Indiana Legislature approves bill adding additional verification steps to voter registration

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Indiana lawmakers passed legislation Thursday that expands the power of the state to verify voters’ addresses and adds an additional residency requirement for first-time voters.

The bill’s Republican sponsor state Sen. Mike Gaskill called it a “commonsense bill” that adds protections against fraud, but voting advocates have blasted the changes as new hurdles for people seeking to legally cast their ballots.

The bill passed the state Senate on a 34-13 vote, largely along party lines, sending it to Gov. Eric Holcomb for his review.

Indiana voters are already required to show photo ID when casting a ballot, and a law passed last year that tightened mail-in voting requirements in the state.

<bsp-list-loadmore data-module="" class=«PageListStandardB» data-gtm-region=«READ MORE» data-gtm-topic=«No Value» data-show-loadmore=«true» data-gtm-modulestyle=«List B»> <bsp-custom-headline custom-headline=«div»> READ MORE </bsp-custom-headline> <bsp-custom-headline custom-headline=«div»> Literacy bill that would hold back thousands more third graders advances in Indiana </bsp-custom-headline> <bsp-custom-headline custom-headline=«div»> Ban on gender-affirming care for minors allowed to take effect in Indiana </bsp-custom-headline> <bsp-custom-headline custom-headline=«div»> Indiana justices, elections board kick GOP US Senate candidate off primary ballot </bsp-custom-headline> </bsp-list-loadmore>

Under the bill, residents who are new voters in Indiana would have to provide proof of residency when registering in person, unless they submit an Indiana driver’s license or social security number that matches an Indiana record.

Voting advocates have said the provision adds hurdles to the process for college students,