Sec. 6. (a) A district must adopt a form for applications for absentee ballots. The form adopted by the district must elicit the following information from the applicant:

(1) Name.

(2) Location within the district of the real estate that is held by the applicant, making the applicant a freeholder.

(b) An individual who:

(1) holds a freeholder's interest in real property located within a district; and

(2) wishes to cast an absentee ballot in an election of directors of the district;

must present an application for an absentee ballot to the trustee of the township in which the real property of the freeholder is located. The application must be made on the form adopted by the district under subsection (a).

(c) To be accepted, an application for an absentee ballot must reach the trustee at least thirty (30) days before the election.

(d) When the trustee receives an application for an absentee ballot under this section, the trustee shall verify that the name of the applicant appears on the list of freeholders provided to the district under section 4(a) of this chapter. For the purposes of this subsection, the district shall provide a copy of the list of freeholders to the trustee of each township that is located in whole or in part within the district at least thirty (30) days before the election.

(e) If the name of an applicant appears on the list of freeholders, the trustee shall mail to the applicant:

(1) an absentee ballot; and

(2) instructions on the proper completion and mailing of the ballot.

(f) The instructions provided by the trustee under subsection (e)(2) must direct the applicant to return the absentee ballot by mail to the trustee.

(g) If the name of an applicant does not appear on the list of freeholders, the trustee shall:

(1) discard the application of the applicant; and

(2) mail to the applicant a letter or postcard informing the applicant that the applicant's application for an absentee ballot has been discarded because the applicant's name did not appear on the list of freeholders.

(h) A trustee shall:

(1) keep a record of each absentee ballot mailed to an applicant under subsection (e);

(2) retain absentee ballots that are returned to the office of the trustee before the date of the election; and

(3) on the day of the election, deliver all absentee ballots retained under subdivision (2) to an election polling place.

(i) The district shall:

(1) supply the trustee with:

(A) absentee ballots; and

(B) envelopes; and

(2) reimburse the expenses incurred by the trustee for postage;

under this section.

(j) If a relative of a trustee is a candidate for director of a district, the duties of the trustee under this section with respect to the election of directors of the district shall be carried out by a member of the township board selected by the trustee.

As added by P.L.185-1995, SEC.2.