Responsive Gov’s Grade TL;DR

Once again, the Indiana General Assembly made several minor improvements to its election laws, including passing an important study bill to review the potential cost savings of consolidating elections and utilizing vote centers. However, it also enacted further voter ID restrictions. Therefore, Indiana received a C on this year’s progress report.

Looking Back

Where Indiana Started at the Beginning of 2025

• Automatic Voter Registration: No
• Online Voter Registration: DMV ID
• Same-Day Registration: No
• Restoration of Rights: Prison Disenfranchisement
• Vote by Mail: Excuse-Only
• Electronic Registration Information Center Member: No
• Early Voting Opportunities: In-Person Absentee
• ID Requirements: Strict Photo ID

Relying on the Cost of Voting Index for Indiana as of 2024, we considered the state a bottom tier state for pre-existing voting policy and compared its 2025 activity against other bottom tier states.

How Our Tier Compares

• COVI (2024): 34th
• EPI Score (2022): 20th

2025: This Past Year

Legislative Action

This past session, the Indiana Assembly further restricted acceptable voter ID types and established protocols for confirming citizenship status for voter registrants that used temporary credentials on their applications.

• SB 10 bars the use of student IDs for voter ID. The bill also requires the state to invite all other states to join them in entering into data sharing agreements in an effort to establish an alternative to the Electronic Registration Information Center, the interstate voter list maintenance organization.
• HB 1680 requires individuals that register to vote using an ID number from a temporary credential to provide documentary proof of citizenship to election officials within 30 days of receiving notice of the requirement.
• SB 137 requires the bureau of motor vehicles commission to notify the election division if the voter registration form being transmitted is for an applicant who applied for or was issued a temporary credential based on temporary lawful presence in the country.
• SB 199 allows 2 or more candidates from a political party to file a request for a poll watcher. Current law requires 26% of all party candidates to file the request.
• SB 526 requires vote systems to be capable of retracting a vote.
• HB 1679 requires circuit court clerk offices to close on election day so clerks can administer elections, requires county voter registration officials to identify and flag potential non-residential addresses used for voter registration, establishes a 48-hour deadline for counties to conduct list maintenance upon receiving relevant information, expands the list of sources that can be used to determine whether a voter has moved, and allows voters to request a replacement mail ballot by email.
• HB 1633 requires the secretary of state to study the potential cost savings of requiring all counties to use vote centers, consolidating municipal elections to even-years, and requiring all local elections to be held in odd-years after presidential elections.