By Marilyn Odendahl
The Indiana Citizen
February 25, 2026
Indiana Secretary of State Diego Morales has released a video statement using a deadly traffic accident in Hendricks County to promote the state’s proof-of-citizenship voter law.
In the short video, Morales appears seated at a desk and says he wants to talk about “why Indiana’s new proof-of-citizenship law matters.” Headlines about the Feb. 18 fatal crash pop up in the video. The truck driver, Sukhdeep Singh, has been accused of causing the accident and, according to the Indianapolis Star, was detained by Indiana State Police scene for pickup by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
As a photo of the Singh is shown in the video, Morales claims a benefit of the proof-of-citizenship voter law is that the driver could not now cast a ballot in Indiana.
“Before this law took effect, an individual like this, someone now involved in the tragic incident in Hendricks County, could have registered to vote in Indiana,” Morales says.
Morales does not offer any information about Singh’s citizenship status or whether he is registered to vote in Indiana.
The Chicago Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights criticized Morales for the claims he made in the video.
“The attempt to conflate a tragic car accident with unrelated, unsubstantiated claims of noncitizen voting is harmful and irresponsible,” CLCCR said in a statement to The Indiana Citizen. “We should expect better from our elected officials and government leaders. We will continue to fight this false narrative that noncitizens are voting in our elections.”
Morales’ video includes what appears to Singh’s CDL driver’s license. Issued in May 2025, the word “temporary” is printed in the top right corner. Referring to Singh, Morales claims that before the change in law, individuals like him could have registered to vote by using their driver’s licenses and checking a box on a form saying that they are U.S. citizens. Then, Morales says, the driver’s license could have been used for voter identification at the polls.
“If people like this are willing to break the law in one area, they will break the laws in other areas,” Morales says. “Now, under Indiana’s new proof of citizenship law, things are different.”
Morales goes on to say that individuals with “temporary” licenses cannot use their driver’s license number to register to vote unless they prove their citizenship status.
In his video, Morales also tried to take credit for the law, even though he is not a legislator. New “Because of my legislation, that safeguard is now in place,” he says.
Indiana’s proof-of-citizenship voter law was actually introduced in a pair of bills authored by Rep. Timothy Wesco, R-Osceola. House Enrolled Act 1264 and House Enrolled Act 1680, both of which took effect July 1, 2025, require state election officials to crosscheck voter registration rolls and new voter registration applications against the Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles’ database to identify any registrants who were issued a temporary driving credential.
Hoosier Asian American Power pointed to other states where citizenship voting laws have incorrectly labeled eligible voters as noncitizens.
“Research has shown time and again that our elections in the United States and in Indiana are safe and secure,” HAAP said in a statement. “These new laws don’t make sense, especially in a state like Indiana, which is 41st in the nation in voter turnout and well below the national average.”
In October 2025, voter-advocacy groups in Indiana filed a lawsuit in federal court against Morales, as secretary of state, and the co-directors of the Indiana Election Division. The plaintiffs claim the proof-of-citizenship law unfairly burdens and could disenfranchise naturalized citizens in violation of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the National Voter Registration Act of 1993.
The organizations who filed the lawsuit are the League of Women Voters of Indiana, Common Cause Indiana, Hoosier Asian American Power, and Exodus Refugee Immigration.
In its statement, CLCCR said naturalized U.S. citizens are being “needlessly harmed” by Indiana’s proof-of-citizen laws, which are never imposed on individuals who are born in the U.S.
“The Indiana Secretary of State mischaracterizes safeguards to ensure that only U.S. citizens register to vote and vote in our elections,” CLCCR said in its statement. “Only U.S. citizens may vote in state and federal elections, and all registrants must affirm under penalty of perjury that they are a U.S. citizen when registering to vote.”
Hoosier Asian American Power offered its assistance in securing the right to vote.
“HAAP is committed to helping Hoosier voters participate in our democracy, and we’re eager to support any voter who would like help in complying with the law and providing proof of citizenship,” the organization said in a statement.
Dwight Adams, an editor and writer based in Indianapolis, edited this article. He is a former content editor, copy editor and digital producer at The Indianapolis Star and IndyStar.com, and worked as a planner for other newspapers, including the Louisville Courier Journal.
The Indiana Citizen is a nonpartisan, nonprofit platform dedicated to increasing the number of informed and engaged Hoosier citizens. We are operated by the Indiana Citizen Education Foundation, Inc., a 501(c)(3) public charity. For questions about the story, contact Marilyn Odendahl at marilyn.odendahl@indianacitizen.org
