Governor signs bill to remove more people from voter rolls, which could violate federal law

Gov. Eric Holcomb signed a bill Monday that critics say violates federal law when it comes to removing people from the voter rolls.

The controversial measure requires the state to compare voter registration to Bureau of Motor Vehicles data on credentials given to noncitizens.

People flagged by that comparison would have to show proof of citizenship to their county election officials within 30 days in order to be able to vote.

Immigration attorneys say that proof is difficult and sometimes impossible to obtain within 30 days. And the BMV data is often out-of-date.

The citizenship provision won’t take effect until July of 2025.
 

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HEA 1264 also allows the state to buy people’s credit information, to compare it to voter data and flag potential mismatches. Similarly, the state will search the voter list for people whose addresses appear to be nonresidential.

County election officials must then further investigate to ensure people are appropriately registered where they live.

Supporters said the legislation will help further strengthen Indiana's election system.

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