New Indiana law could delete Hoosiers' voter registration without proof of citizenship

Some Hoosiers will be forced to prove their citizenship in order to keep their voter registration from being deleted under a new state law.

The Indiana Secretary of State's office signed an agreement with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to check registered voters' citizenship status.

The state law, HEA 1264, was passed in 2024 but took effect July 1, 2025. It said Indiana will compare voter registration records with a list of temporary credentials at the Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles, which could indicate a person isn't a U.S. citizen — though the list is not regularly updated.

If the state flags a registered voter through its check, county election officials will notify the voter that they have 30 days to provide proof of citizenship, which includes a birth certificate, passport or naturalization documentation.
 

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Common Cause Indiana Executive Director Julia Vaughn said it's not always easy for someone to provide that proof in such a short time.

"We don't have a problem with noncitizens voting in Indiana," Vaughn said. "In fact, there was no evidence ever produced during testimony on this bill that this was actually a problem."

In a statement, Secretary of State Diego Morales said the law is about the "sanctity of the ballot."

Brandon is our Statehouse bureau chief. Contact him at bsmith@ipbs.org or follow him on Twitter at @brandonjsmith5.