Indiana voting guide for homeless

You can vote in Indiana if you’re homeless.

Here is Mirror Indy’s guide on how to vote even if you don’t have a permanent address.

First, you need to register

The deadline to register for the 2026 general election is Oct. 5. The election is Nov. 3. Check out our voter registration guide for more details.

Think you might already be registered? You can go to Indiana’s voter portal and click “Check Voting Status.”

If you need to register, you can do it online, in person or by mail.

Online

Visit Indiana’s voter portal and click “Register to Vote.”

In person

You can pick up paper forms at the City-County Building, library branches, the Bureau of Motor Vehicles and township trustee offices. In most cases, you’ll have to mail the forms yourself.

By mail

Download the form (English or Spanish).

Complete and mail your form to:

Marion County Board of Voters Registration
City-County Building
200 E. Washington St.
Indianapolis, IN, 46204.

How to fill out the registration form

You don’t need a home to register to vote.

But you do need an address where you can get mail, as well as a description of where you live or sleep to serve as your home address.

Mailing address options

A shelter (even if you don’t currently live there)
A P.O. box
A friend or family member

Where you live

Use a description of where you live or sleep as your home address.

That can include:

A park
An intersection with cross streets
A location along a river or trail

This information is important because the races on your ballot change depending on where you live.

If you fill out the registration form online, use the intersections closest to where you live on the line marked “residence address.”

If you fill out the form in person, you also have the option to draw a map of where you live.

If you live at a shelter or other community place

Use that address as both your home and mailing address.

You also need a valid driver’s license or state ID

A valid ID must:

Show your photo.
Have your name, which must match the name on your voter registration (although it doesn’t have to be identical).
Have an expiration date. It can even be an expired ID, as long as the expiration date is after the last General Election (Nov. 5, 2024).
Be issued by the state or the U.S. government.

ID options include an Indiana driver’s license, a military ID, U.S. passport or Indiana photo ID.

If you don’t drive, or don’t have a photo ID, you can get a free ID at the Bureau of Motor Vehicles. Here’s a list of the documents you need to bring with you.

If you need help getting an ID, some homeless service providers might be able to help. But keep in mind that you might be required to become a client first.

Mirror Indy, a nonprofit newsroom, is funded through grants and donations from individuals, foundations and organizations. Sign up for our free newsletters.

Mirror Indy reporter Tyler Fenwick covers housing and labor. Contact him at 317-766-1406 or tyler.fenwick@mirrorindy.org. Follow him on X @ty_fenwick and Bluesky @tyfenwick.bsky.social.

You can vote in Indiana if you’re homeless. Here’s how.