For a lot of people, Election Day is a regular busy day. There are a lot of reasons you might not be able to make it to the polls for the primary on May 5 — you’re working a full-time job, caring for someone who’s sick or observing a religious holiday. Or, you can’t find transportation.

That’s where absentee ballots come in. They’re meant to make voting accessible to everybody.

The deadline to request an absentee ballot for the primary election is April 23. The deadline to turn in your absentee ballot is 6 p.m. on Election Day, May 5.

How do I request an absentee ballot in Indiana?

There are three ways to make the request.

• You can apply online. Go to indianavoters.in.gov and select the “Vote by mail or traveling board” button, then fill out the application.
• You can download it, fill it out and email the completed application and a copy of your ID to elections@indy.gov or elections@iec.in.gov.
• You can print it out and mail the completed form with a copy of your ID to the Marion County Election Board’s service center at 3737 E. Washington St., Indianapolis, IN 46201. You can visit the service center in-person, too.

If your request is accepted, a secure envelope with a ballot is sent to your home.

When you receive your ballot, make sure your precinct is correct and there are two sets of initials, one from a Democratic clerk and one from a Republican clerk. You can find your precinct when you check your voter registration. If the ballot is incorrect or missing information, you can return it and request a new one.

Voters who are in the military or overseas, or who have a visual disability, can find forms here.

What are the 11 reasons you can request an absentee ballot?

You can find the official language for the reasons on section five of the request form. They are:

• You have a specific reason to be out of Marion County for all of Election Day, May 5.
• You have a disability.
• You are at least 65 years old.
• You are working as a poll worker or election official outside of your own voting precinct.
• You are scheduled to work at your regular job the whole time polls are open on Election Day.
• You are confined in your home because of illness or injury. Or, you are caring for someone else with an illness or injury.
• You are observing a religious holiday all day on Election Day.
• You’re part of the state’s address confidentiality program, which allows victims of crimes such as domestic abuse or stalking to keep their addresses private.
• You are in the military or you’re a public safety officer.
• You qualify as a “serious sex offender” according to the state’s definition.
• You can’t get to the polls because you don’t have transportation.

What forms of ID do I need to request an absentee ballot?

When you fill out the form to request an absentee ballot, you have to include a form of ID. And if you make a mistake on that form, it could cost you your vote.

IDs that work include an Indiana driver’s license, a passport or a military ID card. You can read more about IDs in our guide. You can include a photocopy of your ID in the envelope with your absentee ballot application.

If you don’t include an ID, you have to provide one or more of these numbers: your Indiana driver’s license number; Indiana ID card number; the last four digits of your Social Security number; or the unique voter ID number that’s been assigned to you in your voter registration record.

How to return your absentee ballot

Ballots must be received by 6 p.m. on Election Day, May 5. Mail it at least 14 days before the election so it can arrive in time. You can also take your ballot to any early voting site or vote center location. Ballots that are postmarked before Election Day but arrive after Election Day will not be counted.

If you can’t take the ballot in-person, you can have another person do it for you. That person has to be your attorney or a family member through birth, marriage or adoption, and they have to fill out this form.

For more details on absentee voting, check out Indy’s step-by-step guide.

Mirror Indy, a nonprofit newsroom, is funded through grants and donations from individuals, foundations and organizations.

Mirror Indy reporter Sophie Young covers services and resources. Contact her at sophie.young@mirrorindy.org.