Last week, the Indiana General Assembly passed HB 1334. Introduced by Rep. Timothy Wesco, this legislation addresses security concerns with absentee voting and builds on widely popular existing laws to further bolster Indiana’s election integrity efforts.
Specifically, HB 1334 bans government officials from mailing unsolicited absentee ballot applications to voters. It also increases ballot security by requesting that a voter provide an identification number on their absentee application. Additionally, the bill creates procedures that clerks must follow so voters have an equal opportunity to fix a clerical error.
“In recent elections, activists and government agencies have spread confusion and distrust with haphazard distribution of absentee ballot applications,” said Katie Rodgers, Vice President of Outreach and Government Affairs at the Foundation for Government Accountability (FGA). “With this legislation, Indiana is being proactive and establishing clear, commonsense guidelines for this process. It will serve Hoosiers greatly in future elections.”
