A Letter to W4C Members about the 08/14 Indiana Election Commission Meeting

Hi all! We wanted to talk with our members about the Indiana Election Commission meeting that took place Friday, August 14th. The commission discussed the general election in November and voted not to extend no-excuse absentee voting, despite the pressing safety risks posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. While the commissioners discussed mail-in voting at length, they chose not to welcome testimony on the matter from members of the public. 

We at Women4Change hoped to testify about the importance of conducting accessible elections. Accessibility looks different than it did in previous years, but the need is more urgent than ever before. 

In the spring, the Commission decided to adapt the primary election according to public health guidelines and adopted a no-excuse policy for absentee voting. Indiana voters did not have to pick from a list of particular excuses to explain why they were voting by mail. This allowed voters to participate in the primary election from the safety of their own homes in a public health crisis unlike any we have seen in our lifetimes.  

The decision not to expand no-excuse voting for the general election is dangerous. Those who do not fit the criteria specified in the list of reasons to vote absentee will be put in the unsettling position of risking their health, and the health of their loved ones, in order to participate in our democracy. 

The choice to limit absentee-voting is especially harmful to women, and even more so women of color. 1 in 3 jobs held by women in the U.S. is considered essential, according to a New York Times analysis of federal data. In addition, the majority of caregivers in this country are women. These women, who were crunched for time even before the pandemic, are the backbone of this country. They also face additional risks of exposure to Covid-19. Yet we are telling them that their need to protect their loved ones and coworkers is not enough of a reason to vote absentee. 

“This is a public health matter to me, and it’s a public health concern,” Vice-chair of the Commission, S. Anthony Long, said at the meeting. 

Long also said he cannot in good faith tell Hoosiers to “bite the bullet and go vote in person or in some public arena... or not vote at all.” Yet, two of his fellow commissioners chose to do just that. 

We want to encourage W4C members, and in fact, all Hoosier voters, to vote early. See here for details on early voting. Voters can read here to determine whether they are eligible under the state’s list of excuses to vote absentee. 

To watch recordings of Indiana Election Commission meetings, click here. As of August 17th, a recording of the most recent meeting has not been uploaded to this page. 

Please email me at naomi@women4changeindiana with any questions about the upcoming election. 

Fill out this survey if you’d like to volunteer for our Get out the Vote strategy this fall. 

Thank you for your time,

Naomi Farahan, Advocacy Coordinator at Women4Change.