Is .03% Worth It?

Diego Morales—who has himself faced allegations of voter fraud—is touting the identification of 1,600 Hoosier voters in the SAVE database as a victory according to an August 1, 2025 article by Marilyn Odendahl at the Indiana Citizen. The SAVE Act and the SAVE database are often mentioned together, but they’re not the same. The SAVE Act is a proposed federal law requiring proof of U.S. citizenship to register to vote. It pushes states to use the Department of Homeland Security’s SAVE database—originally created to verify eligibility for public benefits, not to determine who can vote.

The database is known to be outdated and incomplete. It often doesn’t reflect when immigrants become naturalized citizens, meaning eligible voters can be wrongly flagged due to system delays. Using this flawed tool to police voter rolls is misguided and discriminatory.

The SAVE Act would require limited forms of documentation—like a passport or birth certificate—to prove citizenship. Commonly held IDs, such as a driver’s license (even a REAL ID) or military ID, may not qualify. That risks excluding thousands of eligible voters.

Let’s also look at the numbers. Indiana has nearly 4.7 million registered voters. The 1,600 flagged represent just 0.03% of the electorate. That number shrinks further when you factor in outdated federal data. Many may now be citizens, meaning they are eligible to vote.

This raises real concerns about how taxpayer money and staff time are being used. The SAVE Act mandates time-intensive audits but provides no federal funding. That’s not just inefficient—it’s irresponsible. Morales has decided to implement these measures before the bill has even passed. This indicates that his allegiance and loyalty is to the desires of Washington D.C., and not here at home with Hoosier voters.

Voter intimidation is hard to quantify, but just as real. Those wrongly flagged must now fight for their right to vote. And they’re not alone—name changes through marriage or identity updates, and the removal of student IDs as valid ID, create barriers for others too.

Meanwhile, lawmakers are moving to cut early voting days and reduce polling places. These actions aren’t isolated—they’re part of a coordinated effort to suppress votes. Indiana ranked 50th out of 51 in voter turnout as of the last 2022 midterm election, and 40th in the nation during the presidential election of 2024. These suppression tactics are an unnecessary barrier for Hoosier voters that are already reluctant to turn up at the polls.

That’s why I’m running for Secretary of State. Hoosiers deserve an advocate who will stand up and say, “No, that’s not right.” If elected, I will be that advocate—and I will fight to ensure your voice is heard and your vote is protected.