Changed Dates Of Birth And First Names linked To Voters Not Being Able To Verify Voter Registration Info

How Hoosiers Should Handle Problems With Their Dates Of Birth OF First Names In Their Voter Registration

INDIANAPOLIS (October 18, 2016) – Hoosier voters have contacted the Secretary of State’s office after discovering the date of birth or first name on their voter registration is incorrect. This causes the voter to believe they are not registered because they cannot locate their information on Indianavoters.com.

“We ran a report in the statewide voter registration system and found thousands of dates of births and first names were changed,” said Secretary of State Connie Lawson. “These records were changed on paper forms, at the BMV and online. At this time, my office is not sure why these records were changed, but we have evaluated the Statewide Voter Registration System and have found no indication it has been compromised. We believe this may be a case of voter fraud and have turned our findings over to the State Police, who are currently conducting an investigation into alleged voter fraud.”

When voters go to find their registration record online at Indianavoters.com, they are required to put in their name, county of residence and date of birth. If the date of birth or name is incorrect, the voter cannot find their registration, leading them to believe they are no longer registered to vote in the upcoming election. The voters who have encountered this issue and have contacted the Secretary of State’s office did vote in the Primary Election.

Voters who voted in the Primary Election and can no longer find themselves on Indianavoters.com are encouraged to contact their local county election officials. The county election offices may be able to find a voter’s record if there is an issue with a voter’s date of birth or first name. Since the voter registration deadline has passed, only the county election offices may be able to assist voters to correct information under limited circumstances.

Voters who find their date of birth or first name is incorrect on their registration will still be able to vote in the November 8th General Election. Voters who explore entering different dates of birth may discover their record. They would then be able to correct their date of birth for their voting record on Indianavoters.com. The correction will not take place until 30 days after the election, but the voter will be able to vote on November 8th or participate in early voting.

All voters are encouraged to vote early to ensure they will not encounter any issues when casting their ballot this year.

Voters with questions can call the Hoosier Voter Hotline at 1-866-IN-1-VOTE.