Everything you need to know about Election Day

Although early voting has increased in popularity over the years, the majority of Hoosiers still cast their ballots on Election Day. And today is that day.

So, the Indiana Capital Chronicle is here to break down all you need to know: from where to vote and what to bring to who is on the ballot.

First off, 4,711,642 Hoosiers are registered. For the month prior to the voter registration deadline in early April, 2024 saw a more than 20% increase from 2022, state election officials said.

The Secretary of State’s office conducted a statewide voter outreach campaign including schools, fairs, festivals, sporting events, and parades. There were also registration promotions on television, radio, and digital media platforms.

“As a grassroots statewide elected official, I’ve been so passionate about our outreach and community engagement efforts as we’ve crisscrossed all 92 counties of the state for a second year in a row at a record pace. We are so encouraged to see more eligible Hoosiers registered to vote.  This is proof of our hard work.  Now it’s time to get out to the polls and vote,” Secretary of State Diego Morales said.

Turnout

Of course, turnout is more of a problem than getting Hoosiers to register. In the 2022 primary, only 14% showed up to the polls. Of those, about 73% of the ballots were cast on Election Day.

For the 2020 primary — a presidential year, like now — turnout hit 24% statewide. During that year’s primary, many more Hoosiers were allowed to use mail-in voting due to COVID-19, which meant 51% of the votes were cast absentee, either by mail or early in person.

Morales has also tried to assure Hoosiers about the integrity of Indiana elections. He recently sent packets to state legislators that included a hefty spiral bound report assessing Indiana’s laws and system.

It came with a whistle and lanyard that says, “Blow the Whistle on Election Interference.”

Where to go

In some counties, you vote at a specific polling location matching your precinct. To find a polling location, go to indianavoters.in.gov and click “find your polling location” box. Search using your voter registration information or by county or precinct.

In 63 counties, residents can vote at any vote center location in the county instead of a designated neighborhood polling place.

Polls open at 6 a.m. and close at 6 p.m. — tied with two other states for the earliest end time in the nation.

You must present a government-issued photo ID to cast a ballot. The ID must have a photo; include your name generally matching your voter registration; include an expiration date and be issued by the state or federal government.

In most cases, an Indiana driver’s license, Indiana photo ID card, Military ID or U.S. Passport is sufficient. A student ID from an Indiana State school may only be used if it meets all the criteria. A student ID from a private institution may not be used for voting purposes.

If you forget your ID, you can still vote via a provisional ballot. You then have until noon 10 days after the election to follow up with the county election board and either provide the necessary documentation or affirm one of the law’s exemptions applies to you.

Avoid bringing any election paraphernalia with you, like signs or shirts supporting a specific candidate. Those aren’t allowed in the voting areas.

The races

Now that you’re ready, you have a lot of choices this primary day. A lot.

The top race is president. President Joe Biden is uncontested on the Democrat ballot. Nikki Haley and Donald Trump top the Republican ballot even though she dropped out of the race weeks ago.

Next up is U.S. Senate: Democrats have a challenge between Marc Carmichael and Valerie McCray while U.S. Rep. Jim Banks is unopposed on the Republican ballot. Learn about this race here.

The GOP race for governor is a doozy. Six candidates means someone with just 17% of the vote can win.

The hopefuls are U.S. Sen. Mike Braun, former Secretary of Commerce Brad Chambers, Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch, former Indiana Economic Development Corp. (IEDC) leader Eric Doden, former Attorney General Curtis Hill and conservative activist Jamie Reitenour.

Indiana Capital Chronicle profiled each candidate and relevant stories can be found on our Election 2024 page.

On the U.S. House side, there are a stunning 63 candidates running for nine House seats. Three of those seats are open because incumbents decided not to run again. Those are Districts 3, 6 and 8. Don’t be overwhelmed by the choices — just take your time. We laid out the candidates in this preview piece.

Next comes 125 state House and Senate seats. But only 41 are contested. Learn more about the Senate contests and House races.

And don’t leave before weighing in on several important county races and convention delegates.