Election Day is less than a month away, but an important deadline to make your vote count is just two days away. If you are not registered to vote, you have until Tuesday, Oct. 11, to do so.
If you haven’t registered to vote, there are several ways you can do so. If you have internet access, the easiest way to register is to go to indianavoters.in.gov. This website of the Indiana Secretary of State also allows you to check your voter registration status, find your voting location, apply for an absentee ballot and more. You will need an Indiana driver’s license or another form of state-issued identification to register to vote.
Generally speaking, eligible Indiana voters are those who are US citizens and residents of Indiana who will be 18 years of age or older before the Nov. 8 election and are not in prison after being convicted of a crime. You can also see the full eligibility requirements at indianavoters.in.gov.
If you’d prefer to register to vote in person, you may do so by visiting the Bartholomew County Voter Registration Office on the first floor of the Courthouse in Columbus before the close of business on Oct. 11.
A third option is to register by mail by completing a voter registration form and mailing it, postmarked by midnight Oct. 11, to 234 Washington St., P.O. Box 924, Columbus, IN 47201.
For our part, The Republic has published and will continue to publish articles on candidates’ positions on the issues. We believe getting the candidates’ views directly from them and providing them to the public is one of the most important services we provide the community. While we do not officially endorse candidates for elected office, we do endorse voter participation to the fullest extent possible.
Sadly, over recent years, Indiana has had notoriously poor voter participation in comparison to other states. The Indiana Civic Health Index has ranked our state 46th, 43rd, 41st and 47th in the nation in voter turnout over the last four general elections. And that weak turnout is for years when a presidential race is on the ballot.
The reasons for Indiana’s voter apathy are open to debate, but we believe that only through greater public participation in our elections do we get government on the local, state and federal level that truly reflects the desires of our community.
There is reason to hope that the tide will turn this year and more people will register to vote and then exercise that fundamental right.
First, there are more contested races on the ballot than there have been in recent years.
Second, the issues are energizing voters on issues from abortion to government spending to election integrity and so much more.
Third, numerous efforts have been underway in recent years to boost voter turnout, from the efforts of organizations such as The Indiana Citizen to what feels like a greater mobilization of grassroots volunteers who power every campaign.
Will all of these factors together increase voter turnout? Will any of them matter? We shall see.
In the end, it’s up to you. Register, and vote.
