Hoosiers across the state are receiving unsolicited absentee ballot applications in the mail from the Indiana Democratic and Republican parties.
The political parties sending out absentee ballot applications isn’t new – it’s a common way for them to try to drive up voter turnout.
But it’s under a different spotlight this year because of the fierce debate over vote-by-mail. Democrats want it expanded to anyone who wants it – just like during the primary – because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Republicans steadfastly refuse to allow that; they argue the 2020 general election should be a “normal” one.
County clerks around Indiana have received confused phone calls from voters about the applications. But they are legitimate – and, if you qualify for vote-by-mail, you can use the application to request your ballot.
Join the conversation and sign up for the Indiana 2020 Two-Way. Text "elections" to 73224. Your comments and questions in response to our weekly text help us find the answers you need on COVID-19 and the 2020 election.
However, unlike the applications distributed by county clerks, the ones sent out by political parties often don’t go directly to your local election administrator; they typically go through the Indiana Election Division first, meaning it will take more time to get to where it needs to go.
If you want to request a vote-by-mail ballot more quickly, you can do so online at IndianaVoters.com.
Contact reporter Brandon at bsmith@ipbs.org or follow him on Twitter at @brandonjsmith5.
