As Hoosiers cast their ballots by mail or during early voting, Common Cause Indiana is urging voters who experience problems voting to call the national nonpartisan Election Protection hotline (866-OUR-VOTE) to report issues and get help from trained volunteers.

“Nothing should stand in the way of Indiana voters making their voice heard by voting,” said Julia Vaughn, policy director for Common Cause Indiana. “While we are expecting both increased voter confusion and historic turnout in this year’s election, it is important that every Indiana voter knows there are nonpartisan volunteers standing by on the 866-OUR-VOTE Election Protection hotline to answer their questions if they run into issues voting.”

Common Cause Indiana and Election Protection partners will have in-person or roving nonpartisan volunteers monitoring polling places in three counties on Election Day:  Monroe, Lake and Marion. Additionally, Common Cause volunteers across the country will be monitoring social media to track election-related disinformation and provide accurate content to voters.

Common Cause Indiana is encouraging media outlets and news editors to promote the 866-OUR-VOTE Election Protection hotline on their websites, broadcasts, and social media accounts as a nonpartisan resource for voters.

Because of the number of changes to our election process this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic and ongoing litigation, Common Cause Indiana is also encouraging media outlets and news editors to promote other important information to voters, including:

• Hoosiers voting via a mail-in absentee ballot are required to return their ballot by 12pm on Election Day. This law was challenged in court by Common Cause Indiana, but is currently enforced after an appeals court overruled a district court’s ruling that gave voters casting a mail in ballot additional time. Adding to the confusion is the fact that some counties will allow mail in ballots to be returned to the polling place on Election Day; other counties require them to be hand delivered to the county courthouse.
• Because of the increase of mail ballots and COVID-19 limiting the number of election workers, we may not know the winner of the election on election night, but that’s ok. We need to give our election officials time to securely count all votes and provide accurate results.

Media are invited to interview voting rights expert and advocate Julia Vaughn, policy director of Common Cause Indiana, before and on Election Day on how Indiana is administrating it’s election in the COVID-19 pandemic and the trends we are seeing when it comes to voting. You can contact Julia at jvaughn@commoncause.org or 317-432-3264. Follow @CommonCause_IN and @CommonCause on Twitter for real time updates.

About Election Protection

Election Protection is the nation’s largest and longest-running nonpartisan voter protection coalition of more than 100 partners. Through its suite of hotlines: 866-OUR-VOTE (866-687-8683) administered by the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law; 888-VE-Y-VOTA (888-839-8682) administered by NALEO Educational Fund; 888-API-VOTE (888-273-8683) administered by APIAVote and Asian Americans Advancing Justice-AAJC; and 844-YALLA-US (844- 925-5287) administered by the Arab American Institute – a dedicated team of trained legal and grassroots volunteers help all American voters, including traditionally disenfranchised groups, gain access to the polls, and overcome obstacles to voting.

Additionally, Election Protection monitors social media for disinformation and organizes thousands of nonpartisan field volunteers, led by Common Cause, State Voices and local partners, to provide direct voter contact and help voters who are having problems casting their ballots.

Voters who have questions or concerns about voting, or spot voter suppression tactics, are encouraged to call 866-OUR-VOTE for assistance.