The basement of the Johnson County courthouse is bustling as election officials, county clerk’s office employees and volunteers prepare for the upcoming presidential election.
Freshly printed ballots are being stuffed into envelopes for absentee voters, while more and more applications for mail-in ballots and new voter registrations continue to pour in daily.
Residents have until Oct. 5 to register to vote in the upcoming general election Nov. 3. There are 10 contested local, state and national races on Johnson County ballots, including for U.S. president and Indiana governor. Additionally, there are 14 school board seats up for grabs in the county’s six public school districts.
Voter registration
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A total of 108,337 Johnson County residents are registered to vote, according to Johnson County Clerk’s Office data. This is up slightly from 107,546 who were registered in the 2016 general election, data shows.
Based on 2018 Census Bureau data, more than 120,000 Johnson County residents are 18 or older, meaning that about 11,800 eligible voters are not registered.
The clerk’s office is constantly updating voter rolls, as residents die, celebrate birthdays or move, said Trena McLaughlin, county clerk.
With every new registration submitted, county employees add to or update records. With every new death record, they remove voters, but retain their registration record in the office for four years, McLaughlin said.
Those who need to update their registration or register for the first time have until Oct. 5. There are several ways to do so: online at indianavoters.com, in-person at the clerk’s office or a local Bureau of Motor Vehicles branch, or by mail.
The clerk’s office will notify voters that their registration has been updated by mailing a postcard. If a newly registered voter intends to vote early, they should wait until they receive that postcard in the mail to be sure their registration has been updated, McLaughlin said.
Voters should not worry about their registration being canceled this year, as all major evaluations of inactive voters do not take place during presidential election years, she said.
A statewide effort to clean up voter rolls took place in 2019, and postcards were mailed to all registered voters by the Indiana Secretary of State’s Office.
Voters who had moved were marked inactive if no action was taken to update their registration, according to the secretary of state’s office. However, anyone who cast a ballot in this year’s primary, or last year’s general election, has an active registration and will be clear to vote in the upcoming general election, the secretary of state’s office said.
Voters should not worry about having their registration canceled without notice, McLaughlin said. Before registrations are removed from the voter rolls, at least two paper notices are sent to voters, allowing them time to take action, she said.
Absentee ballots
As of Friday, the clerk’s office had received nearly 8,000 applications to vote by mail, and applications continue to pour in daily, McLaughlin said.
Voters who meet specific criteria set by state law may request an absentee ballot.
Absentee ballot requests must be submitted to the clerk’s office by 11:59 p.m. Oct. 22 to vote by mail in the Nov. 3 election. Completed mail-in ballots can be turned in up until noon on Election Day.
The first batch of absentee ballots are being prepared to send out Sept. 18, with more to be sent out as requests are submitted, McLaughlin said.
The clerk’s office this week received many questions about a state GOP mailer that was sent to voters in Johnson County and around the state. It contains an unsolicited absentee ballot application.
Voters may send the completed application to the clerk’s office or drop it off in person. However, voters do not need to take any action if they have already submitted an application, McLaughlin said.
Voters who still need an application may apply online or in person at Johnson County Voter Registration, in the basement of the courthouse.
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Here is a look at ways you can register to vote:
Online at indianavoters.com
In person at the Johnson County Voter Registration in the basement of the Johnson County courthouse, 5 E. Jefferson St, Franklin
Any Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles branches
Information needed to register:
Name
Birth date
Address
State identification card number
Requirements to register:
Have a valid Indiana driver’s license or Indiana state identification card.
Be a citizen of the United States.
Be at least 18 years old on or before the next election.
Have lived in your precinct for at least 30 days before the next election.
Not currently imprisoned after being convicted of a crime.
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Here is a look at ways you can request an absentee ballot:
Apply online at indianavoters.com by clicking “check voting status” then “vote by mail.”
Fill out an application in person at the clerk’s office.
Print a form online at indianavoters.com and mail it to the clerk’s office.
Print, sign, and scan or photograph an absentee ballot application and send it to the Indiana Election Division at [email protected].
Acceptable reasons to vote by mail:
You have a specific, reasonable expectation that you will be absent from the county on Election Day during the entire 12 hours that the polls are open (6 a.m. to 6 p.m.).
You have a disability.
You are at least 65 years of age.
You will have official election duties outside of your voting precinct.
You are scheduled to work at your regular place of employment during the entire 12 hours that the polls are open.
You will be confined due to illness or injury or you will be caring for an individual confined due to illness or injury during the entire 12 hours that the polls are open.
You are prevented from voting because of a religious discipline or religious holiday during the entire 12 hours that the polls are open.
You are a participant in the state’s address confidentiality program.
You are a member of the military or a public safety officer.
You are a "serious sex offender" as defined in Indiana Code 35-42-4-14(a).
You are prevented from voting due to the unavailability of transportation to the polls.
Sources: Office of Indiana Secretary of State and indianavoters.com
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