Check Your Mailbox: Why an Indiana Political Ad Might Be an Absentee Ballot Form

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- Political campaigns are doing all that they can to make sure voters come out to the midterm elections that are just a little over a month away voters are being contacted any way they can including sending mail straight to your front door.

A certain piece of mail might look like some Michiana residents.

At first, it may look like a political ad, but unfolding it, it's an application for requesting an absentee ballot.

ABC57 confirmed it was mailed out by the Indiana Republican Party State Committee.

At the top, there’s an ad for GOP Secretary of State Candidate Max Engling.

His campaign says they had nothing to do with the mailer.

The Indiana GOP confirmed that the piece of mail is a carbon copy of a mailer done in the 2024 election cycle, but this time it was on Engling's flyer, the GOP has been doing this for a few election cycles now.

To make sure this type of ad is allowed by state law the Indiana Election Division says you need up to three disclaimers.

One - it needs to state that the application is unsolicited and not sent by the state or an election official.

Two - if the absentee application is being mailed to more than 100 people… the sender must show their name and address.

Three - it must show who paid for it.

Keep in mind, if you are planning on partaking in absentee voting the deadline for the Indiana election division or the county election board to receive that an absentee by mail application is Oct. 22, by 11:59 p.m.

ABC57 is told by the Indiana Election Division that it is crucial to have your application in to election officials by that date.

If an absentee by mail application is received after this deadline, even if the envelope is postmarked earlier, it will get rejected.

Absentee voting applications can be sent by mail, fax, email, or hand delivered.