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Marion County absentee ballots to be mailed Friday

13News talked with Marion County Clerk Kate Sweeney Bell about the process that goes into mailing Indianapolis residents their absentee ballots.

INDIANAPOLIS — The Marion County Board of Elections is preparing to get absentee ballots in the mail to voters Friday.  

Marion County Clerk Kate Sweeney Bell said thousands of ballots will hit mailboxes next week.

"The last check that I did, 10,700 ballots will be mailed, perhaps even more on Friday," said Sweeney Bell.

Bell said staff are making sure those ballots stay safe and secure.

"Bipartisan teams go through with every ballot that we print to make sure there are two initials on it and if there aren't, if somebody missed one, it will kick it out. So a voter will not get a ballot without the second set of initials," said Sweeney Bell.

There's even a barcode on each envelope.

Credit: WTHR
Marion County Clerk Kate Sweeney Bell talks with 13News about absentee ballots, Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2024 in Indianapolis.

"That allows us to track it through the post office. So if somebody asked for a ballot and it got approved and it was mailed out and they've been waiting for a week and a half, they can call us and we can track it down for them," said Sweeney Bell.

Sweeney Bell said staff can track what mail carrier's route the ballot traveled, the day and time.

RELATED: Make your voice heard with the 13News election survey

Staff will monitor each ballot with a tracking system.

"If their ballot is damaged or lost, we keep track of this, no one gets two bites of the apple, you only get to vote once. We've got processes in place that would cancel that out," said Sweeney Bell.

Just another layer of safety to keep every ballot properly accounted for.

Credit: WTHR
Absentee ballots ready to be mailed out to voters, Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2024 in Indianapolis.

Sweeney Bell said to make sure you don't forget the little things.

"We encourage anyone who has moved or changed their name to confirm their voter registration," she said.

Voter registration closes on Oct. 7 and early voting opens Oct. 8.

Sweeney Bell told 13News there will also be 186 voting centers available.

If you're unsure if you are registered to vote, click here to find out.

RELATED: Purdue proposes early voting center on campus after outcry

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