Record numbers of residents mailed in absentee ballots in this year’s primary election after the state allowed universal mail-in voting in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
But it looks likely that special order won’t carry over into November’s General Election.
The Indiana Election Commission deadlocked Friday on whether to let all residents vote by mail, and Gov. Eric Holcomb said last week he won’t decide otherwise on mail-in voting until a federal judge issues an opinion on whether the state’s election law violates the Constitution.
That means for now, Indiana remains one of nine states that don’t have no-excuse-needed absentee voting for the November election, and voters in the state must meet certain criteria in order to receive a mail-in ballot.
WHO CAN VOTE BY MAIL IN INDIANA
There are currently 11 accepted excuses for voting by mail in Indiana.
1. 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).
2. You have a disability.
3. You are at least 65 years of age.
4. You will have official election duties outside of your voting precinct.
5. You are scheduled to work at your regular place of employment during the entire 12 hours that the polls are open.
6. 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.
7. You are prevented from voting because of a religious discipline or religious holiday during the entire 12 hours that the polls are open.
8. You are a participant in the state’s address confidentiality program.
9. You are a member of the military or a public safety officer.
10. You are a “serious sex offender” as defined in Indiana Code 35-42-4-14(a).
11. You are prevented from voting due to the unavailability of transportation to the polls.
HOW TO APPLY FOR A MAIL-IN BALLOT
To vote absentee by mail, a voter must first complete an ABS-Mail application. The application to request a vote-by-mail ballot must be received not later than Oct. 22 for the November election. Any application received after this deadline – even if it’s postmarked before the deadline – cannot be processed.
Voters can download and print the ABS-Mail form www.in.gov/sos/elections, or call their county election official or the Indiana Election Division at 317-232-3939 for an application to be mailed to the voter. Residents can also visit their county election office or election division to pick up an application in-person.
Residents can also fill out an application online at www.indianavoters.com by logging in to their “my voter portal page” by entering the requested information exactly as it appears on their voter registration record. After clicking “submit,” a confirmation screen appears that allows the voter to download and retain a copy for their records. There is no need to sign and return the online submission since the system applies the voter’s registration signature to the application on the back-end.
Applications can also be emailed, but this requires the voter to print, sign, and scan or photograph their absentee ballot application and send it to the county official or the Indiana Election Division at elections@iec.in.gov.
RETURNING A MAIL-IN BALLOT
If your application is reviewed and approved by bi-partisan county election officials, a ballot packet is mailed to you. This packet will include your ballot, the absentee voter bill of rights, and a first class postage pre-paid return security envelope.
The voter must be able to personally mark their own ballot, but may have assistance with placing the ballot inside the envelope and sealing it. The voter should sign the ballot (or make their mark) on the signature line.
County election officials must receive an absentee-by-mail ballot not later than noon on Election Day, November 3, 2020. County election officials must have possession of the ballot by this deadline. Postmarks – even if dated on or before the date of the election – will not be accepted.