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Appeals Court Reverses Ballot Deadline Extension; Mail-In Ballots Due Nov. 3

Lauren Chapman
/
IPB News

Indiana mail-in ballots must be returned to the county election administrator’s office by noon on Election Day, Nov. 3, if they’re going to count.

That’s after a federal appeals court Tuesday reinstituted the state’s vote-by-mail deadline.

Common Cause Indiana and the Indiana NAACP sued the state earlier this year, trying to get that mail-in ballot deadline extended. They argued, with the pandemic increasing vote-by-mail and slowing down the Post Office, the deadline would leave thousands of ballots uncounted.

READ MORE: Can I Vote By Mail? Here's What You Need To Know For Indiana's Elections

Join the conversation and sign up for the Indiana 2020 Two-Way. Text "elections" to 73224. Your comments and questions in response to our weekly text help us find the answers you need on COVID-19 and the 2020 election.

A federal district court judge agreed. But now, the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals overturned that decision. In its ruling, the appellate court said it’s the responsibility of voters, not the state, to do everything they can to ensure their vote is counted.

The appeals court’s decision also said it doesn’t want to change election policies this close to Election Day.

Contact reporter Brandon at bsmith@ipbs.org or follow him on Twitter at @brandonjsmith5.

Brandon Smith is excited to be working for public radio in Indiana. He has previously worked in public radio as a reporter and anchor in mid-Missouri for KBIA Radio out of Columbia. Prior to that, he worked for WSPY Radio in Plano, Illinois as a show host, reporter, producer and anchor. His first job in radio was in another state capitol, in Jefferson City, Missouri, as a reporter for three radio stations around Missouri. Brandon graduated from the University of Missouri-Columbia with a Bachelor of Journalism in 2010, with minors in political science and history. He was born and raised in Chicago.