Federal court rejects suit over Indiana's proof-of-citizenship voter law ahead of midterms
A federal court dismissed a lawsuit that sought to block Indiana's new proof-of-citizenship voter registration laws on Sept. 10, ruling that the plaintiffs who filed the case had not shown grounds to sue.
The plaintiffs argued that, as a result, thousands of citizens are now at risk of being wrongfully deemed ineligible to vote in the November midterms.
"The court's order leaves the door open for organizations to refile, but the dismissal denies the opportunity to obtain preliminary relief prior to the upcoming election," wrote Zindy Marquez, a representative for the Chicago Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights.
In October 2025, four nonprofits sued Indiana Secretary of State Diego Morales and the directors of the Indiana Election Division over new laws requiring a cross-check between voter information and Bureau of Motor Vehicles records. The laws, they argued, unfairly targeted some U.S. citizens in violation of the National Voting Rights Act and Civil Rights Act.
More: Secretary of State Diego Morales sued over new voting laws affecting naturalized citizens
The plaintiffs – The League of Women Voters of Indiana, Common Cause Indiana and Hoosier Asian American Power Exodus Refugee Services – said that they'd redirected already scarce resources away from their normal operations to ensure that U.S. citizens born abroad would still be allowed to vote.
That alone wasn't enough to enable them the right to sue, U.S. District Court Judge Matthew Brookman ruled on Sept. 10. Citing an earlier decision by the U.S. Supreme Court, Brookman wrote that organizations cannot "manufacture" grounds to sue by diverting their own resources in response to someone else's actions.
"Were the contrary true, the Court cautioned, an organization would acquire standing by spending a single dollar opposing government policy," Brookman wrote.
He dismissed the lawsuit without prejudice and gave the plaintiffs 28 days to file an amended case.
The laws, which went into effect on July 1, 2025, aim to seek out registered voters who've been issued temporary driver's licenses or IDs by the BMV, forms of identification given to legal noncitizens. People who appear on both the BMV's records and the voter rolls must provide proof of citizenship or be removed from the voter rolls. Only one of the laws – House Enrolled Act 1624 – created an appeal process.
The plaintiffs argued that the BMV's records can be outdated, because people aren't required to notify the BMV once they become citizens. They're also allowed to use the temporary credentials for up to six years, even if they become citizens during that time. Their lawsuit said at least three U.S. citizens were incorrectly flagged under the laws.
"We are disappointed in this decision that will risk the removal of many eligible Hoosiers from the rolls ahead of the November election," said William Groth, one of the plaintiffs' attorneys.
The secretary of state's office did not immediately respond to request for comment, but supporters of the two laws had previously argued that the addition of safeguards was important to bolster trust in Indiana's elections.
The plaintiffs have not announced their next steps.
Ryan Murphy is the communities reporter for IndyStar. She can be reached at rhmurphy@indystar.com.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Federal court rejects suit over Indiana's proof-of-citizenship voter law ahead of midterms