Low Voter Turnout Is a Policy Failure

Low voter turnout is a policy failure, not a failure of citizenship. Indiana consistently ranks near the bottom nationally when it comes to voter participation. This is often attributed to voter apathy, but turnout should instead be treated as a measurable indicator of whether election policy is working—or failing—the people it is meant to serve.

The Secretary of State has an administrative responsibility to educate voters and to provide a transparent, accountable election process that people can trust.

A poll conducted in late 2025 by Bellwether Research, based exclusively on Indiana respondents, found that only 23% of young voters believed voting would meaningfully amplify their voice. When asked what would make them more likely to participate, one of the most common responses was more convenient voting options. At the same time, many respondents reported they were unaware of existing early voting opportunities. That gap points to a clear failure in voter education. Providing access is not enough if voters are never effectively informed that those options exist.

Many respondents also cited distrust in election systems. Restoring confidence in elections is squarely within the responsibility of the Secretary of State. While the legislature has increased the number of election audits in recent years, those audits are not meaningfully public-facing. Audits that the public never sees do little to build public confidence. Publishing audit findings, reporting both successes and failures, and clearly communicating corrective actions would go a long way toward rebuilding trust. Transparency is how accountability is established.

Trust is also undermined when basic administrative competence breaks down. It was recently reported that the Secretary of State’s office may have mishandled as many as 330 candidate filings. Candidates traveled to downtown Indianapolis from across the state, often specifically to ensure they were complying with Indiana’s complex candidacy requirements, only to learn that clerical errors made by the Chief Elections Office could now expose them to ballot challenges. When voters and candidates do everything right and still face disqualification because of government error, that does not build trust. It destroys it.

Restrictive ballot access laws further compound these problems.

The second most common reason cited for not voting was dissatisfaction with available candidates. Indiana maintains some of the most restrictive ballot access laws in the country, including high signature thresholds, party-controlled gatekeeping, and complex compliance requirements for candidates outside the major parties. These barriers intentionally limit voter choice. In many races, the outcome is effectively decided long before November because only one candidate appears on the ballot. This is not an unintended consequence—it is the predictable result of restrictive policy.

Returning to the poll of young voters, 80% reported that they do not trust the federal government, yet federal authorities continue to seek greater control over state-run elections. Most recently, President Trump was quoted as saying, “The Republicans ought to nationalize the voting.” Top-down central planning does not make elections more secure or more accessible—it does the opposite.

In recent years, federal officials have increasingly sought to influence state election policy by weighing in on mail-in voting rules, early voting access, voter roll maintenance, identification requirements, and congressional district maps. Hoosiers are best positioned to serve Hoosiers. Indiana does not need election mandates driven by national party priorities rather than the practical realities of voters on the ground.

The Secretary of State could take inspiration from the business division of the office itself. Businesses evaluate success using clear metrics—profit, loss, and market share. Election administration should be no different. Voter participation should be treated as a key performance metric. By that standard, Indiana’s election policies have been failing Hoosiers for years.

A democracy that people no longer participate in cannot credibly claim to represent them.

It is time for new leadership—leadership outside the entrenched party system that too often serves parties over people. Indiana needs a Secretary of State who will restore trust, educate voters, expand accountability, and bring both competence and compassion to the role.