Senate doesn’t advance proposals likely to make voting more difficult in Indiana: Report

Two controversial measures that could have further suppressed Indiana’s already low voter turnout failed to advance in the state Senate last week and are likely dead for the year. Senate Bill 201 sought to require voters to formally affiliate with a political party to participate in primaries, while Senate Bill 284 aimed to cut Indiana’s early in-person voting period from 28 days to just 14. Despite initial approval from the Republican-controlled Senate Elections Committee, the bills were not brought forward for revision before the legislative deadline. Democratic senators had proposed amendments that would have forced Republicans to take a stance on expanding Election Day voting hours, eliminating straight-ticket voting, and allowing universal mail-in ballots—potentially contributing to the decision to let the bills stall, reported NWI.com.

While those measures failed, other election-related bills advanced in the Senate and will soon be considered by the House. Senate Bill 287, which passed with the minimum 26 votes, would require school board candidates to declare a political party, effectively ending nonpartisan school board elections. Critics argue this would inject unnecessary partisanship into education, while supporters claim voters should know candidates’ political affiliations. Senate Bill 10, which bans the use of college-issued ID cards for voter identification, is expected to pass easily in the Republican-majority House. Additionally, Senate Bill 1, focused on property taxes, includes a provision restricting school district referendums to general elections in even-numbered years. Any approved legislation must pass both chambers with identical language by April 29 to reach Governor Mike Braun for approval or veto.