Indiana lawmakers have decided—for now, at least—to abandon two bills that might have sealed Indiana's position as worst in the nation for voter turnout. The first would have imposed a strict new party requirement for voting in a primary election. As ReCenter Indiana has noted, the primary often determines who gets elected in the fall. The second would have cut in half the early voting period. But another* new restriction is still working its way toward becoming law.
* Indiana lawmakers are still trying to prohibit use of student IDs to verify the identity of someone who is already registered to vote. As a Capital Chronicle commentary points out, "They have been accepted for decades and now Republicans have a problem with them -- without a single example of misdeeds offered up."
Senate kills early voting cuts, closed primary bills — and backtracks on municipal election changes
Sen. Gary Byrne, R-Byrneville, shuffles through materials while looking at a slideshow during an interim committee on Thursday, Oct. 24, 2024. (Leslie Bonilla Muñiz/Indiana Capital Chronicle)
By: Leslie Bonilla Muñiz
Feb. 20, 2025