Know Your Rights: Voting in Indiana

You have the right to vote in Indiana if:

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

• You will be at least 18 years of age on or before November 5, 2024;

• You are not currently in prison after being convicted of a crime;

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

• You are registered to vote.

There are a lot of misconceptions about who can and cannot vote in Indiana. Let’s be clear — you can vote in Indiana if you: 

• Have been previously incarcerated 
• Are transgender 
• Are in college 
• Have a disability 
• Are a recently naturalized citizen 

Not sure if you can vote? Learn more.

October 7, 2024: Deadline to register to vote or update your registration for the 2024 election.

October 8, 2024: First day of early voting in-person.

October 24, 2024: Application deadline for voting absentee by mail. Mail-in ballots must be received by 6:00 p.m. on Election Day.

November 5, 2024: Election Day! Polls will be open 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., local time.

REGISTER OR CHECK STATUS 

Any voter is eligible to vote early by casting an in-person absentee ballot. Early voting begins October 8 and ends November 4. Visit IndianaVoters.in.gov or contact your County Election Board for information on early voting locations and times. 

Eligible Hoosiers can apply for a mail-in ballot by October 24. Absentee ballots must be received by your County Clerk’s office by 6 p.m. on Election Day. Learn more.

Hoosier voters must present a photo ID in order to vote. Accepted photo identification is as follows: 

• State of Indiana identification with the voter’s name, photograph, and an expiration date that is current or expired after the most recent general election (November 8, 2022)
• U.S. government identification that meets the above criteria 
• Student ID from a public institution in Indiana that meets the above criteria 
• Military ID (need not include an expiration date) 

Voters may also submit an application for a free photo ID at the Bureau of Motor Vehicles. The Secretary of State provides further information.

Your rights 

• If the polls close while you’re still in line, stay in line – you have the right to vote. 
• If you make a mistake on your ballot, ask for a new one. 
• If the machines are down at your polling place, ask for a paper ballot. 
• If you run into any problems or have questions on Election Day, call the Election Protection Hotline: 
  • English: 1-866-OUR-VOTE / 1-866-687-8683 
  • Spanish: 1-888-VE-Y-VOTA / 1-888-839-8682 
  • Arabic: 1-844-YALLA-US / 1-844-925-5287 
  • For Bengali, Cantonese, Hindi, Urdu, Korean, Mandarin, Tagalog, or Vietnamese: 1-888-274-8683 

The ACLU is strongly committed to protecting everyone’s right to make their political opinions known. But it is important you know the exceptions when it comes to the polls. 

Indiana laws prohibit campaigning within 50 feet of the polling entrance. That also means passive political speech such as wearing political clothing, pins, or stickers. Voting officials can deny the right to vote to anyone wearing clothing or paraphernalia supporting a candidate or issue on the ballot. 

It was found in Burson v. Freeman, that “some restricted zone is necessary in order to serve the States’ compelling interests in preventing voter intimidation and election fraud.”  

While some issue related clothing can still be worn at the polls, unless you know for sure, we suggest that you be prepared to cover up or remove such clothing. Though you may be permitted to vote, you also risk being turned away. In an election that has been described by many as the most important in our lifetime, we suggest that pragmatism carry the day. 

Your rights 

• Voters are entitled to a provisional ballot, even if they aren’t in the poll book. 
• After Election Day, election officials must investigate whether you are qualified to vote and registered. If you are qualified and registered, they will count your provisional ballot. 

What to do 

• Ask the poll worker to double check for your name on the list of registered voters. Make sure to spell your name out for the poll worker. 
• If your name is not on the list, ask if there is a supplemental list of voters. 
• If the poll worker still cannot find your name, confirm that you are at the correct polling place 
• If the poll worker still cannot find your name or if you cannot travel to the correct polling place, ask for a provisional ballot. 

Additional information 

• If you are turned away or denied a provisional ballot, call the Election Protection Hotline at 1-866-OUR-VOTE or 1-888-VE-Y-VOTA (en Español). 
• Report your experience to local election officials.

Your rights 

• Each polling place in the state of Indiana must have at least one accessible voting machine and each location must be physically accessible.  
• If you have a disability (permanent or temporary) and need assistance to vote, you can request assistance before entering the voting booth. Voters that require assistance may designate a relative or friend to assist them at the polling place, or receive assistance from a certified poll worker. 
• Poll workers must make reasonable accommodations as needed to help you vote. 
• Election officials must provide you with help if it’s possible for them to do so. 
• A voter with a mental disability cannot be turned away from the polls because a poll worker thinks they are not ‘qualified’ to vote. 

What to do 

• You can bring a family member, friend, or another person of your choice to assist you at the polls. Do not bring your employer, or an agent of your employer or union. 
• If you bring a person to assist you, let the poll workers know that when you check in. They may ask you to swear under oath that you have a disability and that you have asked that person to help you. Your helper may also be required to sign a form swearing that they did not tell you how to vote. 
• If there are long lines and you have a disability that makes it difficult for you to stand in line, tell a poll worker. 
• Tell election officials what you need. 

Additional information 

• Voters with disabilities have the same right to a private and independent ballot as everyone else. If you face any challenges in voting privately and independently or are unable to cast your vote, report the problem to the Election Protection hotline at 1-866-OUR-VOTE. If you have a complaint about your polling place's accessibility limitations, you can call the Hoosier Voter Hotline to report the issue at 866-IN1-VOTE (866-461-8683). 
• If you are uncomfortable receiving assistance at the polls, you may request an absentee ballot from your local county clerk's office. 

Your rights 

• Under federal law, voters who have difficulty reading or writing English may receive in-person assistance at the polls from the person of their choice.  

What to do 

• You can bring a family member, friend, or other person of your choice to assist you at the polls. This person cannot be the voter’s employer, an agent of the voter’s employer, or an agent or officer of the voter’s union. 
• If you live in a county that’s required to provide bilingual voting assistance for a language you speak, you can request oral assistance from a bilingual poll worker and ask for voting materials, such as a ballot, in that language. 
• If you have trouble voting due to lack of English fluency, call one of these hotlines: 
  • Spanish: 1-888-VE-Y-VOTA / 1-888-839-8682 
  • Arabic: 1-844-YALLA-US / 1-844-925-5287 
  • English: 1-866-OUR-VOTE / 1-866-687-8683. 
  • Bengali, Cantonese, Hindi, Urdu, Korean, Mandarin, Tagalog, Vietnamese): 1-888-API-VOTE / 1-888-274-8683 

Your rights 

• It’s illegal to intimidate voters and a federal crime to “intimidate, threaten, [or] coerce … any other person for the purpose of interfering with the right of [that] other person to vote or to vote as he may choose.” 

Examples of voter intimidation 

• Aggressively questioning voters about their citizenship, criminal record, or other qualifications to vote. 
• Falsely representing oneself as an elections official. 
• Displaying false or misleading signs about voter fraud and related criminal penalties. 
• Other forms of harassment, particularly harassment targeting non-English speakers and voters of color. 
• Spreading false information about voter requirements. 
  • You do not need to speak English to vote.
  • You do not need to pass a test to vote. 

What to do if you experience voter intimidation 

• Report intimidation to the Election Protection Hotline at 1-866-OUR-VOTE or 1-888-VE-Y-VOTA (en Español). 
• Report intimidation to your local election officials. Their offices will be open on Election Day. 

For help at the polls, call the non-partisan Election Protection Hotline at 1-866-OUR-VOTE (Spanish: 1-888-839-8682), or text MYVOTE to 866-687-8683.