General Information for Indiana       

72 delegates at stake

Find your polling place in IndianaIndiana polls are open from 6am -6pm Tuesday, May 6th

VOTING BASICS

You have a right to vote in an Indiana election, if:

1.     You are both a U.S. citizen and a resident of Indiana; and

2.      You will be at least 18 years of age at the next General Election, November 4 2008; and

3.      You are not currently in prison after being convicted of a crime; and

4.      You have lived in the precinct where you vote for at least 30 days prior to the election; and

5.      You are registered to vote

6.      You provide government-issued photo ID. 

The ID must fit the following criteria:

• Your ID must display your photo. 
• Your name on the ID must conform with your voter registration record. Conform does NOT mean identical. 

Below are examples of names that would conform to “Robert John Crew”:    

• Robert John Crew  =  Bob John Crew
• Robert J. Crew  =  Bob J. Crew
• Robert Crew  =  Bob Crew
• R. John Crew  =  John Crew
• R. J. Crew  =  J. Crew

• Your ID must contain an expiration date and either still be current or have expired sometime after the date of the last General Election (November 2, 2004). This also includes Military ID’s listing “INDEF” under expiration date.
• Your ID must be issued by the State of Indiana or the U.S. government.
• In most cases, an Indiana driver’s license, Indiana photo ID card, Military ID or U.S. passport is sufficient.

If you are unable or unwilling to present ID meeting these requirements, you may cast a provisional ballot.  If you cast a provisional ballot, you have until noon ten (10) days after the Election to follow up with the County Election Board and either provide the necessary documentation or affirm one of the law’s exemptions applies to you. Exemptions do exist for the indigent, those with a religious objection to being photographed, and individuals living in state-licensed facilities where the precinct’s polling place is also located.   If you do not already have a valid photo ID, you can obtain an Indiana photo ID card free of charge from any Bureau of Motor Vehicles branch that issues drivers’ licenses and ID cards.  For more information, contact the BMV at (317) 233-6000 or visit the website http://www.photoid.in.gov. 

7.      Accessibility:  State law requires that polling locations and voting machines be accessible to elderly voters and voters with disabilities.  If you need assistance voting, you may choose someone to help you (other than your employer or union officer) or one poll worker from each major political party will be available to assist you. 

8.     Provisional Ballots: Provisional voting is a way for a voter to cast a ballot at the polls on Election Day when a voter is challenged because of one of the situations explained below.   

• If the voter is unable to present photo ID that meets the “proof of identification” requirements. 
• If the voter’s name does not appear on the poll list (example: the voter is not registered to vote in the precinct) unless the voter qualifies to vote using one of the “Fail-Safes” explained in the Indiana Voter’s Bill of Rights  
• The voters name appears on the poll list , but the voter does not currently reside in the precinct unless the voter qualifies to vote using one of the “Fail-Safes” explained in the Indiana Voter’s Bill of Rights 
• The poll list indicates that the voter is also required to present additional documentation to verify their residency as a first time voter, but the voter is not able to do so. 
• The voter is not a U.S Citizen. 
• The voter will not be 18 years of age or older at the general or municipal election.    
• The voter’s signature on the poll list does not match that on the registration record of the county. 
• In a primary, the voter is not affiliated with the party whose ballot the voter is requesting.

If you do cast a provisional ballot, you have until noon 10 days after the election, (May 16^th) to present the needed documentation or a proper form of photo ID.

9.      If you would like to file a grievance about your polling place’s accessibility or report possible fraudulent election activities please call the Hoosier Voter Hotline at 1-866-IN-1-VOTE (866-461-8683)If you would like to check your voter registration or the location of your polling place, please visit www.IndianaVoters.com or call the Hoosier Voter Hotline at 1-866-IN-1-VOTE (866-461-8683)