News Releases

Ford: Absentee Voting Bill Passes Committee

STATEHOUSE (Jan. 9, 2018) — A bill allowing qualified voters to vote by absentee ballot recently passed out of the Senate Committee on Elections by a vote of 6-0, said State Sen. Jon Ford (R-Terre Haute).

Senate Bill 250, authored by Ford, permits a voter who is qualified to vote in person to vote by absentee ballot. The bill also removes all other qualifications for a voter to vote by absentee ballot, except for a voter who is unable to make a voting mark on the ballot or sign the absentee ballot secrecy envelope.

Current Indiana law allows absentee voting with a written excuse. According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, 27 states and the District of Columbia permit any qualified voter to vote absentee without offering an excuse.

“Allowing citizens to vote by absentee ballot will help increase voter participation,” Ford said. “I’m glad to work with State Sen. Frank Mrvan on this issue, making it a bipartisan effort.”

The bill now heads to the full Senate for further consideration.

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For a high-resolution photo of Sen. Ford, click here.

Contact: Lauren Beatty, Press Secretary
lauren.beatty@iga.in.gov
317-234-9221