U.S. Supreme Court Won't Hear Indiana Vote By Mail Lawsuit

Federal courts won’t expand vote-by-mail in Indiana any time soon after the U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear a case on the issue Tuesday.

But Hoosier vote-by-mail advocates say they’re not deterred by the setback.

There are about a dozen reasons Hoosiers can vote by mail – you won’t be in the county on Election Day, you have to work the entire time polls are open, you have a disability or you’re at least 65 years old.

The advocacy organization Indiana Vote By Mail sued the state in an effort to let anyone cast a mail-in ballot. But both the federal district court and Court of Appeals ruled against them, before the U.S. Supreme Court opted not to hear the case.

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Indiana Vote By Mail President Barbara Tully said the court’s decision doesn’t change her organization’s work.

“It doesn’t change the fact that we’ll meet with legislators," Tully said. "It doesn’t change the fact that we’ll show up at the Statehouse during session.”

Tully said incremental steps – for instance, expansions to the list of reasons for voting by mail – are the best way forward.

The Supreme Court did not provide a reason – which is typical – for why it refused to consider the lawsuit. Tully said, with the current, conservative makeup of the court, it might be better for her organization that the justices opted not to hear the case.

Contact reporter Brandon at bsmith@ipbs.org or follow him on Twitter at @brandonjsmith5.