Tuesday, Nov. 8 is Election Day in Indiana and across the country. Here's what you need to know before heading to the polls.
The first thing to know is where your polling place is. Nearly two-thirds of Indiana counties use “vote centers.” That means you can vote in any polling place in that county. If you don’t live in a vote center county, you have to cast your ballot at one specific location. You can find all that information online at IndianaVoters.com.
The polls are open from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. local time – meaning the Eastern time zone for most of Indiana and the Central time zone for some.
Once you’re at your polling place, you need an ID to vote. Generally, a driver’s license or state ID card is your best bet. Whatever the ID, it must be issued by the state or federal government. It must have your name and your photo. And it must be current or have expired some time after the date of the last general election – in this case, Nov, 3, 2020. Military IDs work, as do some student IDs from Indiana public institutions.
READ MORE: Hotline available for Hoosier voters on Election Day
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If you don't have an ID when you go to vote, you can still cast a ballot. It's called a "provisional ballot." It allows you to vote on Election Day. And for your vote to count, you must follow up with your county election board by noon, 10 days after Election Day and provide the necessary identification.
Hoosiers who have any questions or challenges about voting can call a nonpartisan hotline, 866-OUR-VOTE.
There are also hotlines available for non-English speakers.
- 888-VE-Y-VOTA (888-839-8682) – Spanish
- 844-YALLA-US (844-925-5287) – Arabic
- 888-API-VOTE (888-274-8683) – Bengali, Cantonese, Hindi, Korean, Mandarin, Tagalog, Urdu and Vietnamese
CORRECTION: A previous version of this story said the ID card used to vote must not be expired. That was incorrect. The ID card must be current or have expired some time after the date of the last general election – in this case, Nov. 3, 2020.
Contact reporter Brandon at bsmith@ipbs.org or follow him on Twitter at @brandonjsmith5.