Primary Election Day is Tuesday

INDIANAPOLIS — This year, Indiana voters return to the polls to elect nine U.S. Representatives, one U.S. Senator, as well as hundreds of state and local lawmakers.

Primary Election Day is Tuesday, May 3. The general election is scheduled for Tuesday, Nov. 8.

Below is information you need to know in order to make your vote count.

Voter registration

If you want to vote in the primary election and are not yet registered to vote in Indiana, the deadline is Monday, April 4.

You have until 11:59 p.m. if you register to vote using the online application.

The deadline to hand deliver an application to or apply in person at your county election office is close of business on Monday.

The deadline to hand deliver an application to the Indiana Election Division at the Secretary of State's office is also April 4 by 5 p.m.

You can apply in person at the BMV branch if you are completing certain transactions, like getting a driver's license, permit or identification card.

You can also mail in a paper application. The envelope must be postmarked by April 4 but may arrive at the voter registration office after that date.

You will find the voter registration application along with details about who can vote in Indiana on the state's Voter Registration page. Note that some military and overseas voters have different registration dates.

Early voting

Indiana allows early, in-person voting for all registered voters for 28 days before the election.

Early voting for the 2022 primary is available from April 5 through May 2 at noon.

All counties must provide Saturday times for voting the last two Saturdays of April — April 23 and 30.

Early voting hours and locations vary by county. Click here to find your county clerk or election office for specifics.

You do not need to sign up ahead of time to vote early, and you do not need to provide a specific reason why you are voting early.

To vote, you will need to show an ID that meets the following requirements:

1. Displays your photo
2. Displays the voter's name, which much match the voter registration record
3. Displays an expiration date and either be current or have expired some time after the date of the last general election (Nov. 3, 2020)
4. Be issued by the State of Indiana or the U.S. government

Absentee voting by mail

The deadline to apply to vote absentee by mail is Thursday, April 21 at 11:59 p.m"

Applications may be submitted online, hand-delivered, faxed, mailed or emailed.

If you send an application by mail, it must reach the election office by April 21. Even if an application is postmarked before that date but does not reach the office by that date, it will not be processed.

Once you have been approved to vote absentee by mail, you will receive a ballot in the mail, along with an addressed envelope. You can then fill out the ballot and mail it back or return it in person. Your county election board must receive the ballot by 6 p.m. on election day, May 3, in order for your vote to count.

To apply online for absentee voting by mail, go to the state's voter portal and click "Visit My Voter Portal."

To print the application and submit it another way, go to the state's voter portal and scroll down to the Absentee Ballot Forms section.

You can print the application from that portal in order to mail or hand-deliver it. Addresses are listed on the back of the application form.

You can also call the Indiana Election Division at 317-232-3939 to request an application be mailed to you.

You can email your completed application to the county official or the state election office at elections@iec.in.gov.

In order to vote absentee by mail, you must be able to personally mark your ballot and sign your name. However, a voter with disabilities may request that another person sign their name.

You also need to declare one of the following specific reasons why you will not be able to vote on election day:

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 a.m. until 6 p.m.).
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.

Additional details and information about absentee voting by mail can be found online through the Indiana Election Division.

Absentee voting by travel board

April 14 is the first day to request a traveling board to visit your location.

Applications must be submitted by May 2 at noon.

Appointments may be limited, so you are encouraged to apply early if this is your best option.

The traveling board is available to people who meet one of these qualifications:

1. You expect to be confined, due to illness or injury, or you expect to be caring for a confined person at a private residence, on Election Day.
2. You are a voter with disabilities and believe your polling place is not accessible to you.
3. You are physically unable to complete the ballot and sign the affidavit on your own.

To apply, go the state's voter portal and scroll down to the Traveling Board section for the application.

To apply online for absentee voting by mail, go to the state's voter portal and click "Visit My Voter Portal."

To print the application and submit it another way, go to the state's voter portal and scroll down to the Traveling Board section.

You can print the application from that portal in order to mail or hand deliver it. Addresses are listed on the back of the application form.

You can also call the Indiana Election Division at 317-232-3939 to request an application be mailed to you.

You can email your completed application to the county official or the state election office at elections@iec.in.gov.

Voting on Election Day

Polls will be open on Tuesday, May 3 from 6 a.m. until 6 p.m. local time. If you are in line by 6 p.m., you will be permitted to vote.

To find the locations where you can vote, go to indianavoters.in.gov. Then click on "Voting Location."

Many counties no longer require you to go a specific precinct location and instead allow you to select from any of the voting centers in the county.

Who and what are you voting for?

To see a sample of what your ballot will look like, you can check with your county clerk's office.

You may also find that information at indianavoters.in.gov. Click the "Who's on the Ballot" option.

Every ballot for the primary in Indiana will have an option to vote for a U.S. Senate seat and for a U.S. Representative seat. Many will have options to vote for state senate and house seats.

Most ballot will also have races for county positions, like prosecutor, sheriff and assessor, and for more local races like township boards.

Many ballots will also have options for precinct committeeman and convention delegate.

Some ballots may also include referendums, also called public questions, where voters will need to vote "yes" or "no." These typically involve questions about spending tax money for things like construction projects or school improvements.

To see a list of public questions that will be on ballots for the May 3 primary, click here.

In the general election, Indiana voters will also vote for Secretary of State, Treasurer and Auditor. Those offices do not appear on the primary ballot because the political parties nominate the candidates for those offices.