Upcoming Elections
2008 General Election: 11/4/08
Polling Place Hours: 6:00 AM to 6:00 PM
Click here to download an Indiana Frequently Asked Questions document created by the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law and its pro bono law firm partners.
Voter Registration Information
Click here for an Indiana Voter Registration Guide created by the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law and its pro bono law firm partners.
Registration Deadlines
October 6, 2008
2008 General Election: November 4, 2008
Identification Required for Registration
None, unless you are registering to vote for the first time in Indiana by returning a registration form through the mail. If you register using the mail, you can include a photocopy of a current valid photo ID, a current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck, or other document. Whatever document you present must have your name and address printed on the ID. Certain voters, such as military voters, are exempt from this requirement.
How to Check Registration
Call 1-866-OUR-VOTE
Visit the Indiana Statewide Voter Registration System website
Voting Information
Identification Required to Vote
Indiana requires residents to present a government-issued photo ID before casting a ballot at the polls on Election Day. Your photo ID must meet 4 criteria to be acceptable for voting purposes. It must:
- Display your photo
- Display your name, and the name must conform to your voter registration record. Conform does not mean identical.
- Display an expiration date and either be current or have expired sometime after the date of the last General Election (November 7, 2006)
- Including Military IDs with expiration date of "INDEF"
- 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.
How to Find Your Polling Place
Call 1-866-OUR-VOTE
Visit the Indiana Statewide Voter Registration System website
Absentee Voting
Click here to visit GoVoteAbsentee.org, a resource for absentee voters.
Any person eligible to vote in Indiana may vote by absentee ballot in person at the office of the circuit court clerk before Election Day. In order to cast an absentee ballot by mail, an absentee voter must fit into one of the following categories:
- The voter has a specific, reasonable expectation that he or she will be absent from the county on election day during the entire twelve hours that the polls are open;
- The voter will be absent from the precinct of his or her residence on election day due to service as an election official in another precinct;
- Due to the voter's illness or injury, the voter will be confined to a health care facility, hospital, or private residence on election day;
- The voter has a disability;
- The voter is at least sixty-five years of age;
- The voter will be caring for an individual who is confined to a private residence due to illness or injury on election day;
- The voter is scheduled to work at his or her regular place of employment during the entire twelve hours that the polls are open;
- The voter is prevented from voting due to observance of a religious discipline or religious holiday during the entire twelve hours that the polls are open; or
- The voter is a participant in the state's address confidentiality program.
Rules and Deadlines:
- October 6, 2008 is the first day a voter may vote an absentee in person ballot at the county clerk's office.
- October 27, 2008 is the deadline for absentee mail in applications to be received for the general election.
Early Voting
October 6, 2008 is the first day a voter may vote an absentee-in-person at the county clerks office for the 2008 General Election. Contact your County Election Board for information on locations and times.
Information For People who have Moved or Changed Addresses
- Moving Within the Same Precinct:
- The voter may appear at his or her assigned polling place and make a written or oral affirmation of his or her new address and his or her eligibility to vote in that precinct.
- Moving Between Precincts Within the Same County
- Any registered voter who moves from one precinct to another within the same county and congressional district may vote in an election by going to his or her assigned polling place in the precinct of the former residence and making a written or oral affirmation of the voter's new address
- Moving Between Counties:
- Any registered voter who moves from one county to another county within the state within thirty days of election day may vote at his or her former precinct provided that he or she executes an affidavit and requests a transfer of his or her voter registration
Information for People with Felony Convictions
A person who is:
- convicted of a crime; and
- imprisoned following conviction cannot register to vote until the person is no longer imprisoned or subject to detention.
For more information, go to the Secretary of State's website, or click here to download an Indiana Election Protection manual created by the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law and its pro bono law firm partners.
