ELKHART COUNTY, Ind. -- The Indiana Primary Election will be held on Tuesday, May 11, but the Elkhart County Election Board wants voters to remember about Elkhart County's absentee and early voting options.

Voters can vote absentee by mail, if qualified.

Some of the reasons to vote absentee by mail are:

• Out of town on Election Day
  
• Confined to a residence or health care facility on Election Day
• Caring for a confined person on Election Day
• A voter with disabilities*
• A voter is at least 65 years old
• A voter who has official election duties
• A voter is scheduled to work when the polls are open on Election Day
• A voter who is a member of the military or is a public safety officer

*An absentee voter who is unable to mark their own ballot or sign the ballot security envelope MUST vote by travel board. Contact the Election Board for more information.

Election officials say you can get an application for an absentee ballot by mail by contacting the Election Board at (574) 535-6469.

The Election Board will ask for some information and mail the application to the voter for them to complete and return.

Voters can also use the simple and secure https://indianavoters.in.gov website to request an absentee by mail ballot.

"As a security measure, voters who wish to vote by mail are now required by state statute to include their complete Indiana Driver’s License or State ID number or the last four digits of their Social Security Number," election officials say. "This is located in Section 3 of the Absentee by Mail application."

The deadline for the Election Board to receive an Absentee by Mail application is Thursday, April 25, by 11:59 p.m.

Applications are accepted by mail, by fax to (574) 535-6471, by email to [email protected], or by hand-delivery to the Election Board, 101 N. Main, Room 204, Goshen.

No-excuse in-person early voting will begin on Tuesday, April 9, 2024, at 8 a.m.

Times, dates, and locations are as follows:

• Tuesday, April 9th thru Friday, April 12th – 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. – Goshen & Elkhart Only*
• Monday, April 15th – 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. – Goshen & Elkhart Only*
• Tuesday, April 16th thru Friday, April 19th – 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. – Goshen & Elkhart Only*
• Monday, April 22nd – 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. – Goshen & Elkhart Only*
• Tuesday, April 23rd thru Friday, April 26th – 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. – Goshen & Elkhart Only*
• Saturday, April 27th – 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. – Goshen, Elkhart, Middlebury & Nappanee Only*
• Monday, April 29th – 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. – Goshen & Elkhart Only*
• Tuesday, April 30th thru Friday, May 3rd – 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. – Goshen & Elkhart Only*
• Saturday, May 4th – 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. – Goshen, Elkhart, Middlebury & Nappanee Only*
• Monday, May 6th – 8 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. (Noon) – Goshen & Elkhart Only*
  

The early voting locations are as follows:

• Goshen – First Presbyterian Church – E. Lincoln Ave. – Use the N. 5th St. Public Parking Lot
• Elkhart – Elkhart County Health Department Lincoln Center – 608 Oakland Ave.
• Middlebury – Middlebury Church of the Brethren – 507 Bristol Ave.
• Nappanee – First Brethren – 1600 N. Main St.

In a couple of weeks, the Election Board will also be mailing a post-card to every residential address in Elkhart County with details about early in-person voting and the Election Day Vote Centers.

Voters can view the candidates that will be on their ballot by providing basic information at https://indianavoters.in.gov. The Election Board can also mail a sample ballot to a voter upon request. Please call (574) 535-6469 during office hours (8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Mondays, and 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Tuesday through Friday.)

All Hoosier voters are strongly encouraged to make sure their voter registration information is accurate and up to date, ensuring their voice will be heard on Election Day. Questions may be directed to the Elkhart County Voter Registration Office at 535-6775, 535-6774, the County Clerk’s Office at 535-6469, or the Hoosier Voter Hotline at 866-IN-1-VOTE.

If you would like to check your voter registration, the easiest way to do that is to visit https://indianavoters.in.gov, and click on the “Check Voting Status” button. Follow the online prompts to check your voter registration.

This website is also the easiest way for a voter to update their voter registration or submit a new voter registration.

Remember, the Elkhart County Election Board and Voter Registration are always available to assist voters. Please contact us if you have questions about registering to vote, voting absentee, or voting at one of our Vote Centers on Election Day.