Opinion: Modern-day voter suppression — there are more ways than one to disenfranchise voters

by Linda Hanson, Indiana Capital Chronicle
February 16, 2026

Voter turnout in Indiana has been problematic for years. It hit rock bottom in 2014. In 2022, we ranked 50th, and in 2024, we improved to 41st nationally – but still well below national averages for voter turnout. Our ranking for voter registration is consistently in the bottom half of all states. 

An analysis of voting rights in this country reveals an arc. Until 1920, voting was a privilege, but with federal intervention and the 1965 Voting Rights Act, the election process became more fair, open and inclusive. Elections then emphasized voter rights and responsibilities. In this century, however, that arc has bent back to advantage privilege for political gain and power by disenfranchising huge swaths of voters.  

Current and proposed legislation at the state and national levels will suppress the vote, which reinforces the view that voting is a privilege. Our history provides the ugly context for that view as well as for a more expansive view of American democracy derived from the Declaration of Independence and stated in the Indiana Constitution: “all power is inherent in the people; and … all free governments are, and of right ought to be, founded on their authority, and instituted for their peace, safety, and well-being…. All elections shall be free and equal.” 

The right to vote is not in our original U.S. Constitution. Determining the rules for elections — and who could vote — was left to the states. Voting was a privilege accorded by the men making the rules for a new government. 

Yet the major battles in this country have been over suffrage. More than 17,000 were lost in the Revolutionary War – over suffrage and taxation without representation. In the first U.S. election, those given the vote were male, white, 21 years or older and property owners.  

In the Civil War, hundreds of thousands of Americans died to end slavery — essentially a war over suffrage. In 1870, for the first time, the federal government stepped in to limit the authority of the states to decide who can and cannot vote. The 15th Amendment gave African-American male citizens the vote. 

After 50 more years of struggle, the federal government stepped in again in 1920. The 19th Amendment guaranteed women the right to vote. By then, most citizens 21 or older had the right to vote. In practice, black women were still overlooked.

Because states write the rules for voting and elections, for more than 40 years many citizens had the right but were denied the opportunity to vote. Jim Crow laws, complicated indigenous citizenship laws, discriminatory laws affecting Asian Americans, and accessibility for the elderly and disabled all prevented many of these citizens from exercising their right to vote.  

Improvements

The League of Women Voters was influential in passing the 1965 National Voting Rights Act, which suspended Jim Crow and similar voter suppression laws. 

And in 1971, the 26th Amendment gave voting rights to citizens 18 years or older. As a nation, we were progressing toward fairer, more open, more inclusive elections.

The 2013 Shelby County v. Holder Supreme Court ruling, however, opened the door for politically motivated voter suppression once again, supporting the view of voting as a privilege.

Indiana was the first state to require a photo ID to vote, a law upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2008. Further restrictions followed. In 2025, Indiana lawmakers rescinded the use of student IDs to vote.

Indiana legislation also became effective in 2025 implementing documentary proof of citizenship requirements for some non-U.S. born voters, a requirement that will never impact U.S. born voters. 

The U.S. Congress is now stepping into voter rights again but to restrict rather than protect voter rights with bills that would require documentary proof of citizenship for all. 

The SAVE Act will disenfranchise eligible voters — disproportionately impacting Black, Indigenous, elderly, and student voters, and especially married women last names don’t match the last name on their birth certificate.

One way for anyone to prove their U.S. citizenship is to have a passport. In Indiana, however, only 4.2 out of 100 citizens have a valid passport. The cost and difficulty of obtaining a passport or other necessary documents could effectively disenfranchise thousands of eligible Hoosier voters across the state if the SAVE America Act passes the U.S. Senate.

Requiring photo IDs, expanded to include proof of residence and/or proof of citizenship to register to vote, is one significant tactic for suppressing the vote — and the voices — of women, low-income communities, and those who might have moved or married.  

Other laws impact voting

Voting laws on the books for years, though, also shape voter turnout. Policies in high-turnout states include same-day registration, automatic voter registration, unrestricted absentee/mail voting and more than 12 hours to vote on election day. Indiana has none of those policies even though voting rights groups have advocated for them for years.  

The push for mid-cycle redistricting in the Indiana General Assembly last fall exposed two other barriers: legislative and congressional districts that are designed to protect incumbents or a party rather than represent the electorate. Another consequence of politicians choosing their constituents instead of voters choosing their representatives is a lack of competitive elections. The supermajority in the Indiana General Assembly has rejected redistricting reform consistently since 2015 and has enabled them to remain in power for 20 years.

Additional factors that contribute to disenfranchisement are more subtle. First, voters fear their loss of privacy, which has already happened. Indiana Secretary of State Diego Morales dutifully turned over Indiana voter rolls to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. 

Second, voters fear for their safety. Immigration crackdowns create anxiety. Legislation progressing through this session of the General Assembly would create a military police force unit within our Indiana National Guard under the governor’s control. The units could go into communities without local consent — exacerbating voter anxiety and disrupting communities. Intimidation can be an effective deterrent keeping voters from showing up at the polls. 

The League of Women Voters’ efforts to ensure every person has safe, secure, unrestricted access to the ballot box have not abated. If anything, they have expanded. Those who would limit voting access to gain or maintain political power present a challenge we cannot ignore. 

Make your plans now to cast your votes in May and November!

Indiana Capital Chronicle is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Indiana Capital Chronicle maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Niki Kelly for questions: info@indianacapitalchronicle.com.