Student IDs no longer accepted form of voter identification in Indiana; Voting rights groups take legal action

This year, the Indiana General Assembly passed SEA 10 — a bill turned law that prohibits college students from using a student ID as an acceptable form of identification to vote. According to Women4Change, which is one of the groups involved in the lawsuit, the new law is a solution in search of a problem.

“It’s really unfairly targeted,” Angela Carr Klitzsch, the organization’s CEO, said. “The reality is that this is a bill that purposely targets a youth population … Over two-thirds of Bloomington college students used their college ID to vote in the most recent election.”

The new law reverses a state statute that had been in place for roughly 20 years. Voting rights groups who are not part of the lawsuit indicated that there is no evidence student voter fraud took place while the old law was in effect. According to Julia Vaughn, the Executive Director of Common Cause Indiana, less than half of 18 and 19-year-olds nationwide have driver’s licenses they can use as an alternative form of ID.

“No students have attempted to use their ID to vote who weren’t entitled to vote in Indiana,” Vaughn said.

Linda Hanson with the League of Women Voters of Indiana (another group not affiliated with the lawsuit) said she agrees with the plaintiffs’ views that the law discriminates against a particular group of voters.

“We can’t have a democracy if we don’t have all eligible voters registered and voting,” Hanson said. “I would hope that something comes out of it to call attention to the discriminatory action of our legislature.”

“Thank God,” Marion County Clerk Kate Sweeney Bell said when asked about her response to the lawsuit surrounding SEA 10. “That was my reaction — there is some action being taken to stop this madness.”

According to Sweeney Bell, the new law comes while Indiana’s voter turnout is the second-lowest in the nation, beating only West Virginia.

“There will be, I expect, fewer voters because of this bill,” Sweeney Bell said. “It is very frustrating to me because I’m trying to fight to make sure that people understand how important their vote is.”

In a statement, State Sen. Blake Doriot (R-Goshen), the lead author of the newly-enacted bill, said:

“It is of the utmost importance that Indiana elections are secure and fair. If someone wants to vote in Indiana, they need to be a resident and have the proper identification to prove who they are. This legislation aims to assure Hoosiers that our elections are safe. The intention is not to restrict people from voting, rather it is to ensure only those who live in Indiana can vote in Indiana elections.”

Indiana Secretary of State Diego Morales provided the following statement on SEA 10:

“Voting is a sacred right, and it must be safeguarded through consistent and reliable security standards. Senate Enrolled Act 10 ensures that every ID used at the polls is secure and reinforces my promise that only eligible Hoosiers are voting in our state.”