Indiana’s primary election happens on May 7, and the deadline to register to vote in the primary is April 8. Here’s who can vote, how to check or update your registration and what your options are to register. 

Why voting in the primary election matters 

Only 12% of Indiana’s millions of registered voters turned in a vote in 2023’s primary, but voting in the primary matters – a lot. Candidates face other candidates within their own party during the primary. The winner then represents their party during the general election, where voters decide who is elected.

Marion County voters will only have a choice in five races in the primary. Two earlier candidates were removed from the ballot after they couldn’t prove they met an important requirement – that they had voted in the last two primary elections for the party they aimed to represent.

[Read how the free election day bus rides were almost taken away.]

Registering to vote is easy if you meet the eligibility requirements. I moved to Indiana in January and completed my voter registration in person in just a few minutes while renewing my license at the Bureau of Motor Vehicles. I received my voter registration card in the mail within four days.

Are you eligible to vote? Check these five requirements. 

1. You are both an Indiana and U.S. citizen.

Note: If you moved away from Indiana within the 30 days prior to the election, you can still vote in the precinct you previously lived in, one last time.

2. You’ll be at least 18 before the next election.
3. You aren’t in prison or jail after being convicted of a crime. (You can vote after being released).
4. You have lived in the precinct you’re registered in for at least 30 days, and
5. You are registered to vote. 

Are you currently registered to vote? Here’s how to find out.

1. Visit the Indiana state voters portal.  

Click on the blue box that says “Check Voting Status.”

2. Enter your information – exactly as it appeared on your voter registration record.

Don’t use initials or suffixes. Just fill in the fields for your first and last name, date of birth and the county you lived in at the time you registered. If you aren’t sure exactly what information you used at the time you registered, call the Marion County Election Board at 317-327-5100.

3. Verify or update your information

Toward the top right, you’ll see a blue button that says “Update Voter Info.” Enter your Indiana driver’s license number or Indiana state identification card number.

Three ways to register to vote

1. By mail: Download the English form here or the Spanish form here. Important: Only VRG-7 and VRG-11 forms, versions of the form approved since May 2020 or federal forms will be accepted. You’ll see “VRG-7,” or other labels, on the top right corner of the form. Mail your completed form to the Marion County Board of Voters Registration, City-County Building, 200 E. Washington St., Indianapolis IN 46204.  
2. In person. You can pick up paper forms at the Marion County Board of Voters Registration, branches of the Indianapolis/Marion County Public Library, branches of the Bureau of Motor Vehicles and Township trustee offices. In most (but not all) cases, you’ll have to mail the forms yourself.

Online: Visit Indiana’s online voter portal. Click “Register to Vote” (first blue button on the left).  Fill in your information – your name, address and either an Indiana driver’s license number or state identification card number – and submit it. You should receive your voter registration card within 30 days. If you don’t receive your card within 30 days, call the Marion County Election Board at 317-327-5100.

A correction was made on March 26, 2024: An earlier version of this article did not list the correct number of candidates removed from the ballot because their voting record in primary elections could not be verified. Two Indianapolis candidates were removed for that reason.

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