Republican primaries 2024

• United States Senate Republican Party primaries, 2024
• United States House Republican Party primaries, 2024
• Republican Party gubernatorial primaries, 2024
• Republican Party Secretary of State primaries, 2024
• Republican Party Attorney General primaries, 2024
• State legislative Republican primaries, 2024

See also

• 2024 election dates and deadlines
• Voting in Indiana
• Ballot access requirements for political candidates in Indiana
• Redistricting in Indiana

Elections in Indiana

• Indiana elections, 2023
• Indiana elections, 2022
• Indiana elections, 2021
• Indiana elections, 2020
• Indiana elections, 2019
• Indiana elections, 2018
• Indiana elections, 2017
• Indiana elections, 2016
• Indiana elections, 2015
• Indiana elections, 2014

External links

• Indiana Secretary of State - Elections