Protecting Voter Access - Indiana Primary Election 2026

During the Indiana Primary Election on May 5, 2026, our nonpartisan Election Protection pro bono volunteers answered over 150 calls to the 866-OUR-VOTE hotline and supported nonpartisan community partners’ voter protection efforts on the ground in Allen County (Fort Wayne) and Marion County (Indianapolis). Collaborating with Count US Indiana and Common Cause Indiana, our volunteers fielded questions and resolved issues related to voter intimidation, electioneering, improper use of provisional ballots, and voter ID.

Laura and Sydney, Election Protection field volunteers who assisted voters in Indianapolis on Election Day.

During early voting and on Election Day, voters and volunteers across multiple counties reported aggressive electioneering within the campaign-free zone (within 50 feet of polling places). Electioneering within 50 feet of the polling place is illegal, and many voters may be intimidated by the sometimes aggressive behaviors of campaign volunteers. In one instance, ten or more campaign volunteers stood right in front of the polling place doors, forcing voters to walk through the crowd to get inside. Chicago Lawyers’ Committee, Common Cause Indiana, and League of Women Voters of Indiana worked together to monitor the site and advocate to election officials. In another instance, campaign volunteers were outside the 50-foot boundary but were blocking accessible parking spots. Count US Indiana was able to advocate around this issue to ensure those spots were available for voters to use. Voters deserve to cast their ballots free from these pressures.  

At polling locations in Allen County, some voters were told to vote provisionally as part of address verification, even though Allen County recently became a vote center county where voters can cast their ballot at any polling place within the county, and a voter’s address on their ID does not have to match their address on the voter rolls. Our volunteers assisted these voters to clarify the steps needed to ensure their provisional ballots were counted. Provisional ballots are a last resort and should not be given when a voter could otherwise be given a regular ballot. 

In Muncie (Delaware County), a poll worker barred a voter from using their U.S. Passport as proof of identity to vote, despite the fact that unexpired U.S. passports (and even passports expiring after the November 2024 general election) are acceptable forms of voter ID in Indiana. We collaborated with Count US Indiana to advocate to election officials, who corrected poll workers on what forms of ID are acceptable for voting. Partnerships between legal advocates and community leaders on the ground can make the difference for eligible voters being able to cast their ballots. 

Ahead of the May 5 Indiana Primary Election, voter advocacy organizations were concerned about possible confusion over the use of public college and university student IDs. Use of these IDs was banned by a new Indiana law enacted in 2025. That ban was temporarily removed in mid-April 2026 when a federal judge granted a preliminary injunction but was reinstated by the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals shortly after. On Election Day, one voter was originally turned away at the polls in Marion County when trying to use their university ID. Election Protection assisted this voter and helped them identify a potential alternate form of ID that they could use to vote. Unfortunately, many students who are eligible voters are harmed by the student ID ban and may not have backup options of other government-issued photo IDs. 

We’re grateful to our determined Election Protection volunteers for helping to protect voter access on May 5, and we thank the multiple law firms who dedicated their time to recruiting pro bono volunteers and supporting Election Protection efforts in other capacities. We also want to acknowledge our community partners who assisted voters on the ground—including Count US Indiana, Common Cause Indiana, League of Women Voters of Indiana, and NAACP—as well as the national Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law for their continued partnership on nonpartisan Election Protection programs. 

Ahead of Election Day, we worked with many of these partners on key events in Indiana to inform voters of their rights and recruit nonpartisan volunteers to protect voter access in their communities. We look forward to continuing to work with our partners to support voters in the November 2026 General Election.