HOW TO VOTE IN INDIANA
Voter Eligibility
Registration
Absentee Voting
Provisional Ballot
Photo ID Required
County Clerk for Dearborn County
VOTER ELIGIBILITY
To register to vote in Indiana, you must:
 be a citizen of the United States;
and be at least 18 years old on the day of the next general or municipal election;
and have lived in your Indiana precinct for at least 30 days before the next election;
and not currently be in prison after being convicted of a crime.
REGISTRATION
Where to Register:
County's voter registration office
Circuit Court clerk's office
License branches while applying for or renewing a driver's license
Public assistance offices, while applying for services
Or obtain a mail-in registration form from: Public libraries, license branches, public secondary schools, or local government offices.
When to Register: You may register to vote at any time of the year. To vote in a primary or general election, you must be registered at least twenty-nine (29) days before the election. A mail-in voter registration application must be postmarked at least twenty-nine (29) days in advance of that election.
If You Change Your Name or Address:
You must transfer your registration whenever you move out of your precinct. You may use the mail-in voter registration application to do this. To protect your right to vote, you should transfer your registration as soon as possible after you move or change your name.
If You Move Right Before An Election:
If you move in the last twenty-nine (29) days before the election, you may still vote. In order to do so, contact the county voter registration office. If you moved more that twenty-nine (29) days before the election and did not change your registration before the deadline, you will not be eligible to vote at your former address unless you qualify to do so under special procedures. Contact the county voter registration office for more information.
Voter Registration Card: You should receive a voter registration card from your county voter registration office within about thirty (30) days. If you do not receive your card, call the county voter registration office.
Polling Place and Accessibility: Call the county voter registration office for your polling place and location. By law, polling places are required to be accessible and usable by people with such difficulties as the inability to walk, persons that rely on wheelchairs, as well as being responsive to persons that are sight and hearing impaired.
ABSENTEE VOTING
You may vote by absentee ballot if you are a registered voter of the
precinct where you reside, and you wish to vote in person at the circuit
court clerk's office.
If you wish to have your absentee ballot sent to you by mail or
delivered to you by a traveling board, you must also meet the following
requirements:
Have a specific, reasonable expectation that you
will be absent from your county of residence on Election Day during the
entire 12 hours that the polls are open (6:00 am to 6:00 pm).
Will be an election official.
Will be confined on Election Day due to illness
or injury during the entire 12 hours that the polls are open.
Are a voter with disabilities.
Are 65 years of age or older.
Are a caretaker of an individual(s) confined to
a private residence due to illness or injury and prevented from voting
during the entire 12 hours that the polls are open.
Are scheduled to work for the entire 12 hours
that the poll is open.
Are prevented from voting due to observing a
religious discipline or holiday during the entire 12 hours that the
polls are open.
Participate in the address confidentiality program.
Absentee Voting Procedures:
How to vote an absentee ballot in your county clerk’s office:
If you are eligible to vote absentee, you may vote in your county clerk’s office before Election Day. First, you must complete an absentee ballot application. Second, you must vote at your county clerk’s office by noon the day before election day. Absentee voting in the clerk’s office begins 29 days before the election, and will be available at least two Saturdays before Election Day.
How to vote absentee by mail:
If you are eligible to vote absentee, and meet the requirements listed above, you may vote by mail. First, you must complete an absentee ballot application and return it to your county election board (at the clerk’s office). Applications from most voters must be received, whether submitted by mail or FAX, at least 8 days before Election Day. (If you are a confined voter, a voter caring for a confined individual, a military voter, or an overseas voter, there are other deadlines and requirements that apply. Please contact your county election board or county clerk for more information.)
When the county election board receives your application for a mail-in absentee ballot, they will process it and, if the application is approved, mail you an absentee ballot for the upcoming election. Your completed ballot may be returned by mail or by a bonded courier company to the county election board. Your ballot may also be hand delivered by yourself, a member of your household, or your attorney in fact.
It is a criminal violation of the election laws for any other person to deliver your voted absentee ballot. Ballots must be received by the county election board, at the clerk’s office, in time to be processed for the election.
PROVISIONAL BALLOT
If you believe you are registered to vote in a precinct, but your name does not appear on the poll list, or if you have been challenged as not qualified to vote in your precinct, you will cast a “provisional ballot.”
A provisional ballot permits you to vote on election day. However, your provisional ballot will be kept separate from the other ballots cast in that precinct. After election day, the county election board will decide if you were qualified to vote in that precinct, and if your ballot should be counted. You will be able to contact your county election board to find out if your ballot was counted, and if not, why not.
PHOTO ID REQUIRED
If you are voting in person at the polls, or voting an absentee ballot in your county clerk’s office, you will be asked to present proof of identification before voting.
This ID must:
(1) show your photograph;
(2) include your name, which must conform your name on your voter registration record;
(3) have an expiration date after November 2, 2004; and
(4) be issued by the U.S. government or the State of Indiana.
If you do not have photo ID when you appear to vote, you will cast a “provisional ballot”, which permits you to vote on election day. You must present photo ID to your county election board no later than noon 13 days after election day for your provisional ballot to be counted. You may obtain a free photo ID from the BMV if you do not have an Indiana driver’s license, and can claim an exemption from this requirement if you are indigent, or have a religious objection to being photographed.
DEARBORN COUNTY CLERK
Phil Weaver
Dearborn County Courthouse
215 W. High St. Lawrenceburg, IN 47025
(812) 537-1040 (812) 537-8867
Voter Registration
www.dearborncounty.org/datafiles/localvote.html#b3
Contact Dearborn County Courthouse
215 W. High St., Lawrenceburg, IN 47025
(812) 537-1040
February 2007
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