INDIANA — More than 60% of immigrant Hoosiers whose voter registrations were flagged under Indiana’s new strict proof-of-citizenship laws have had their applications rejected or their existing registrations canceled.
The alarming drop-off data was recently submitted to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana by voting rights groups. The organizations are seeking an emergency pause on the enforcement of the statute ahead of the upcoming 2026 midterm elections.
The strict protocol is driven by a pair of state transparency laws—House Enrolled Act 1680 and House Enrolled Act 1264—which took effect on July 1, 2025. The legislation requires county voter registration officials to verify the citizenship status of anyone who uses a temporary credential number, such as a temporary driver’s license or ID card, when registering to vote.
How the Law Works
Legal immigrants residing lawfully in Indiana—including those on temporary visas, asylum seekers, and conditional permanent residents—are issued temporary IDs by the Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV). These credentials can remain valid for up to six years. However, if that individual undergoes the naturalization process and becomes a U.S. citizen during that window, their BMV file may still display their old temporary non-citizen status.
Under the 2025 laws, election officials cross-reference the statewide voter registration system with the BMV’s temporary credential list.
- The Flagging Process: Anyone matching the temporary credential database is flagged.
- The 30-Day Window: Once flagged, the state sends a notice to the individual’s home.
- The Ultimatum: The individual has exactly 30 days to respond with physical proof of citizenship—such as a U.S. passport, naturalization certificate, or birth certificate. If they fail to provide this documentation, their registration is automatically rejected or canceled.
An analysis of the state’s challenge data, compiled by University of Florida political science professor Michael McDonald on behalf of voting rights advocates, revealed how many eligible citizens are being caught in the net.
Of the 3,234 individuals flagged by Indiana election officials:
- 113 individuals were determined to be “false positives” (flagged entirely in error).
- 519 cases remained actively pending processing.
- 2,602 individuals fully completed the verification pipeline.
Of those 2,602 people who completed the process, only 977 successfully provided the required proof of citizenship. The remaining 1,625 individuals—comprising 644 prospective voters who were rejected and 981 existing voters who were purged—failed to meet the requirement, accounting for a 62.4% cancellation and rejection rate.
According to advocates, these figures include naturalized citizens who did not respond to the letters because they found the process confusing, as well as situations where the U.S. Postal Service returned the state’s notice as undeliverable.
Federal Court Battle Intensifies
A coalition of voting rights groups—including the League of Women Voters of Indiana, Common Cause Indiana, Hoosier Asian American Power, and Exodus Refugee Immigration—filed a federal lawsuit claiming the law violates the National Voter Registration Act and the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
Represented by the Chicago Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights, the plaintiffs argue the law places an unfair, discriminatory burden on naturalized citizens that U.S.-born citizens never have to face.
“Absent an injunction, these violations will continue to unlawfully prevent U.S. citizens from registering to vote and voting,” the plaintiffs wrote in a supporting court memorandum.
Conversely, proponents of the law maintain that the cross-checks are a common-sense security measure designed to protect the integrity of Indiana’s elections and ensure that only eligible U.S. citizens participate in the democratic process. A ruling on the preliminary injunction is expected from the federal court later this summer.
