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Unreturned Mail-In Ballots Likely Won't Arrive On Time If Mailed Now

Indiana's voter registration deadline is Monday, Oct. 5. Registered voters who qualify can apply for an absentee ballot until Oct. 22.
Indiana's voter registration deadline is Monday, Oct. 5. Registered voters who qualify can apply for an absentee ballot until Oct. 22.

About 100,000 vote-by-mail ballots still haven’t been returned to county election administrators with just days to go before they’re due.

More than 560,000 Hoosiers requested mail-in ballots for the November election – a record for Indiana. And more than 460,000 of those ballots were returned.

But if you’re still holding on to it, putting that ballot in the mail isn’t a good idea. Even the U.S. Post Office said it’s unlikely it will get to your county election administrator by noon on Election Day – the deadline for a mail-in ballot to be counted.

READ MORE:  Can I Vote By Mail? Here's What You Need To Know For Indiana's Elections

But you can return your ballot another way. Indiana law says you or a member of your household can return that mail-in ballot, in-person, to your county election administrator’s office.

And there’s another option – on Election Day, you can bring your mail-in ballot to your polling place, have it invalidated, and cast a new ballot in person.

Contact reporter Brandon at  bsmith@ipbs.org or follow him on Twitter at @brandonjsmith5.

Brandon J. Smith has previously worked as a reporter and anchor for KBIA Radio in Columbia, MO. Prior to that, he worked for WSPY Radio in Plano, IL as a show host, reporter, producer and anchor. His first job in radio was in another state capitol, in Jefferson City, as a reporter for three radio stations around Missouri. Brandon graduated from the University of Missouri-Columbia with a Bachelor of Journalism in 2010, with minors in political science and history. He was born and raised in Chicago.