LETTER: State must do more for voters

Amid this terrifying pandemic, let us not lose sight of the importance of voting this year, and the peril that democracy rests in. We must secure a healthy democracy—one that is not counterfeit—while we are beating the coronavirus.

Gov. Holcomb and the Indiana Election Commission pertinently took action to move the upcoming primary election from May 5 to June 2.

Considering the current prescription for social distancing, Gov. Holcomb and the IEC should make additional changes to Indiana’s voting rules to protect the health of voters and democracy.

Currently, Hoosiers must request via USPS a vote-by-mail absentee ballot from their local Election Boards by May 21. The Indiana voter registration deadline was extended to May 4. In some other states, citizens can register to vote the day of elections. To request a vote-by-mail ballot and to register to vote, please visit indianavoters.com.

Many Hoosiers do not have access to at-home printers to print absentee forms. Additionally, voters must reapply for an absentee ballot each election (for both the primary and November elections this year). Current COVID-19 projections do not anticipate safer conditions by November, and voting could be a super-spreader event. Why place additional voting burdens on Hoosiers during this pandemic?

Gov. Holcomb and the IEC must commit to the following actions:

◗ All Hoosier voters should be mailed, at state expense, an application for an absentee ballot.

◗ The deadline for absentee ballot applications should be moved to eight days before Election Day, May 25.

◗ All absentee ballots postmarked by Election Day should be counted. Currently, only ballots that are received by noon on Election Day will be counted.

◗ While vote by mail should be encouraged, there must be in-person voting options available on Election Day.

Join me by calling on Gov. Holcomb and the IEC to ensure that every Hoosier can vote in 2020. To submit comments to the IEC, please email elections@iec.in.gov.

Both government and the American people must start speaking of social citizenship as a priority. One of the most effective tools to begin doing this is with our votes.

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Hilary Andersen Carter