For more than a quarter century, I have worked with the League of Women Voters of the South Bend Area to support voter registration efforts across our community — from high schools to neighborhood events to naturalization ceremonies at the federal courthouse. At those ceremonies, volunteers welcome newly naturalized citizens and help them take the next step: registering to vote.
Volunteer after volunteer tells me this is an unforgettable experience — because of the pride, enthusiasm and joy new citizens express, and their deep commitment to participating fully in the life of our nation. These are not abstract ideals; they are lived commitments to civic participation.
Recent reporting in the South Bend Tribune and statewide coverage highlight growing concerns about Indiana’s new proof-of-citizenship process, which is now the subject of a pending legal challenge.
According to data submitted in that case, a majority of flagged individuals — many of them naturalized citizens — have had their voter registrations rejected or canceled. These outcomes often stem not from ineligibility, but from bureaucratic mismatches, outdated records or missed communications.
At the heart of the problem is a system that relies on past identification records, such as temporary credentials issued before an individual became a U.S. citizen. When those records do not align with current citizenship status, voters can be flagged and required to provide additional documentation within a limited timeframe.
In practice, this has created confusion and anxiety. Some voters receive notices that are unclear or arrive too late. Others are unsure what documentation is required or how to submit it properly. Still others may never receive the notice at all.
When administrative systems fail to communicate with one another, the burden shifts to voters instead of the state — and that is unacceptable.
The result is not just inconvenience — it is the risk that eligible citizens will be removed from the voter rolls or discouraged from participating altogether.
This is not an abstract concern. It affects members of our community here in South Bend — individuals who have chosen to engage fully in civic life and who have done everything required of them to participate.
We can all agree that accurate voter rolls and secure elections matter. But those goals must be pursued in ways that are fair, transparent and careful not to disenfranchise eligible voters.
Good policy recognizes that government records are not always up to date, that mail is not always delivered reliably, and that complex processes can unintentionally exclude people they were never meant to burden. When those realities are ignored, the consequences fall on citizens who have done everything right.
In our community, we see the impact of civic engagement every day. New citizens bring energy, perspective and a deep appreciation for democratic participation. They strengthen our neighborhoods, our institutions, and our shared future.
A healthy democracy depends on both integrity and inclusion. Indiana can protect election integrity and ensure that eligible voters are not wrongly removed from the rolls. We should do both — and we should do it now.
Elizabeth A. Bennion is a South Bend resident and head of voter services with the League of Women Voters of the South Bend Area.
This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: A healthy democracy depends on both integrity and inclusion | Opinion
Reporting by Elizabeth A. Bennion, Guest columnist / South Bend Tribune
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Elizabeth A. Bennion, Guest columnist | USA TODAY Network
