With Indiana’s primary election coming up on May 8, there are a few things voters should be aware of, including when and where to vote and what to bring. We’ve broken it down for you.
Who can vote:
Anyone who is a U.S. citizen, a resident of Indiana and at least 18 years of age can vote in the primary election, according to the Indiana Election Division website. A 17-year-old is also able to vote in the primary if they turn 18-year-old before the general election. A qualified voter cannot currently be in prison. He or she must also currently live in the precinct in which he or she is registered to vote.
In order to vote, a person must also be registered. The registration deadline for the primary elections was midnight April 9. If a voter is unsure if they are registered or not, he or she can visit indianavoters.in.gov to check voting status, learn about polling locations and see who’s on the ballot.
What to bring:
All voters must present a photo ID when they go to vote. A photo ID must meet four criteria to be acceptable, according to the Monroe County Elections website:
It must display your photo and a name that conforms to your voter registration. Conform does not necessarily mean identical. The Monroe County Elections website uses the name "Robert J. Crew" as an example. "Robert Crew" or "Bob J. Crew" would conform to the original name.
The ID must also display an expiration date that is sometime after the date of the last general election, which was November 8, 2016.
Lastly, it must be issued by the state of Indiana or the U.S. government.
Most Indiana driver licenses, Indiana photo ID cards, Military IDs or U.S. passports are sufficient. A student ID from an Indiana state school could also work if all four criteria are met. An IU student ID would be sufficient.
When can you vote:
Polling locations — places where voters can go to vote — are open in Indiana from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Where can you vote:
Where you can vote depends on where you are registered. To check your polling location, you should visit indianavoters.in.gov.
If you are registered in Monroe County, there are multiple polling locations throughout Bloomington. Sites range from Fairview Elementary School to the Indiana Memorial Union.
The Monroe County Election Board voted Feb. 1 to add a polling location at the IMU. Not all IU students can vote here, however. Only voters in Bloomington 5, 18, 19 and 23 precincts can vote at the IMU. Voters should double-check their location before going to vote.
How:
Voters who are registered in Monroe County and will be here May 8 can vote in person at their designated polling location. Voters who are registered in their hometown and will be there May 8 can also vote in person at their designated polling location.
Voters who are not able to vote in person, however, have a few other options.
They can apply online to vote absentee-by-mail. The deadline for a county office to receive the application is April 30. Voters then have until noon on May 7 for a circuit court clerk to receive an absentee ballot, according to the Indiana Election Division website.
Voters can fill out an absentee-by-mail application here.
To be eligible to vote absentee-by-mail, you must satisfy at least one of multiple reasons. One reason is having a specific, reasonable expectation to be absent from the county on Election Day, such as being away at college. Others include having a disability, being at least 65 years of age or having official election duties outside of your voting precinct.
If voters do not want to vote absentee-by-mail, they can also vote absentee-in-person, or take part in early voting. In Monroe County, voters can visit Monroe County Election Central at 401 W. Seventh Street, Suite 100, from now until May 7 to vote early. The office is open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
UNITED STATES SENATOR
Sen. Joe Donnelly, D-Indiana
Important issues include: Health care, employment and job creation by investing in infrastructure, and improving workforce development. Donnelly has also said he wants a comprehensive approach to dealing with the opioid epidemic.
Mike Braun (R)
Important issues include: Repealing the Affordable Care Act, building a wall on the U.S.’s southern border with Mexico, requiring every business to verify the immigration status of its workers and protecting the Second Amendment.
Rep. Luke Messer, R-6th District
Important issues include: Repealing the Affordable Care Act, building a wall on the U.S.’s southern border with Mexico, ending tax credits for undocumented immigrants and lowering tax rates and doubling the standard deduction for working families.
Rep. Todd Rokita, R-4th District
Important issues include: Repealing the Affordable Care Act, and opposing amnesty and sanctuary cities. Rokita also wants to deport criminals who immigrated illegally to the U.S., and said stronger gun regulations make citizens defenseless.
U.S. REPRESENTATIVE, 9TH DISTRICT
Rep. Trey Hollingsworth, R-9th District
Important issues include: Repealing the Affordable Care Act, which Hollingsworth has voted numerous times to do. He supports building a wall on the U.S.’s southern border with Mexico. Hollingsworth is also a proponent of enacting term limits for congressmen.
James Dean Alspach (R)
Important issues include: Alspach said he would support a universal health care plan and health care education on issues like HIV, heart disease and diabetes. He supports long-term treatments for the opioid epidemic, and said he thinks illegal immigrants might be fueling the opioid epidemic.
Dan Canon (D)
Important issues include: Supporting a single-payer health care system and the Medicare for All Act, advocating for a nationwide prescription drug monitoring program and increased availability for mental health services. Canon also supports comprehensive immigration reform which includes a path to citizenship for Temporary Protected Status immigrants and families.
Rob Chatlos (D)
Important issues include: Medicare for every citizen or documented person, a funding package covering everything from in- and out-patient treatment facilities, emergency services, needle exchange programs and naloxone distribution and an immediate audit of both the Department of Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement to identify abuses of power or inhumane actions.
Liz Watson (D)
Important issues include: Universal health care coverage — specifically the Medicare for All Act of 2017 — student loan repayment, the DREAM Act and a review of Immigration and Customs Enforcement. She also supports forgiveness for workers at addiction treatment facilities in an effort to recruit more health care professionals.
