By Sheryl Swingley—
MUNCIE, IN—Thursday, Oct. 17, is the first day a citizen who cares for a confined person at a private residence can vote an absentee ballot. The patient who is a citizen with a disability may also vote with an absentee ballot at the same time.
Under these circumstances, voters for confined people need to call their county’s voter registration office and arrange for a member of the Absentee Voter Board to come to the voter’s residence or place of confinement to administer the absentee ballot. The phone number for the Delaware County’s Voter Registration Office is 765-747-7812.
Absentee ballots can be secured until 11:59 p.m. Oct. 24, according to Indiana election law.
If caregivers or patients are not registered to vote, they may go to VOTE411.org and register to vote.
The deadline to register to vote is 11:59 p.m. Monday, Oct. 7.
Other ways citizens can register to vote are by going to the voter registration office in respective counties Monday through Friday. Hours are usually 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Delaware County’s Voter Registration Office is in the Delaware County Building, 100 W. Main St., Room 104. Finally, citizens can register at their local branch of the Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles.
To be eligible to vote a resident must:
–Be a citizen of the United States.
–Have a valid government ID, which are Indiana driver’s license; Indiana state identification, which can be obtained at the Bureau of Motor Vehicles; state university or college student ID; U.S. military ID.
–Be at least 18 years old on the day of the next election. (which is Nov. 5)
–Have lived in a precinct for at least 30 days before the next election; this does not apply to military voters.
–Not currently incarcerated after being convicted of a crime.
The League of Women Voters is a nonpartisan, grassroots, public policy and educational organization. It encourages informed and active participation in government. It influences public policy through education and advocacy. It does not support or oppose any political party or candidate.
The League of Women Voters Education Fund and local leagues work to register and provide voters with election information through the election resources of VOTE411.org and candidate forums.
People of all different governing beliefs are eligible to join local chapters of the League of Women Voters. No invitation is needed. To join the Muncie-Delaware County League, go to this site.
Sheryl Swingley is a retired Ball State University journalism instructor where she taught for more than 28 years. Prior to joining the Ball State faculty, she was a health care public relations practitioner.
