INDIANAPOLIS — The Indiana Election Commission approved an order Friday to confirm changes and offer procedural guidelines to those managing Indiana’s upcoming primary election, which has been delayed until June 2 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The bipartisan commission discussed the order in the second meeting to be held over a Zoom virtual conference since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and ensuing shutdowns. But the latest event was more emblematic of the challenges of hosting public meetings online.
Faced with a jarring disruption at the start of the meeting, in which a member of the public uploaded a pornographic video, Republican Co-Chair Paul Okeson and his team progressed through the meeting agenda in fewer than 30 minutes.
The four-person commission approved the order in a unanimous vote. It includes a confirmation that Indiana’s primary election will be held on June 2 and provides guidance to county election boards on how to protect those administering elections, such as by providing poll sites with personal protective equipment (PPE).
The order also includes new guidance on absentee voting, confirming that absentee ballot applications with errors can be returned to voters to be corrected so they can still vote without visiting the polls. It also permits county election boards to count absentee ballots at more than one location, so long as the number of sites does not exceed one per every 50,000 active voters on May 4. Counties with fewer than 50,000 active voters can create a maximum of three sites for counting absentee ballots in an effort to promote social distancing.
Democratic Vice Chairman Anthony Long and Suzannah Wilson Overholt, also a Democrat, introduced six amendments to the order after it was approved that would have expanded alternative voting.
Among the amendments included an extension of the deadline for absentee vote applications, including one provision that would ask county election boards to count any absentee ballot received by 6 p.m. on the day of the election. Under current rules, the ballots must be received by noon on election day.
A separate amendment would have offered voters the opportunity to vote without leaving their cars. Another called on the Indiana Secretary of State to either mail ballots to voters or postcards advertising the opportunity for absentee voting. On Thursday at Gov. Eric Holcomb’s press briefing, Secretary of State Connie Lawson said mailing ballots to all voters is too expensive.
Okeson said the amendments came as a surprise to him, citing the long negotiation period between the two parties to reach agreement the order passed Friday.
“We came to some agreement and passed an order that did not contain the information that you’re proposing in those amendments, which, forgive me, seems a bit disingenuous,” Okeson said.
The bipartisan commission reached the order after extensive negotiation and research, Okeson and Long agreed. But Long said the amendments should still be considered to ensure ongoing discussions might be had about how to protect voting rights during the COVID-19 crisis.
“The issue in my mind, in any event — and I’m not saying this exclusively to me or to my party — has been the public safety of the voters and the public safety and health assurance of the people that are going to have to conduct the election,” Long said. “This is such a critical issue because most of the poll workers…are older people that are in a higher-risk category such as I am.”
The commission did not consider the amendments after a party-line vote.
Indiana Democratic Party Chairman John Zody, who worked with the commission to develop the order authorized Friday, said in a statement his party will continue to seek bipartisan solutions. But he also said the amendments should have been considered.
“I am disappointed these were voted down by the Republicans on the commission — but look forward to continuing the discussion on why vote-by-mail is the safest option at next week’s April 22 hearing,” Zody said. “Indiana had the largest one-day increase of COVID-19 cases announced yesterday, and we must keep options on the table to expand voting rights and protect the public health of Hoosiers.”
