Indiana absentee and mail ballot guide
Absentee ballots and mail ballots are the same thing, and the process for getting one is straight forward.
- Request your ballot by the deadline
- Receive your in ballot in the mail
- Return your ballot by the deadline
- Earliest day to apply: Available as soon as voter registration is open
- Request deadline (online): 12 days before Election Day
- Request deadline (by mail): Received by 12 days before Election Day
- Request deadline (in person): 12 days before Election Day
- Deadline to return your ballot (by mail): Received by Election Day
- Deadline to return your ballot (in person): Received by Election Day
You can vote using an absentee ballot in Indiana if:
- You will be absent from your county on Election Day
- you have a disability
- you are at least 65 years old
- you are prevented from voting due to the unavailability of transportation to the polls,
- 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 12 hours that the polls are open
- Visit the Indiana absentee ballot website.
- Fill out all of the required information.
- Hit save or submit when you are done.
- The deadline to apply online is 12 days before Election Day.
- Download the Indiana absentee ballot application.
- Fill out all of the required fields.
- Print the application.
- Sign and date your application. This is very important.
- Mail or hand-deliver your completed application directly to your local election office as soon as possible, but no later than the deadline.
- If it’s close to the deadline, call your local election office and see if they will let you submit your application via email or fax.
- Your application must be received by 12 days before Election Day.
- Visit your local election office.
- Ask the clerk to give you an absentee ballot application.
- Fill out all of the required fields.
- Sign and date your application.
- The deadline to apply in person is 12 days before Election Day.
- Carefully read and follow the instructions, and fill out all required fields.
- Sign and date the outside envelope.
- Mail or hand-deliver your ballot to your local election office.
- If you mail your ballot, it must be received by Election Day.
- If you hand-deliver your ballot, it must be received by Election Day.
- If you miss the deadline – or forget to sign the outside envelope – your vote will not be counted.
- ID required when requesting a mail-in ballot:
The signature on your absentee ballot application will be compared to the signature on your voter registration card to ensure they match.
- ID required when returning a mail-in ballot:
You are not required to submit ID with your voted by-mail ballot unless you are a first-time voter and did not provide proof of residence with your by-mail ballot request. In this case, acceptable forms of ID can be a state-issued ID where the address matches their registration, or a bank statement, utility bill, etc.
Track your ballot here: Indiana absentee ballot tracker
Ballot curing is the process of resolving any problems with your absentee or mail ballot to ensure that your vote is counted. After tracking your ballot, contact your local election office to fix any issues that have been noted.
- Your ballot will be rejected if you forget to sign it or if your signature does not match the one on file for you.
- You have 8 days to fix a signature issue with your ballot in order for it to be counted.
Some states have special procedures that allow you to obtain an emergency ballot if a medical or other emergency occurs after the standard absentee ballot application window.
Emergency Ballot Rules
You can apply for an emergency absentee ballot if you are hospitalized, injured, or there is a local disaster, within the 11 days before Election Day. The local election board will determine your eligibilty, and will then mail the ballot or personally deliver it to you. Your voteed ballot must be received by 6PM Election Day.
Dates & Deadlines
- Emergency ballot request ends Election Day
- Emergency ballot return deadline is 6PM Election Day
Contact your local election office
Local election office
Contact your local election office if you have questions.
Statewide election office
This is the statewide agency that is ultimately responsible for Indiana elections. You can contact them with questions, but your local election office will probably respond faster.
Election Division Office of the Secretary of State 302 West Washington Street, Room E‐204 Indianapolis, IN 46204‐2743