Requirements to Register to Vote:

• Must be both a U.S. citizen and a resident of Indiana; and

• A person can be 17 and vote in the May 5th Primary Election, if they will be 18 on or before November 3rd General Election Day; and

• May not currently be incarcerated after being sentenced (awaiting trial or sentencing, felony record, or on parole are OK).

• Voters must be registered at least 29 days before an Election Day. The deadline to register is Monday, October 5th, 2026.

You can register to vote, check your registration, update your address, see your sample ballot, voting locations and hours all at the state's website IndianaVoters.com. Do not select "Voter with Print Disabilities", unless you have a significant vision disability.

You can register at a BMV. You can register with FSSA when applying for benefits. You can register by paper and take it or mail it to your local election board office. The English and Spanish forms with instructions can be found below. Indiana does not require party affiliation. You may leave that box blank.

Some of the most common circumstances that are asked about.

Almost 18: If the individual will be 18 on or before Election Day, they can register to vote while they're still 17. They can even vote in the Primary Election this spring.

Felony record: Yes, felons CAN vote in Indiana. This is a state by state decision. A person cannot vote while incarcerated if they have been sentenced, but they are eligible to vote once they are released. Individuals who are in jail awaiting trial are also eligible to vote. 

College students: College students can register to vote and cast their vote at their campus address or home address, whichever is most accessible.

Experiencing homelessness or lack permanent housing: When registering to vote, individuals should provide an address where they can receive mail, or identify the nearest cross-street of where they are living on the paper voter registration form. 

Transgender: Your gender identity does not impact your right to vote. Your presented gender and gender listed on your ID doesn’t matter. Only your name must conform (be similar to) on both your ID and your voter registration.

Disabled: There are various voting accommodations available for disabled voters, including special print ballots, handicap-accessible parking, and permission to bring a friend or family member into the ballot box to assist, and in-home voting. A person who has guardianship over them does not give up their constitutional right to vote. 

Overseas, military, or ex-pat: Citizens still have the right to vote even if they aren't physically present. They will complete a special ballot for voting. 

To vote in-person you must have your ID with you. If you forget it OR are turned away for another reason, request a provisional ballot. If you cast a provisional ballot, you have until noon, ten (10) days after the election to follow up with the county election board and either provide the necessary documentation or complete an affidavit available in the clerk’s office to affirm an exemption applies to you.

Your ID has four requirements. It must: 1. Display your photo

2. Display your name, and the name must conform to your voter registration record. Conform does not mean identical. Below are examples of names that would conform to "Robert John Crew"

• Robert John Crew

• Robert J. Crew

• Robert Crew

• R. John Crew

• R. J. Crew

• Bob John Crew

• Bob J. Crew

• Bob Crew

• John Crew

• J. Crew
  

3. Display an expiration date and either be current or have expired sometime after the date of the last General Election (November 5, 2024)

NOTE: An ID issued by the US Department of Defense, a branch of the uniformed services, the Merchant Marine, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (or Veterans Administration), the Indiana National Guard, or a Native American Indian tribe or band recognized by the United States government is not required to have an expiration date, or may state that the document has an "Indefinite" expiration date.

4. Be issued by the State of Indiana or the U.S. government.

In most cases, an Indiana driver's license, Indiana photo ID card, Military ID, or U.S. Passport is sufficient.

NOTE: Effective July 1, 2025, a document issued by an educational institution may not be used as “proof of identification” for this purpose

Public Law 109-2005 requires the BMV to issue an Indiana State ID Card for free.

Temporary ID or license given to you at the BMV is an acceptable ID for voting in Indiana.

Real/Non-SecureID license or ID is an acceptable ID for voting in Indiana.

The SAVE Act, as of April 2026, has not passed and is not law.

Language of the proposed bill can still be changed. The SAVE Act would require potential voters to register in person. This would be a significant barrier to those who are elderly, impoverished, or disabled. Current language also requires that any name change be fully documented and proven in-person at the election board. This could be adoption, divorce, and/or marriage documentation for each change of name. VoteRiders has more detailed information along with action steps and resources.