Voting in Indiana

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The policies governing voter participation are enacted and enforced primarily at the state level. These policies, which include voter identification requirements, early voting provisions, online voter registration systems, and more, dictate the conditions under which people cast their ballots in their respective states.

This article includes the following information about voting policies in Indiana:

See Election administration in Indiana for additional information about election administration in the state, including voter list maintenance policies, provisional ballot rules, and post-election auditing practices.

Do you have questions about your elections? Looking for information about your local election official? Click here to use U.S. Vote Foundation’s election official lookup tool.

Voter registration

Eligibility and registration details

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.[1] Registration can be completed online, by mail, or in person.[2] The deadline to register to vote is 29 days before the next election.[3]

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)[3][4]
 ”

In-person voting

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.[5]

Voter identification

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.[6]

“

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.[6][4]

”

A voter can obtain a free Indiana identification card from the Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles.[7]

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.[8]

Early voting

See also: Early voting

Indiana permits early voting. Learn more by visiting this website. Indiana refers to early voting as in-person absentee voting.[9]

Absentee/mail-in voting

See also: Absentee/mail-in 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:[9]

  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.[9]


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.

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.[10]

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.[11]

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 state and federal agencies.

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

Noteworthy events

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:[12]

  • 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. [12]

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See also

Elections in Indiana


External links

Footnotes

  1. ↑ Indiana Election Division, "Indiana Voter Registration Application," accessed April 25, 2023
  2. ↑ Secretary of State, "Voter Registration," accessed April 25, 2023
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Secretary of State, "2022 Indiana Voter Registration Guidebook," accessed April 25, 2023 (page 10)
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
  5. ↑ Indiana Secretary of State, "2023 Indiana Election Calendar", accessed April 25, 2023
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Indiana Secretary of State, "Photo ID Law," accessed April 25, 2023
  7. ↑ Indiana Secretary of State, "Obtaining a Photo ID," accessed October 3, 2019
  8. ↑ Indiana Secretary of State, "Exemptions," accessed April 25, 2023
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 Indiana Secretary of State, "Absentee Voting," accessed September 28, 2019
  10. ↑ In.gov, "Voter Registration," accessed April 25, 2025
  11. ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "Felon Voting Rights," April 6, 2023
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 Indiana General Assembly, "Senate Bill 398," accessed July 6, 2021
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