Local elected leaders weigh in on bill that would change absentee voting, election protocols

The Indiana House Election and Apportionment Committee heard a controversial bill on Tuesday that would change absentee voting and election protocol.

Our top story tonight -- the indiana house election and apportionment committee heard a bill today that would change absentee voting and election protocol.

News 18's anna darling talked with people on several sides of this bill to learn more about how it would impact hoosier elections in the future.

"if it's not broke then don't fix it.

I think indiana did a pretty good job" state senator ron alting does not support senate bill 353 in any capacity.

"in my opinion its voter suppression.

Particularly those with economic distressed areas and people of color" it requires an absentee ballot application to include the driver's license number or last four digits of the person's social security number.

It prohibits the indiana election commission from expanding absentee voting.

And would take the powers out of the governor's hands to change an election day during a declared disaster emergency.

"there has always been fraud there will always be fraud.

The question is what do we do to make sure that the system is secure as possible without inhibiting voting" andrew downs is a political science professor at purdue fort wayne.

"we know from research that if you expand or make it easier for people to vote that does help voter turn out to go up a little bit.

And if you restrict it it only makes it go down a little bit so all of these changes only make little changes at the margin in terms of turn out."

Tippecanoe county clerk julie roush doesn't see requiring the id numbers in absentee voting as a voter suppression.

"if you're a registered voter in indiana we already have, for the most part, one of those ids" however roush and alting both strongly agree that the governor's power to make decisions should not be taken away.

"the governor is going to seek advice.

They are going to go to the indiana election commission, they are going to go to the secretary of state, they are going to go to the indiana eleion division before they make that ruling."

"most of the constituents that i represent would say during this last election, our governor did a fantastic job"on opening up the election so that every citizen had the right to vote" anna darling news 18 the house elections committee did not vote on the bill today.

The committee is expected to make that vote later this week.

Thursday is the deadline to get bills out of committee.

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