Indiana has approved the sale of alcohol on Election Day and later on Sunday than previously permitted. 

The ban on voting on Election Day was antiquated, according to some lawmakers, by the fact voting could occur up to one month before that day due to modern voting procedures. The ban was originally intended to promote clear headedness at the polls, but this is no longer applicable due to the expansion of the period of time involved for state votes. 

The bill, SB 118, removes this ban and moves on to the House this month. The bill surprisingly only narrowly passed with a 30-20 vote. 

The bill also changes the Sunday liquor sale law. Typically, bars could only remain open until 12:30 AM in the state on Sunday nights but 3AM every other night of the week. The goal of lifting this ban is to promote sales of alcohol during high volume tourist weekends, like when Indianapolis is host to NASCAR or NFL events.