WISH-TV | wishtv.com
Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb said Wednesday he has no plans to expand mail-in absentee voting, despite concerns about the coronavirus.
Current state law says Hoosiers who want to vote by mail must have an excuse for not voting in person. Those reasons include disability, being out of town, work duties, lack of transportation and age.
Gov. Holcomb says he has seen no evidence that anyone contracted the coronavirus as a result of in-person voting during Indiana’s June 2 primary. (Photo provided)
At a videoconference briefing Wednesday, Gov. Eric Holcomb said he believes polling sites were safe during Indiana’s primary election in June, and in-person voting did not contribute to the spread of COVID-19.
“Voting sites all had PPE (personal protective equipment),” Holcomb said. “They were all able to conduct safe elections. I don’t know of a single case. I’ve asked this question 10 times, 10 different ways of 10 different people, if they knew of one case where someone got COVID-19 while voting at one of our sites on Election Day, and the answer has been ‘no’ to date.”
Holcomb added that Indiana’s attorney general is reviewing if it would be legal to expand mail-in voting. He expects that decision in September.
To vote absentee in Indiana, Hoosiers must fill out paperwork to request a ballot by Oct. 22. Click here to request to vote absentee.