Understanding Absentee Voting and Vote by Mail Practices

Understanding Absentee Voting and Vote by Mail Practices

The deadline for having requested a mail in ballot to vote in the primary election was Thursday April 25th, but if you know you’re not going to be able to vote in person for the general election, request one as soon as you can.

W4C’s Claire Farrington tells you how.

If you cannot vote on election day in Indiana, you should cast an absentee ballot. There are two main ways to do this.

  • First, you can cast an absentee-in-person vote at an early voting center. In-person absentee voting is made available 28 days before the election and ends at 12:00 pm the day before the election. To find your closest early voting center click here. 

  • Secondly, voters may cast an absentee-by-mail ballot. This is a more complex process that requires voters to have a reason to request an absentee vote-by-mail ballot. 

Is voting by mail safe? 

YES. While, in recent years there have been rumors that mail-in ballots have been the source of widespread voter fraud, in reality, voter fraud is extremely rare and election officials work hard to ensure the integrity of this process.

What is an acceptable reason to request a vote-by-mail ballot? 

According to the Indiana Election Division, you can request a vote-by-mail ballot if you are registered to vote AND:

  • Have a disability.

  • Are at least 65 years of age.

  • Have official election duties outside of your voting precinct on election day.

  • Are a participant in the state's address confidentiality program.

  • Are a member of the military or a public safety officer.

  • Are a "serious sex offender" as defined in Indiana Code 35-42-4-14(a).

  • Are prevented from voting due to the unavailability of transportation to the polls.

  • From 6 am until 6 pm on Election day:

    • Are scheduled to work at your regular place of employment.

    • Will be absent from the county you are registered in. 

    • Will be confined due to illness or injury or caring for an individual confined due to illness or injury.

    • Are prevented from voting because of a religious discipline or religious holiday.

How to Vote-By-Mail

Receiving an Application

To vote by mail you must complete an ABS-Mail (En Espanol) application. You can download and print this form or visit your local county election office to pick it up in person. To get this application mailed directly to you, call your county election official or the Indiana Election Division. 

Filing a Vote-By-Mail Application

There are several ways to file a vote-by-mail application. If you received a hard copy of your application you can file it using mail delivery, hand-delivery, or by email. To deliver by hand, go to your county election board during their hours of operation. Physical addresses to the county election boards are found on the back of the ABS-Mail application. You can also mail your application to this address. To file your application via email you must print, sign, and scan or photograph your absentee ballot application and, if applicable, a copy of your voter identification card and send it to the county election official or the Indiana Election Division at elections@iec.in.gov.

Additionally, you may complete this application online at www.indianavoters.com. To do so, log into their “my voter portal page” by entering the requested information exactly as it appears on your voter registration record. Next, select the “ABS-Mail” or “ABS-Mail (Por Correo)” option and enter the information as prompted. Once submitted, you will be directed to a confirmation screen where you can download a copy of the application for your records. The system will automatically apply your voter registration signature to the back of your application so there is no need to print and return this document. 

Importantly, this application must be received AND processed before 11:59 PM 12 days before the election. Remember to consider processing and mailing time.

Application Requirements

In your vote-by-mail application, you must include identification. This can be: 

  • a photocopy of an identification card that complies with Indiana’s state photo ID laws (e.g. a driver's license or passport) 

OR

  • At least one of the following voter identification numbers:

    • Your Indiana driver’s license number or Indiana identification card number;

    • Your unique voter ID number assigned to your voter registration record in SVRS

    • The last four digits of your Social Security number

If you choose to use one of the above voter identification numbers, we recommend you

provide a second form of voter identification as a precautionary measure. This will prevent delays if the first form does not match the records on file. 

Additionally, if you are a first-time voter in Indiana and registered to vote by mail, you must provide proof of residency. This can be a state-issued ID, a bank statement, or a utility bill, but the address on this document must match your voter registration address.

You will receive notice from the county election administrator if an absentee ballot gets rejected.

Returning your Vote-By-Mail Ballot

If your application is approved, your ballot packet will be mailed to you. This will include your ballot, the absentee voter bill of rights, and a pre-paid return envelope. If you choose to hand-deliver your ballot, only you, your attorney-in-fact, a bonded courier, a member of your family, or a member of your immediate household can do so. Your vote-by-mail ballot must be received and in the possession of a county election official before 6:00 pm on Election Day. 

If you have issues before election day, you can fix most of them by filing an ABS-5 form with county election officials. 


For more information on voting in Indiana, visit Vote 411 or Indiana Voters.

W4C