For residents of states other than Indiana:
The National Mail Voter Registration Form
For Indiana residents:
Indiana Online Voter Registration
Indiana Voter Registration Application (printable)
Aplicacion de Registro de Votantes de Indiana (por imprimir)
Officially, there are only four legal requirements to be registered to vote in Indiana:
1. You must be a citizen of the United States.
2. You must be 18 years old on the day of the next general election in November.
3. You must live in your precinct for at least 30 days before the next election.
4. You are not currently in prison.
Actually, besides these 4 legal ones, there are 3 more requirements:
5. You must make the effort to fill out or be aided in filling out a registration form! (If you haven’t already)
6. To remain registered you must have voted in any Indiana election since 2006. (Otherwise you are likely to have been purged from the voter rolls)
7. You must keep your address and/or name changes current with Indiana Election Commission. (Otherwise you may have been purged from the voter rolls or have difficulties voting on election day)
You can check your current Indiana voter registration status by clicking this link (http://www.indianavoters.com/PublicSite/Public/FT1/PublicLookupMain.aspx?Link=Registration).
On this page you select your home county and enter your last name, first name, and date of birth and click the Find button. If you are currently registered your Name, Status as Registered, County, Township, and Precinct will be listed. Further information on the location of your Polling Place and the various Districts that your precinct is part of can be seen by clicking on the plus signs preceding those items.
If the Search Results state that your voter registration cannot be found either you are not registered or there is a problem with your registration. You should immediately call the County Voter Registration Office listed under the County Voter Registration Office Contact Information heading or the Indiana Election Division at 317-232-3939 or 800-622-4941. The problem could be as simple as a misspelling of the name or incorrect birthdate information. More than likely though you are no longer registered, or at least no longer correctly registered.
It is extremely important that you are registered at your current address and under your current name! Many people do not update their voter registration when they move or undergo a name change, which could possibly lead to your vote becoming invalidated after election day. Change of address and/or name can be performed on the same Indiana Voter Registration Application Form or Aplicacion de Registro de Votantes de Indiana that new Indiana voter registrants use.
Common Misconceptions about Indiana Voter Registration:
More detailed information can be learned from the 2010 Indiana Voter Registration Guidebook.
1. Felons cannot register to vote in Indiana. False! According to the law felons in Indiana are removed from the voter rolls only upon inprisonment, which is clearly defined as not while on probation, on parole, subject to home detention, or placed in a community corrections program. However, upon imprisonment their voter registration is revoked and not reinstated unless they make the effort to become registered again which they are eligible to do on the first day of their release!
The state of Indiana makes absolutely no effort at providing felons with this information during pre-release seminars and most simply assume that their voting rights are gone forever. This situation is common practice in many southern states but in most of the rest of the country, including Indiana, this is not the law. Therefore, in Indiana felons are automatically purged from the voter rolls at the beginning of their imprisonment but are legally eligible to register to vote immediately upon their release from prison.
2. College students attending school away from home must vote in their home state or precinct. False! According to Indiana law college students are allowed to register to vote at their address at their college or university without restriction and it is a violation of election law to challenge a voter’s registration based on enrollment in an educational institution or residence in housing for students of an educational institution. In effect, under Indiana law all college students attending school in Indiana or Indiana residents attending college in another state (assuming they are U. S. citizens and will be at least 18 on the day of the general election) have the open choice of registering to vote in Indiana and any challenge to their voting status (outside of proof of registering to vote and voting in two places during the same election) is a violation of election law. College students can claim either place, but not both, as their permanent residence for voting purposes.
3. You must be 18 years old to register to vote. False! You must be 18 years old in time for the November election in order to register, meaning that you may register to vote prior to actually being 18 years old. In fact, once you are registered you may vote in the May Primary elections while you are still 17 (except for the primary elections of school board members, state convention delegates, and precinct committemen).
4. Once you register to vote in Indiana for the first time you stay registered to vote forever. False! If you haven’t voted in the last two federal general elections (2006 and 2008) you are likely no longer registered to vote in Indiana. Incidentally, the purge of the voter rolls that makes this happen was recently completed in Marion County.
5. You have to state your party affiliation (if you have one) in order to register to vote in Indiana. False! The state of Indiana does not require registrants to declare a party affiliation, as many other states do. In fact, voters in Indiana have the ability to vote in whichever party’s primary election they choose.
6. Newly naturalized citizens are automatically registered to vote. False! Persons that have just become naturalized citizens are not automatically registered in any state, and must make the effort to become registered to vote once the naturalization process is completed if they ever intend to exercise their right to vote.
Guide to Registering to Vote in Indiana
If you wish to register to vote in Indiana or have your registration updated to reflect an address or name change the form can be found by clicking either of the following links:
Indiana Voter Registration Application Form (VRG-7)
En Espanol:
Aplicacion de Registro de Votantes de Indiana (VRG-7)
Either of these forms must be printed and then filled out and mailed or hand-delivered to either the address of the Indiana Election Board (listed on the form) or your County Voter Registration Office (listed below the form). The only times when voter registration in Indiana is not permitted is the 29-day period prior to a primary or general election.
The information listed at the top of this form explains how to fill it out, but can be summarized:
Box 1 is a series of checkboxes labeled New Registration, Address Change, and Name Change. The form asks you to check all boxes that apply to your current registration situation. At least one of the boxes should be checked.
Box 2 is for the current county in which you live.
The boxes to the right of Box 2 are for the County Election Board’s use only and are not to be filled in by the registrant.
Box 3 is for your gender and current name.
A recurring source of confusion is Boxes 4, 5, and 6.
Box 4 is for your current residence address.
Box 5 is for your mailing address if it is different than your current residence address, such as if you receive your mail at a Post Office box instead of at your current residence address. If you receive your mail at your current residence address Box 5 should be filled in with the word "Same".
Box 6 is for your Previous Voter Registration Address if you have been registered to vote previously at a different address. If this is not the case or if you are sure that you are no longer registered to vote, Box 6 may be left blank.
Box 7 is for your date of birth and must be provided.
Box 8 and Box 9 are optional but important.
Box 8 is for your phone number and Box 9 is for your email. While both of these boxes are optional, it is critical that one (or if possible both) are filled in so that the Election Board may contact you in case there is a problem with your registration.
Box 10 is to answer whether you are providing a copy of identification documentation with your form. This documentation can include a copy of a current and valid government-issued photo ID, current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck, or government document. Whichever document is chosen it must show the name and address of the registrant. If Box 10 is checked Yes, then this documentation should be stapled to the form. If Box 10 is checked No, then Box 13 must be filled out with either the registrant’s entire Indiana Driver’s License number or the last four digits of the registrant’s Social Security number. Therefore, providing identification documentation is optional as long as the appropriate information is provided in Box 13. If identification documentation is not attached and Box 13 is not filled out, the registration will be rejected.
Box 11 must be checked Yes in reference to being a citizen of the United States, or the registration will be rejected.
Box 12 must be checked Yes in reference to being at least 18 years old by the time of the next general or municipal election held in November (but very importantly not including the May primary election), or the registration will be rejected.
Box 13 must be filled out with the entire Indiana Driver’s License of the registrant or the last four digits of the Social Security number of the registrant if a copy of identification documentation has not been provided as explained concerning Box 10. If the registrant fills out Box 13 then Box 10 can be checked No. This may seem contradictory but that is how it works. Once again, if identification documentation is not attached and Box 13 is not filled out, the registration will be rejected.
Box 14 is for your previous name if you have been registered to vote in Indiana under a different name and if not should be left blank.
Box 15 is for drawing a map or diagram of the location of your residence only if your residence has no address, street number, or name. Otherwise it should be left blank.
Box 16 is for your signature and today’s date affirming that all of the information included on the form is correct, that you wish to be registered to vote, and is mandatory in order for the registration to be approved. Below the signature section is an optional section for the person who may have assisted the registrant in filling out the form to place their Name, Address, City/Town, and Telephone Number and is filled out if the registrant was assisted in registering due to disability.
Any assistance needed can be found by calling the Indiana Election Board at 317-232-3939 or toll free at 800-622-4941 from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday or the Marion County Election Board at 317-327-VOTE or 317-327-5100 from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
2010 Indiana Voter Registration Guidebook
