On February 25 Indivisible NWI welcomed Barbara Tully from Indiana Vote by Mail. She gave an excellent and very informative presentation.
View the video of the event by clicking the link here.
We learned a lot about this important process that has led to a significant increase in voter turnout and a significant decrease in voter suppression in many states. In the 2020 general election, Indiana was one of only four states that did not increase opportunities for absentee voting by mail. Indiana’s turnout was lower than in most states in 2020, even though, as was true in the rest of the country, Indiana experienced increased voter turnout in the fall election. Lake County actually performed worse in 2020 than in 2016. Lake was 71st out of 92 counties in 2016 and 82nd out of 92 counties in turnout.
We also learned about the legislative process in Indiana and how and when to let our lawmakers know our opinions.
The presentation included a number of papers and websites about the myths of election fraud and mail in voting as well as groups that fight for election fairness and minimizing voting restrictions for everyone.
Important websites:
Combat misinformation about mail in voting and voter fraud. Many sites are included in the presentation. Three of the most important are from the Brennan Center for Justice: https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/truth-about, from the Heritage Foundation: https://heritage.org/voterfraud and dispelling the myths from The Fulcrum: https://thefulcrum.us/votingvote-at-home
30 ways states can increase voter confidence from the Center for Tech and Civic Life: https://www.techandciviclife.org/boosting-voter-trust/
What you can do:
Register to vote or check your registration status: https://indianavoters.in.gov Vote in every election. Local elections are important, too.
Get to know your county election officials–the county clerk, country director of elections and the county election board. Find out their positions on mail in ballots. In Lake County go to https://www.lakecountyin.org/portal/group/voters/page/default In Porter County, http://www.porterco.org/142/Clerks-Office and in LaPorte County, https://laporteco.in.gov/boards-commissions/election-board/. Attend your county election board meetings. Find out what your state representatives and senators think about mail in voting. Find yours here: http://iga.in.gov/legislative/find-legislators/ Use what you learn from this presentation, recommended reading and sites to dispel any misinformation and myths they may have surrounding mail in voting.
Subscribe to the newsletter from Indiana Vote by Mail: https://www.indianavotebymail.org
