October 20, 2008

Early, Election Day voting to be offered on Purdue campus

Under the new system, Purdue student identification cards will be accepted as a photo ID, provided election officials can verify current enrollment by tapping into the online Purdue directory.

In the past, Purdue student IDs proved troublesome to election officials because there were no expiration dates on the cards, one of the criteria required by Indiana law. Now, because Purdue officials have worked with the county to make the online directory of current students available, election workers will accept the Purdue student ID cards in lieu of an Indiana- or government-issued photo ID.

Early voting for the general election begins Monday (Oct. 20) in the Greater Lafayette area, and an early voting location will be set up in Stewart Center for the ease of voters on the Purdue campus.

Anyone who registered as a Tippecanoe County resident can participate in early voting here, which will continue at various locations in the county through Nov. 2. The early voting location in Stewart Center will be open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Wednesday (Oct. 20-22) under the mural. A complete list of early voting sites is available on the Tippecanoe County Web site at https://www.tippecanoe.in.gov/egov/docs/
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When voting early or on Election Day in Tippecanoe County, voters must present an Indiana or government-issued photo ID, such as a driver's license, Indiana photo ID card, military ID or U.S. passport. A Purdue student ID can be used, but students must be currently enrolled, and they can't have asked to be withheld from the Purdue online directory. Out-of-state driver's licenses will not be accepted, said county Clerk Linda Phillips.

Each of the 20 polling locations open Nov. 4 throughout Tippecanoe County, including one in the Purdue Memorial Union, will have Internet access so election workers will be able to look up students in the system, she said. A complete list of Tippecanoe County vote centers is on the county's Web site at https://www.tippecanoe.in.gov/egov/docs/
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New Indiana voters who registered by mail also will need to bring a proof of their residence when they vote. Acceptable documents must include their current name and address, such as an Indiana driver's license, valid photo ID, current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck or other government document. Phillips said voters who need to bring additional documentation proving their place of residence should have received a letter in the mail explaining the requirement.

Voters coming to the polling site without a valid photo ID or proof of Tippecanoe County residency - if required - will have to cast provisional ballots. Voters who don't provide proof of residency will have until 6 p.m. Nov. 4 to bring the necessary paperwork to the Tippecanoe County Office Building at 20 N. Third St., Lafayette. Voters who don't have a valid photo ID have until noon Nov. 14 to bring a photo ID into the Board of Elections Office on the first floor of the Tippecanoe County Courthouse, 301 Main St., Lafayette. Phillips said provisional ballots that are not supported by the necessary paperwork will not be counted.

Anyone who wants to verify that they are registered to vote in Tippecanoe County can visit the Indiana Statewide Voter Registration System online - where they can enter their county of residence, name and date of birth - at https://indianavoters.com/PublicSite/Public/FT1/
PublicLookupMain.aspx?Link=Registration

Registered voters also can vote via absentee ballot if they are unable to vote on Election Day. Rules and deadlines for absentee ballots in Indiana are listed online at the GetInvolved@Purdue site at https://www.purdue.edu/getinvolved  

For information about voter registration, contact the Tippecanoe County Voter Registration Office at (765) 423-9303 or (765) 423-9316 or e-mail electionboard@tippecanoe.in.gov

Writers: Christy Jones, (765) 494-1089, christyjones@purdue.edu

Jim Schenke, (765) 494-6262, jschenke@purdue.edu

Sources: Pablo Malavenda, associate dean of students, (765) 494-1232, pablo@purdue.edu

Linda Phillips, (765) 423-9326, lphillips@tippecanoe.in.gov

Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu

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