Indiana § 3-11-4-6 - Absent uniformed services voters, overseas voters, address confidentiality voters, and voters with print disabilities; transmission of applications and ballots

§ 3-11-4-6. Absent uniformed services voters, overseas voters, address confidentiality voters, and voters with print disabilities; transmission of applications and ballots

Sec. 6. (a) This section applies, notwithstanding any other provision of this title, to absentee ballot applications for the following:

(1) An absent uniformed services voter.

(2) An address confidentiality program participant (as defined in IC 5-26.5-1-6).

(3) An overseas voter.

(4) A voter with print disabilities.

(b) A county election board shall make blank absentee ballot applications available for persons covered by this section. Except as provided in section 3(f) of this chapter, a person may apply for an absentee ballot at any time after the registration period resumes under IC 3-7-13-10.

(c) A person covered by this section may apply for an absentee ballot for the next scheduled primary, general, or special election by filing either of the following:

(1) A combined absentee registration form and absentee ballot request approved under 52 U.S.C. 20301(b)(2).

(2) A form prescribed under IC 3-5-4-8 that identifies the applicant as an absent uniformed services voter, an overseas voter, or a voter with print disabilities. A form prescribed under this subdivision must permit the applicant to designate whether the applicant wishes to receive the absentee ballot by electronic mail, fax, or United States mail.

(d) If the county election board receives an absentee ballot application from a person described by subsection (c), the circuit court clerk shall mail to the person, free of postage as provided by 39 U.S.C. 3406, all ballots for the election immediately upon receipt of the ballots under section 15 of this chapter, unless the person has indicated under subsection (c) that the person wishes to receive the absentee ballot by electronic mail or fax.

(e) Whenever a voter files an application for an absentee ballot and indicates on the application that the voter is an absent uniformed services voter, an overseas voter, or a voter with print disabilities, the application is an adequate application for an absentee ballot for an election conducted during the period that ends on December 31 following the date the application is filed, unless an absentee ballot mailed to the voter at the address set forth in the application is returned to the county election board during that period as undeliverable. The circuit court clerk and county election board shall process this application and send general election absentee ballots to the voter in the same manner as other general election and special election absentee ballot applications and ballots are processed and sent under this chapter. If a voter entitled to receive an absentee ballot under this subsection subsequently files a voter registration application for a change of address within the same county or for a change of name or other information set forth in the voter's registration record, the previously approved absentee ballot application remains effective for the same period, unless the acknowledgment notice sent to the voter at that address is returned by the United States Postal Service due to an unknown or insufficient address in accordance with IC 3-7-33-5. If a voter entitled to receive an absentee ballot under this subsection subsequently files a voter registration application for an address that is not located in the same county, the voter must file a new absentee ballot application under this section with the appropriate county election board.

(f) Whenever a voter described in subsection (a)(2) files an application for a primary election absentee ballot and indicates on the application that the voter is an address confidentiality program participant, the application is an adequate application for a general election absentee ballot under this chapter and an absentee ballot for a special election conducted during the period that ends on December 31 following the date the application is filed. The circuit court clerk and county election board shall process this application and send general election and special election absentee ballots to the voter in the same manner as other general election and special election absentee ballot applications and ballots are processed and sent under this chapter.

(g) The name, address, telephone number, and any other identifying information relating to a program participant (as defined in IC 5-26.5-1-6) in the address confidentiality program, as contained in a voting registration record, is declared confidential for purposes of IC 5-14-3-4(a)(1). The county voter registration office may not disclose for public inspection or copying a name, an address, a telephone number, or any other information described in this subsection, as contained in a voting registration record, except as follows:

(1) To a law enforcement agency, upon request.

(2) As directed by a court order.

(h) The county election board shall by fax or electronic mail transmit an absentee ballot to and receive an absentee ballot from an absent uniformed services voter, an overseas voter, or a voter with print disabilities by electronic mail or fax at the request of the voter indicated in the application filed under this section. If the voter wants to submit absentee ballots by fax or electronic mail, the voter must separately sign and date a statement submitted with the electronic mail or the fax transmission that states substantively the following: "I understand that by faxing or e-mailing my voted ballot I am voluntarily waiving my right to a secret ballot.".

(i) The county election board shall send confirmation to a voter described in subsection (h) that the voter's absentee ballot has been received as follows:

(1) If the voter provides a fax number to which a confirmation may be sent, the county election board shall send the confirmation to the voter at the fax number provided by the voter.

(2) If the voter provides an electronic mail address to which a confirmation may be sent, the county election board shall send the confirmation to the voter at the electronic mail address provided by the voter.

(3) If:

(A) the voter does not provide a fax number or an electronic mail address; or

(B) the number or address provided does not permit the board to send the confirmation not later than the end of the first business day after the board receives the voter's absentee ballot;

the county election board shall send the confirmation by United States mail.

The county election board shall send the confirmation required by this subsection not later than the end of the first business day after the county election board receives the voter's absentee ballot.

(j) Upon approval of the voter's absentee ballot application, a county election board shall transmit an absentee ballot to an absent uniformed services voter or an overseas voter by electronic mail under a program authorized and administered by the Federal Voting Assistance Program of the United States Department of Defense or directly to the voter at the voter's electronic mail address, if requested to do so by the voter. A voter described by this section may transmit the voted absentee ballot to a county election board by electronic mail. If a voter described in this section transmits the voted absentee ballot through the United States Department of Defense program, the ballot must be transmitted in accordance with the procedures established under that program. An electronic mail message transmitting a voted absentee ballot under this subsection must include a digital image of the voter's signature on the statement required under subsection (h).

(k) The secretary of state, with the approval of the election division, shall develop a system that complies with the Web Content Guidelines.

[Pre-1986 Recodification Citation: 3-1-22-3 part.]

As added by P.L.5-1986, SEC.7. Amended by P.L.6-1986, SEC.17; P.L.14-1987, SEC.3; P.L.10-1989, SEC.8; P.L.7-1990, SEC.43; P.L.8-1992, SEC.20; P.L.3-1997, SEC.274; P.L.273-2001, SEC.1; P.L.126-2002, SEC.51; P.L.1-2003, SEC.4; P.L.209-2003, SEC.113; P.L.198-2005, SEC.2; P.L.66-2010, SEC.14; P.L.225-2011, SEC.55; P.L.219-2013, SEC.36; P.L.128-2015, SEC.158; P.L.201-2017, SEC.28; P.L.109-2021, SEC.22; P.L.227-2023, SEC.76; P.L.153-2024, SEC.12.