Tag: election

Election Day Information 2020

Posted on by Jamie

The 2020 General Election is on November 3rd! Do you have your voting plan in place? Now is the time to make sure that you have all the needed documentation, find your polling location and hours, and if needed, apply for a mail-in ballot. Here’s some helpful information to help you with your voting plan! You can also check out the resources at https://www.findlaw.com/voting/indiana-voting-guide.html

Voting Rights

The Constitution of the United States of America says that you have the right to take part in civic life.

  1. If you are registered to vote in Indiana, you have the right to vote in this election.
  2. You have the right to vote by yourself or with help and you can select who you want to assist you.
  3. Even if you have a conservator, you may vote unless a court specifically said you cannot.
  4. You have the right to vote the way you want.
  5. You have the right to get help if someone tries to stop you from voting.
  6. You have the right to be shown how to make your choices on your ballot.
  7. If you are waiting in line when the poll closes, you must be allowed to vote.

Dearborn County Polling Locations

Polling locations in Dearborn County will be open from 6 AM until 6 PM on Election Day. Registered voters may vote at any one of these ten locations. Locations will have all voter information and ballots for the entire county. Every polling location will have 4-6 sign-in lines and an average of 14 machines to vote on.

Dillsboro Civic Center

9824 Central Avenue

Dillsboro, IN 47018

First Baptist Church of Aurora

6060 Blair Dr.

Aurora, IN 47001

Agner Hall

145 Speedway Dr.

Lawrenceburg, IN 47025

Tanner Valley Methodist Church

19235 State Route One

Lawrenceburg, IN 47025

Willie’s in HVL

19325 Schmarr Dr.

Lawrenceburg, IN 47025

Dearborn Hills United Methodist Church

25365 Stateline Rd.

Lawrenceburg, IN 47025

St. John Catholic Church

25743 State Route One

Guilford, IN 47022

St. Martin Catholic Church

8044 Yorkridge Rd.

Guilford, IN 47022

Manchester Firehouse

7893 State Route 48

Aurora, IN 47001

Moores Hill Senior Center

16610 N. Broadway St.

Moores Hill, IN 47032

Accessibility at the Polls

  1. The site should have clearly marked, accessible parking.
  2. If the main entrance is not accessible, there must be a clearly marked accessible entrance.
  3. One must be able to enter the site without difficulty.
  4. The path from the entrance to the voting area should be level and clear of obstacles.
  5. At least one voting machine should be accessible to people with disabilities.
  6. Accommodations should be available to allow individuals with blindness or low vision to cast their vote privately.
  7. Wheelchair users or individuals who cannot stand for long periods of time should be accommodated to be allowed to sit while voting.
  8. If assistance is needed to vote, one must be allowed to designate a person to assist, provided that person is not your employer or union representative.

What to Bring to the Polls

Indiana law requires residents to present a government-issued photo identification before casting a ballot at the polls on Election Day. Your photo identification must meet all of the following four criteria to be acceptable for voting purposes:

  1. Display your photo; AND
  2. Display your name, and the name must conform to your voter registration record; AND
  3. Display an expiration date and either be current or have expired sometime after the date of the last General Election; AND
  4. 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.

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 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.

New Voting Machines

Dearborn County has purchased new voting machines and adopted a new way of voting on election day. Voting will be done electronically on these new machines. You can visit the Dearborn County Elections page for instructional videos on the new machines.

Absentee Voting

Can’t make it the polls on November 3rd? No problem! Indiana has three methods of absentee voting available to its residents: in-person early voting, absentee voting by mail, and absentee voting by travel board. You can learn more about absentee voting and how to apply here.

 

 

Indiana Absentee Ballot 2020

Posted on by Jamie

The General Election is coming up! If you can’t make it to the polls on November 3rd, you can vote absentee in one of three ways.

In-Person Absentee Voting

State law requires counties to make in-person absentee voting available for 28-days before the election, ending at noon (local prevailing time), the date before the election. In addition, all Indiana counties must make in-person absentee voting available the two Saturdays immediately before the election. County officials will have applications or electronic Poll Books at early voting locations so there is no need to file an ABS-In Person application before your visit.

Dearborn County Early Voting Locations & Hours

Bright Fire House

Open Saturday, October 24th from 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM

Dillsboro Civic Center

Open Saturday, October 24th from 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM

Dearborn County Clerk’s Office Administration Building

Open Tuesday, October 6th through Friday, October 30th from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM

and Saturday, October 24th from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM

and Monday, November 2nd from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM

Absentee Voting by Mail

Qualifications

To vote absentee-by-mail in Indiana, a voter must be able to personally mark their own ballot and sign their name to the completed ballot security envelope and have a reason to request an absentee vote-by-mail ballot:

  1. You have a specific, reasonable expectation that you will be absent from the county on Election Day during the entire 12 hours that the polls are open (6 am until 6 pm).
  2. You have a disability.
  3. You are at least 65 years of age.
  4. You will have official election duties outside of your voting precinct.
  5. You are scheduled to work at your regular place of employment during the entire 12 hours that the polls are open.
  6. You will be confined due to illness or injury or you will be caring for an individual confined due to illness or injury during the entire 12 hours that the polls are open.
  7. You are prevented from voting because of a religious discipline or religious holiday during the entire 12 hours that the polls are open.
  8. You are a participant in the state’s address confidentiality program.
  9. You are a member of the military or a public safety officer.
  10. You are a “serious sex offender” as defined in Indiana Code 35-42-4-14(a).
  11. You are prevented from voting due to the unavailability of transportation to the polls.

How to Apply for a Vote-by-Mail Ballot

To vote absentee by mail, a voter must first complete an ABS-Mail application before each election. The application to request a vote-by-mail ballot must be received not later than 11:59 PM on October 22, 2020 for the November election. The county or the state must have the application in their possession by this deadline; any application received after this deadline – even if it’s postmarked before the deadline – cannot be processed.

To get the ABS-Mail application, voters can:

  1. Download and print the form
  2. Call their county election official or the Indiana Election Division at (317) 232-3939 for an application to be mailed
  3. Visit their county election office or election division to pick-up an application in-person

Voters can turn in their application:

  1. Online at indianavoters.com by logging in to their “my voter portal page” by entering the requested information exactly as it appears on their voter registration record. When on the main landing page, the voter selects the “ABS-Mail” option and enters the information as prompted. After clicking “submit,” a confirmation screen appears that allows the voter to download and retain a copy for their records. There is no need to sign and return the online submission since the system applies the voter’s registration signature to the application on the back-end.
  2. By mail or hand-delivery. Physical addresses to the county election boards are found on the back of the ABS-Mail application. Please contact their office directly to determine office hours. Remember, if you take custody of another’s absentee ballot application, you are to deliver it to the election official not later than noon, ten (10) days after receiving it OR the application deadline, whichever comes first.
  3. By email. This requires the voter to print, sign, and scan or photograph their absentee ballot application and send it to the county official or the Indiana Election Division at elections@iec.in.gov.

A voter with disabilities may request that another person sign the voter’s name on their behalf on the application. The person providing the assistance may not be the voter’s employer or union representative and must complete the affidavit of assistance found on the application. If the assistor is the voter’s power of attorney (POA), the POA paperwork should be submitted with the application.

Returning your Absentee-By-Mail Ballot

If your application is reviewed and approved by bi-partisan county election officials, a ballot packet is mailed to you. This packet will include your ballot, the absentee voter bill of rights, and a first class postage pre-paid return security envelope.

The voter must be able to personally mark their own ballot but may have assistance with placing the ballot inside the envelope and sealing it. (Be sure the assistor completes the affidavit of assistance!) The voter should sign the ballot (or make their mark) on the signature line. A voter’s power of attorney (POA) may attest to the voter’s signature but is to enclose their POA with the ballot materials inside the security envelope and complete the affidavit found on the absentee return envelope.

County election officials must receive an absentee-by-mail ballot not later than noon (local prevailing time) on Election Day, November 3, 2020. County election officials must have possession of the ballot by this deadline; postmarks – even if dated on or before the date of the election – cannot be considered timely.

Finally, pursuant to state law, only the voter, the voter’s attorney-in-fact, a bonded courier, or a member of the voter’s immediate household may hand-deliver a completed absentee ballot to the county election board. Any person other than the voter doing so is to complete the ABS-19 affidavit.

Travel Board

Qualifications

Absentee voting by travel board is an option for some voters to have a bi-partisan team deliver the voter’s ballot and assist the person with completing their ballot during the 19-day period before the election. In order to vote absentee-by-traveling board, one of the following must apply:

  1. The voter expects to be confined, due to illness or injury, or the voter expects to be caring for a confined person at a private residence, on Election Day.
  2. The voter is a voter with disabilities and believes their polling place is not accessible to them.
  3. The voter is physically unable to complete the ballot and sign the affidavit on their own.

How to Apply to Vote by Travel Board

Voters voting by traveling board must complete an ABS-Traveling Board application before each election. The application to request a travel board must be received not later than noon (local prevailing time) on November 2, 2020.

To get the Travel Board application, voters can:

  1. Download and print the form
  2. Call their county election official or the Indiana Election Division at (317) 232-3939 for an application to be mailed
  3. Visit their county election office or election division to pick-up an application in -person

Voters can turn in their applications:

  1. Online at indianavoters.com by logging in to their “my voter portal page” by entering the requested information exactly as it appears on their voter registration record. When on the main landing page, the voter selects the “ABS-Traveling Board” option and enters the information as prompted. After clicking “submit,” a confirmation screen appears that allows the voter to download and retain a copy for their records. There is no need to sign and return the online submission since the system automatically applies the voter’s registration signature to the application.
  2. By mail or hand-delivery. Physical addresses for the county election boards are found on the back of the ABS-Mail application. Please contact their office directly to determine office hours. And remember, if you take custody of another’s absentee ballot application, you are to deliver it to the election official not later than noon, ten (10) days after receiving it OR the application deadline, whichever comes first.
  3. By email. This requires the voter to print, sign, and scan or photograph their absentee ballot application and send it to the county official or the Indiana Election Division at elections@indy.gov.

Please include a phone number or email address on the traveling board application! County officials must be able to contact the voter to schedule a mutually agreeable time for the bi-partisan team to deliver the ballot to the voter and provide assistance, when requested. Including a way to contact the individual in the most efficient manner is helpful to everyone.

 

Voter Registration 2020

Posted on by Jamie

The general election is coming up on November 3, 2020. Take the time today to register to vote, or to double check that your registration is up to date.

Do I Have the Right to Vote?

You have the right to vote in Indiana 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 on or before the next General or Municipal Election, 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.

How Do I Check if I’m Already Registered to Vote?

Check your voting status by:

  1. Visiting https://indianavoters.in.gov/
  2. Under “CHECK VOTING STATUS,” click on “Check Your Registration Record”
  3. Enter your first and last name and your birthday, and select your county from the drop down menu
  4. Click Submit
  5. If you are registered, you will be taken to your voter portal.
  6. If you are not registered, a pop up will appear saying “We could not find voter registration from the information you entered.” It will then give the option to register.

What’s a Voter Portal?

Your voter portal is your go to place for information on voting and upcoming elections. In your portal you can:

  1. Update your voter information if you’ve moved or changed your name
  2. Apply for an absentee ballot
  3. Check your polling location and hours
  4. See who is on your ballot

How Do I Register to Vote

There are three methods to register:

  1. Register online at http://www.indianavoters.com/ with a valid Indiana driver’s license or Indiana state-issued identification card on or before October 5, 2020
  2. Register by mail by completing this form and mailing it to the Dearborn County Election Clerk: 165 Mary Street Lawrenceburg, IN 47025 (forms must be postmarked on or before October 5, 2020)
  3. Register in person by returning the completed form to your county’s voter registration office or the Indiana Election Division on or before October 5, 2020

 

Once your voter registration application is received, your county voter registration office will process the application and determine your eligibility. If you are eligible, the county office will send you a voter registration acknowledgment card. Once you receive that card, you will be officially registered. If you are not eligible, or if the application was incomplete, you will receive a notice denying the application or requesting the missing information.

Over 4.5 million Indiana residents are registered to vote! Join them today!

All information taken from in.gov