Protecting the Vote Means Trusting Hoosiers, Not Handing Over Their Data

Written and submitted on behalf of the Fishers Dems.

Indiana’s Secretary of State recently announced that it handed over the names of its more than 4.4 million registered Indiana voters to the federal government to support efforts to “enforce Federal election laws and protect the integrity of Federal elections.” The effort is part of the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (DHS-USCIS)’s Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) program.

Already concerned about potential widespread voter fraud despite no hard evidence, the Indiana State Legislature passed Indiana House Enrolled Act 1264 in 2024 that requires first-time voters to register in person and to provide photo identification of proof of residency. It also gives election officials expanded ways to check for proof of citizenship.

In reviewing 2024 ballots after this law was enacted, the Indiana Secretary of State’s office recently announced it had found one non-citizen voting in Vigo County. Given Indiana’s estimated non-citizen population is estimated to be 426,500 of its total population, according to the 2022 American Community Survey, this single case of identified voter fraud is well below a 2017 Brennan Center for Justice study’s estimate that non-citizen voting makes up approximately 0.0001% of total votes cast when a multi-state review was completed.

Article I, Section 4 of the United States Constitution gives state legislatures the primary responsibility to set the “times, places and manner” for Congressional elections. This includes how voters are registered, how ballots are accessed, and how votes are counted. The U.S. Congress can only make changes to state elections for other federal offices. The founders’ goal in this section was to prevent states from interfering with federal elections and to decentralize voting to ensure accuracy. 

There is worry that this is an ongoing series of thinly veiled efforts to nationalize all elections through centralized control, when experts who have studied the electoral system strongly believe decentralization of the voting system through local and state offices actually strengthens our ability to fight what should be more concerning - outside election interference, and not voter fraud.

It is incredibly difficult to commit voter fraud in Indiana today, and Fishers residents should feel confident in the Hamilton County Clerk’s Office ability to provide for legitimate elections.

It is incredibly difficult to commit voter fraud in Indiana today, and Fishers residents should feel confident in the Hamilton County Clerk’s Office ability to provide for legitimate elections. But citizens should be concerned about a lack of attention to potential election interference whether it’s from our own federal government or another foreign influence.

Written and submitted on behalf of the Fishers Dems.