Indiana Republicans Pass Bill With Additional Proof of Residency Requirement
Washington, D.C. — The Republican-controlled Indiana Legislature has passed a bill that would create an additional proof of residency requirement and make voter registration removals more likely.
The legislation would force first-time Indiana voters to provide acceptable documentation — such as bank statements, paychecks or photo IDs — proving their residency when registering to vote in person. Exceptions would be made for voters who provide their driver’s license number or Social security number, as well as for uniformed and overseas voters.
Linda Hanson, the president of League of Women Voters of Indiana, said the requirement is “just making voting more onerous,” according to the Associated Press. Hanson added that the bill would be especially burdensome for those who have moved recently, like students.
The state government would also be able to utilize third-party commercially available data, like credit data, to confirm residency, which could result in voters being removed from the rolls if voters are registered at a nonresidential address. Officials would also be required to compare voter registration data with data from the Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles. The legislation suggests that the comparison is intended to identify noncitizens registered to vote, but noncitizen voting is already illegal in Indiana.
According to the bill, if “evidence exists that a registered voter is not a citizen” of the U.S, the voter would be sent a notice inquiring about their eligibility to be registered. They would then have 30 days to provide proof of citizenship.
The legislation passed the Senate mostly along party lines, and previously passed the House with all Democratic representatives in opposition. It now heads to Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb (R) for his signature.