Election preparations include forum, equipment test

Election staff and political parties are working to organize the May 5 primary election and to help the public gather more information about candidates.

Deadlines to update an outdated address, register to vote or to request an absentee ballot are coming up in April as well.

Candidate forum

About a month before voters can begin casting ballots, several Wayne County candidates are invited to participate in a regional forum.

Henry County Republican Club is planning a state legislative forum featuring candidates in contested and uncontested elections. It’s free and open to the public.

The forum begins at 7 p.m. Thursday, March 5, at Henry County Republican Headquarters, 1325 Broad St. in New Castle. That downtown building is along Indiana 38.

Indiana House of Representative District 56 candidates Adam Blanton, Randy Retter and Pete Zaleski have been invited, along with District 27 State Senate candidates Anthony Jones and Jeff Raatz.

Two incumbent state representative candidates in noncontested primaries have also been invited. They are J.D. Prescott, state representative for District 33 and Cory Criswell, state representative for District 54.

Equipment test

Wayne County’s voter registration office is conducting a public test of the automatic tabulating equipment that will be used to scan and count ballot votes in the election.

The test was to take place March 3 at Wayne County Courthouse after press time for WWN’s March 4 print edition.

Wayne County returned to using paper ballots a few years ago. When voters are finished filling in boxes with an ink pen, they take their ballot to a scanner that will read the information on both sides in seconds. The counted ballot is automatically deposited into a locked box.

A 1-minute video of how to use Wayne County’s Verity Scan equipment, which is shared on the county’s election website, can be viewed at youtube.com/watch?v=bzyG_ldamu4.

For more information about election equipment, call 765-973-9226.

Voter registration

Hoosiers wanting to check their voter registration status can do so anytime at indianavoters.com. After verifying their identity, voters can change outdated name or address information if needed, also available by visiting the voter registration office at Wayne County’s courthouse.

Here are key dates for Indiana voters planning to register or cast ballots this spring:

• April 6: Voter registration deadline, by 4:30 p.m. in person at the Wayne County courthouse, 301 E. Main St., Richmond, or 11:59 p.m. online at indianavoters.com. A 17-year-old may register and vote in the primary if they turn 18 by the November election. In-person voting begins April 7 at the courthouse.
• April 23: Deadline to apply for an absentee ballot by mail. Voters must complete an ABS-Mail application form and ensure it’s received by that date at their county voter registration office. Applications received after the deadline, even if it’s postmarked before that date, can’t be processed. Ballots can be requested by calling 765-973-9304, emailing voters@waynecounty.in.gov or downloading the form at indianavoters.in.gov/MVPHome/PrintDocuments.

To cast a ballot by mail, voters must meet one of 12 qualifications including factors like being 65 or older, having a disability, caring for a confined individual, working for the full 12 hours the polls are open or lack of transportation.

• May 4: By noon, the county clerk’s office must receive absentee ballot applications from confined voters or voters caring for a confined person requesting delivery of a ballot by an absentee voter board. Applications may be submitted by mail, fax, email, online at indianavoters.com or in person.