Executive Summary
- Secretary of State Diego Morales used a fatal crash involving a non-citizen driver to promote Indiana’s proof-of-citizenship voter law.
- Advocacy groups, including the Chicago Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights, condemned the video as a “false narrative” lacking evidence of voter fraud.
- The laws in question, effective July 2025, require cross-checks between voter rolls and BMV data for temporary credentials.
- A federal lawsuit is currently pending, arguing the laws disenfranchise naturalized citizens and violate federal civil rights statutes.
INDIANAPOLIS – Indiana Secretary of State Diego Morales has drawn sharp condemnation from voting rights advocates after releasing a video campaign that connects a recent fatal traffic collision to the state’s newly implemented proof-of-citizenship voter registration requirements. The video, released on February 25, uses the backdrop of a deadly crash in Hendricks County to argue for the necessity of stricter voter verification laws, a move opponents have characterized as a misleading narrative.
In the video statement, Secretary Morales references the February 18 fatal crash involving truck driver Sukhdeep Singh. According to reports cited from the Indianapolis Star, Singh was detained at the scene by Indiana State Police for transfer to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Morales uses the incident to claim that prior to the new legislation, individuals with Singh’s status could have theoretically registered to vote. "Before this law took effect, an individual like this… could have registered to vote in Indiana," Morales stated, though he did not provide evidence regarding Singh’s actual voter registration status.
The Chicago Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights (CLCCR) issued a strong rebuttal to the Secretary’s claims. in a statement to The Indiana Citizen, the CLCCR described the Secretary’s approach as "harmful and irresponsible," accusing him of conflating a tragic accident with unsubstantiated claims of noncitizen voting. "We will continue to fight this false narrative that noncitizens are voting in our elections," the organization stated. Hoosier Asian American Power (HAAP) also criticized the rhetoric, noting that research consistently shows elections in Indiana are secure.
The legislation in question, comprising House Enrolled Act 1264 and House Enrolled Act 1680, took effect on July 1, 2025. These laws mandate that state election officials cross-reference voter registration rolls against the Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles’ database to identify registrants holding temporary driving credentials. Morales noted in the video that individuals with "temporary" licenses can no longer use their driver’s license numbers to register without further proof of citizenship.
The implementation of these laws is currently the subject of a federal lawsuit filed in October 2025 by the League of Women Voters of Indiana, Common Cause Indiana, HAAP, and Exodus Refugee Immigration. The plaintiffs allege that the proof-of-citizenship requirements unfairly burden naturalized citizens and violate both the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the National Voter Registration Act of 1993.
It is important to note that Sukhdeep Singh is presumed innocent of any criminal charges regarding the traffic accident until proven guilty in a court of law.
Legislative and Judicial Scrutiny
The controversy surrounding Secretary Morales’ video underscores the deepening fracture between election integrity initiatives and voting rights protections. As the federal lawsuit against Morales and the Indiana Election Division proceeds, the judicial outcome will likely set a significant precedent regarding the extent to which states can utilize motor vehicle data to verify citizenship. The court’s decision will determine whether the current cross-check mechanisms are a necessary safeguard for electoral security or an unconstitutional barrier that disenfranchises eligible naturalized citizens.
