State Rep. Tonya Pfaff files bills to expand voting hours, launch Project Lifesaver statewide

INDIANAPOLIS – State Representative Tonya Pfaff (D-Terre Haute) today announced her agenda for the 2022 legislative session. Pfaff serves as Ranking Minority Member on the Elections and Apportionment Committee, as well as a member of the Education Committee and Ways and Means Committee. 

Pfaff plans to address voting rights, public safety and education.

House Bill (HB) 1236 expands Project Lifesaver, a program that helps public safety and health officials protect and locate individuals with cognitive disabilities who are prone to wandering, to every county in Indiana. The program uses bands to track people in the event that they wander away from home.

“The Project Lifesaver program has already reconnected loved ones with their families here in Terre Haute, which is why I’ve authored a bill to ensure that every community in Indiana has this program,” Pfaff said. “The technology to ensure the safety of folks with Alzheimer’s and other cognitive disorders exists – now it’s on the General Assembly to make sure it’s available statewide.”

House Bill (HB) 1364 extends voting hours to 8 p.m. Currently, Indiana polls close at 6 p.m. – among the earliest in the country. The bill also enacts same-day voter registration in Indiana. If passed, Indiana would join 20 other states and Washington, D.C. in implementing same-day voter registration.   

“Most Hoosiers have work or child care responsibilities well into the evening, and we need to build flexibility into our electoral process to reflect that. Our democracy thrives when the most people possible are able to make their voices heard. By expanding voting hours and allowing for same-day voter registration, we can increase voter turnout and civic engagement.

“I’m proud and grateful to serve the people of Terre Haute and Vigo County and will continue to legislate on behalf of their interests.”