Current:Home > ScamsIndiana legislation would add extra verification steps to prove voters are eligible-InfoLens
Indiana legislation would add extra verification steps to prove voters are eligible
View Date:2024-12-23 15:21:51
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Republican lawmakers in Indiana want first-time voters to prove they live in the state and additional verification of all voters’ addresses, prompting accusations from voting advocates that the proposal approved by the House could make it even tougher for some people to vote.
Indiana voters are already required to show photo ID when casting a ballot, and a law passed last year that tightened mail-in voting requirements in the state.
Brad King, Republican co-director of the bipartisan Indiana Election Division, told lawmakers earlier this month the elections bill would let the state use commercially available credit data to ensure the statewide voter registration roll is accurate and add an identification requirement for first-time voters.
The bill was passed on party lines Monday in the Indiana state House chamber; it’s not clear when the Senate that’s also held by Republicans could take it up.
Under the bill, residents who are first-time voters in Indiana would have to provide proof of residency when registering in person, unless they submit an Indiana driver’s license or social security number that matches an Indiana record.
“It’s just making voting more onerous,” Linda Hanson, president of League of Women Voters of Indiana, said.
Hanson said the requirement creates a “stumbling block” in particular for Hoosiers who have recently moved and do not have an Indiana ID. She said students and elderly citizens at assisted living facilities often do not have utility bills, a common form of residency proof.
Indiana historically sees low voter turnout, and its polls close on election day at 6 p.m. A Democratic amendment to the elections bill that would have extended statewide voting hours to 8 p.m. failed last week.
Additionally, the new bill would allow the state to contract with third-party vendors who supply credit data. The data would be cross referenced with voter registration records to identify possible residence changes and any voters registered at nonresidential addresses.
If the state identifies a voter registration at a nonresidential address, the bill outlines a process to investigate the discrepancy. If unresolved, the voter could eventually be removed from registration.
Opponents say out-of-date or inaccurate credit data could result in some voters eventually losing their registration status.
The bill also requires officials to cross reference the state’s voter registration system with data from the Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles. The intent is to identify any noncitizens enrolled in the voter registration system, something voting advocates in Indiana say does not exist. National researchers also have found few instances but former President Donald Trump and other Republicans have continued to make the unsupported claim.
During a Jan. 10 committee hearing on the bill, Democratic co-general counsel to the Indiana Elections Division Matthew Kochevar told lawmakers that current law already forbids noncitizens from registering to vote.
The bill says an individual found unlawfully on the voter registration system would have 30 days to provide proof of citizenship to the county voter registration office or face the cancellation of their registration. It does not specify how often the state will cross check the bureau data or how often the bureau data on temporary identification cards is updated.
Julia Vaughn, executive director of transparency and voting advocacy group Common Cause Indiana, said that 30-day timeframe is unfair. She worries the bill could catch people who become lawful citizens and voters whose names are still on the temporary list.
“The failsafe has to move like clockwork right?” she said. “And in the real world, clockwork doesn’t always happen.”
veryGood! (672)
Related
- Arizona Supreme Court declines emergency request to extend ballot ‘curing’ deadline
- A mayoral race in a small city highlights the rise of Germany’s far-right AfD party
- Retiring Megan Rapinoe didn't just change the game with the USWNT. She changed the world.
- A Black student was suspended for his hairstyle. Now, his family is suing Texas officials.
- Glen Powell Addresses Rumor He’ll Replace Tom Cruise in Mission Impossible Franchise
- 'We just collapsed:' Reds' postseason hopes take hit with historic meltdown
- Why Spain’s conservative leader is a long shot to become prime minister despite winning election
- DeSantis campaign pre-debate memo criticizes Trump, is dismissive of other rivals despite polling gap closing
- Jury awards Abu Ghraib detainees $42 million, holds contractor responsible
- Fight erupts during UAW strike outside Stellantis plant, racial slurs and insults thrown
Ranking
- Former West Virginia jail officer pleads guilty to civil rights violation in fatal assault on inmate
- EU Commission blocks Booking’s planned acquisition of flight booking provider Etraveli
- Safety Haley Van Voorhis becomes first woman non-kicker to play in NCAA football game
- Suspect arrested after shooting at the Oklahoma State Fair injures 1, police say
- Army veteran reunites with his K9 companion, who served with him in Afghanistan
- Molotov cocktails tossed at Cuban Embassy in Washington, minister says
- Libya’s top prosecutor says 8 officials jailed as part of investigation into dams’ deadly collapse
- Florida sheriff asks for officials' help with bears: 'Get to work and get us a solution'
Recommendation
-
Republican Scott Baugh concedes to Democrat Dave Min in critical California House race
-
Inside Kourtney Kardashian and Travis Barker's Disney-Themed Baby Shower
-
Family of Black high school student suspended for hairstyle sues Texas officials
-
A Taiwan golf ball maker fined after a fatal fire for storing 30 times limit for hazardous material
-
'The Penguin' spoilers! Colin Farrell spills on that 'dark' finale episode
-
WEOWNCOIN: The Fusion of Cryptocurrency and Global Financial Inclusion
-
Historians race against time — and invasive species — to study Great Lakes shipwrecks
-
WEOWNCOIN: The Fusion of Cryptocurrency and the Internet of Things—Building the Future of the Smart Economy