PHOTO ID FACTS
Public Law 109-2005 requires Indiana voters to present photo identification before casting a ballot at the polls on Election Day, and before voting absentee in person.
Voters who are qualified to vote absentee by mail or by traveling board are not required to present a photo ID.
The law defines the characteristics of an ID valid for voting purposes. A valid ID must:
1) Display the voter's photo; 2) Display the voter's name, and the name must conform with the name on the voter registration record; 3) Contain an expiration date, and either be current, or have expired after November 4, 2008 (the date of the last General Election); and 4) Be issued by the State or the US Government.
In most cases, an Indiana Driver's License, Indiana State ID Card, US Passport, or Military ID will be sufficient.
If a voter does not possess one of these forms of ID, the law requires the BMV to issue an Indiana ID card free of charge as long as the voter presents sufficient documentation. Documentation requirements are outlined at http://www.photoid.in.gov or http://www.bmv.in.gov
There are exemptions for voters who cannot afford the costs associated with obtaining a free ID; for voters with a religious objection to being photographed; and for voters who are residents of state-licensed facilities that serve as their polling place. NOTE: In Elkhart County, only two (2) locations qualify for this exemption, Eastlake Terrace and Greencroft.
If a voter is unable or unwilling to present photo ID on election day, the voter may cast a provisional ballot. The voter will then have 10 days after the election to go to the Circuit Court Clerk's Office, 101 N. Main St., in Goshen and either present the required photo ID or affirm that one of the exemptions applies by completing an affidavit. If the voter does not provide a photo ID or complete the affidavit after the election, the provisional ballot cannot be counted.