The Indiana Secretary of State's office signed an agreement with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to check registered voters' citizenship status under a new state law.
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.
READ MORE: How is a voter challenged at their polling place? And what happens next?
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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.
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