REVISED STATEMENT OF POSITIONS adopted December 7, 2002

This statement reorganized previous statements on Election Process, Poll Workers, Election Recounts, Nomination of Candidates and Voter Registration.

PRE-ELECTION DAY

Nomination of Candidates

Support of the open primary system and the direct primary nomination of the Governor and U.S. Senators

Members of the League believe that

The goal of the primary process should be to select the best possible candidates for the political parties, with the greatest possible voter participation. The open primary system is the best means of achieving this goal. In the open primary, voters do not publicly declare a party but can vote for the candidates of one party only.

The best method of nominating candidates for the office of Governor and U.S. Senator is the direct primary.

Candidates for statewide offices to be nominated in the primary election should be placed on the ballot by the petition process.

To avoid costly and time-consuming elections, a plurality vote should be sufficient for nomination in the primary.

Each candidate for state office to be nominated in the primary should be required to file a petition signed by a specific number of registered voters distributed geographically. A specific period for filing should be set with a closing date before the primary which would allow sufficient time for certification of signatures and other administrative details necessary for the preparation of the ballot.

Voter Registration

Support of laws which make registration and voting more accessible. Support of the National Voter Registration Act.

Members of the league of Women Voters of Indiana agree that Indiana should require registration to verify the qualifications and identification of voters, to prevent fraud, and to develop and maintain accurate records. Citizens, all levels of government, and the political parties should be responsible for first initiating voter registration, with the primary responsibility residing in the citizen and local government. Local and State government and the political parties should have primary responsibility for implementing the registration procedures. But all citizens, the federal government, and nonpolitical partisan groups should also be allowed to participate in voter registration.

The League of Women Voters supports the following measures for voter registration:

Minimal residency requirements, extended hours, and increased numbers of days for registration; use of a variety of permanent public sites such as public libraries and post offices.

Continued use of purging for maintenance of accurate voter records.

Dates for the registration deadline to be eligible to vote in a particular election should be publicized throughout the state. Public agencies from which citizens may obtain voter registration applications should be publicized, as well as their operating hours. These locations should be easily accessible.

Political parties should continue to be important participants in the registration process. However, other groups or individuals should be encouraged to provide registration forms.

Members of the League agree that the criteria for voter registration should be U.S. citizenship, 18 years of age minimum, and a minimum residency in the precinct of 30 days.

Poll Workers

Support efforts to recruit, train, and fairly compensate adequate numbers of poll workers.

Selection of precinct election officials should continue to be through the political parties. This provides the checks and balances of the two-party system at the polls.

Pay for poll workers should be regularly reviewed to ensure that workers receive reasonable compensation. Poll workers should receive some monetary compensation for the time spent in training sessions.

Training for poll workers should be standardized and consistent throughout the state. First time poll workers and those taking on new positions should be required to take training in their duties. Experienced workers should be required to attend periodic review sessions that include all changes in the laws and regulations, including training specific for special needs voters.

Some workers at each polling place should be allowed to serve shifts rather than the entire day.

The League supports efforts to broaden the pool of potential poll workers by educating citizens about the need for workers, especially in diverse groups in our communities. Minorities, young voters, and other underrepresented groups should be actively recruited to serve. Qualified county residents who are 16 or 17 years old and U. S. citizens also should be allowed to serve as poll workers with adequate supervision and screening.

Employers should be encouraged to support employees who wish to work at the polls by recognizing it as an approved absence from work, like jury duty.

Dissemination of Voting Information

Support of widespread dissemination of voting information before Election Day

Election officials should provide adequate and timely information about lists of candidates on the ballot, polling places, registration procedures and voting procedures through various public media.

ELECTION DAY

Election Procedures

Support of simple and understandable election procedures

Members of the League of Women Voters believe that

• Description of Election Day procedures should be simple and available at each polling place both for the voter and for the poll workers (precinct election officials).

• The responsibility to interpret Indiana election laws should remain with the state to ensure uniformity of application of laws throughout the state and thereby assure each voter fair and equal treatment at the polls.

• The responsibility to administer Indiana election laws should remain at both the state and local levels. The state's role should be to assure uniformity and equality.

There must be assurances that qualified voters whose names are not on the poll list or who are challenged will be able to vote. There should be the following options for such voters:

• Provisional ballots, which must be verified and counted in a fair and timely fashion.

• Certificates of error , which ensure that votes will be counted at the polling place. A voter should be allowed to vote after a telephone confirmation that a certificate will be issued. The voter should not be required to wait until the certificate arrives at the polling place.

There are several other courses of action for voters who have moved within 30 days prior to the election after the registration deadline, some of which are mandated by the National Voter Registration Act. Poll workers need comprehensive training to understand these confusing and complex options.

The responsibility for the selection of voting devices should remain at the local level. The responsibility of evaluation and approval of voting devices should remain with the state. In the selection of voting devices, the most important factors must be secrecy of the vote, voter accessibility (including accessibility for special needs voters), protection against fraud, and accuracy of the vote count. Whenever a change is made in voting devices, comprehensive retraining of election officials, which includes addressing the issues of special needs voters, should be mandatory.

The period between the primary and general election should be reduced to lower campaign costs and help to maintain a sustained level of voter interest. Sixty to 90 days are sufficient to conduct a statewide campaign.

The general election should continue to be held in November. Elections should continue to be held on a weekday, and 12 hours is a sufficient amount of time for all citizens to vote.

Voters should be allowed at least three minutes to cast their ballots in all elections.

Access to voting by absentee ballot should be assured, while retaining the integrity of the ballot. Absentee voting should be allowed in person at designated sites or by mail.

Laws on electioneering should be strictly enforced.

POST-ELECTION DAY

Election Recounts

Support of recount procedures which are equally available, specific, and uniform.

The League believes that

The state should establish and maintain clearly defined recount procedures for state and local offices.

The recount procedures should follow equitable and uniform rules.

Recounts involving U.S. Senators and Representatives are a matter for federal determination.

Any candidate should have recourse to the recount process. All recount commissioners should be competent and representative of the electorate. Recount procedures should be specific in regard to what constitutes an invalid/valid ballot. Uniform procedures should be followed and adequate security provided for all ballots and voting devices subject to a recount.

In recounts involving the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, the recount procedures should be deferred to the appropriate federal agency. Local and state election officials should fully cooperate with federal officials in these recount procedures.