The following information is taken from the Voter's Bill of Rights.

A provisional ballot allows the voter to cast a vote if:

1. There is a question about the voter's qualification to vote in the precinct (e.g., the voter is not on the poll book) which is not resolved by a fail-safe procedure and the voter believes he/she is qualified to vote in the precinct.
   -OR-

2. The voter has been challenged as not qualified to vote in his/her precinct (example: the voter did not have photo identification)

   • A person may not challenge the right of an individual to vote at an election in the precinct solely on the basis of the individual's:

     1. Enrollment in an educational institution; or

     2. Registration to vote at an address that is housing provided for students by the educational insitution. 

     3. Actual or perceived affiliation with a political party; or

     4. Support or opposition to a candidate or the adoption of a public question.

   • The voter's provisional ballot will be kept separate from the other ballots cast in that precinct.

   • After Election Day, the county election board will decide whether the voter was qualified to vote in that precinct and whether the voter's ballot should be counted.

   • If a voter casts a provisional ballot because they failed to present a qualified photo ID, the voter has until noon 10 days after the election to follow up with the county election board and either provide the necessary documenation or affirm one of the photo ID law's exemptions applies.  

   • The voter will be able to contact the county election board after Election Day to find out whether the voter's ballot was counted, and if it was not counted, why not.

   • There are several situations in which the voter may be required to cast a provisional ballot:

     1. The voter is lacking the requisite photo identification

     2. The voter's name appears on the poll list, but he/she has been challenged as not eligible to vote at the precinct for some other reason sworn to in writing by the person who challenges the voter's eligibility to vote.

     3. An order has been issued by a court extending the hours that the polls must remain open.

Generally, the same rules and procedures that apply to casting a traditional paper ballot apply to casting a provisional ballot, but there are some special procedures that are similar to casting an absentee ballot:

1. The voter must mark the provisional ballot privately, unless the voter is entitled to and requests assistance.

2. The voter must enclose the provisional ballot inside a provisional ballot secrecy envelope provided for this purpose (Form PRO-2) and seal the envelope.

3. The voter must return the sealed envelope, with the ballot inside, to the precinct inspector.

If you are unsure about the status of your registration, call Voter Registration at (574)-535-6774 or (574)-535-6775 OR  Click Here to check your registration status