State of Indiana

06/27/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 06/27/2024 12:52

Legal Immigrant, Indiana Secretary of State Diego Morales Takes Strong Stance on Safeguarding Election Integrity

Office of Indiana Secretary of StateDiegoMorales

200 W. Washington St. Indianapolis, IN 46204

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, June 27, 2024

Legal Immigrant, Indiana Secretary of State Diego Morales Takes Strong Stance on Safeguarding Election Integrity

INDIANAPOLIS- (June 27, 2024) -Indiana Secretary of State Diego Morales announces his strong stance on immigration policy and safeguarding election integrity.

Secretary Morales received a letter from America First Legal (AFL) identifying federal agencies and laws states may call upon to ascertain if non-U.S. citizens have registered to vote in their state. Access to federal immigration and citizenship data is crucial to ensuring that only U.S. citizens vote in U.S. elections. Secretary Morales acknowledges receipt of America First Legal's letter and acknowledges the organizations research and advocacy work.

Secretary Morales supports state and federal action to close loopholes which potentially allow noncitizens to register to vote and vote. Secretary Morales calls upon Congress to pass legislation to assure states have access to current, reliable citizenship status data to ensure only U.S. citizens register to vote.

Under the current President's administration, an unprecedented number of noncitizens have been allowed to enter our country. The failure of federal executive branch agencies to respond to the ease at which non-U.S. citizens may illegally participate in our elections is inexcusable.

As he travels throughout the state, Secretary Morales constantly cautions it is strictly illegal for a noncitizen to register to vote or vote in Indiana.

One of the first actions Secretary Morales took after taking the oath to become a naturalized citizen was to register to vote. "Strong immigration enforcement and upholding election integrity are priorities for the Hoosier state and our country, and very important to me on a personal level. Decades ago, I legally immigrated to America with my family and became a naturalized U.S. citizen. Not a day goes by, that I'm not grateful and proud to be an American. As Indiana's Secretary of State and Chief Election Officer, my office strives to ensure only eligible Hoosiers vote in our state's elections," said Diego Morales, Indiana Secretary of State.

Under the Secretary Morales administration, House Enrolled Acts 1334 (2023) and 1264 (2024) were passed and allows Indiana to take steps to prevent noncitizens from appearing on Indiana's voter rolls by working with the Bureau of Motor Vehicles.

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