04/10/2026
Marion County Clerk Kate Sweeney Bell Responds to Indiana Secretary of State
(Indianapolis) - Once again, Secretary of State Diego Morales and his office have a shown a lack of knowledge for how our state’s elections operate.
Following a story on WTHR about a citizen who was told he could not vote until he proved his citizenship status, Secretary Morales went on Facebook to claim that Marion County Clerk Kate Sweeney Bell ‘dropped the ball’ and was the cause of this voter’s confusion. Nothing, however, could be further from the truth.
“I cannot speak to operations of the Marion County Board of Voter Registration, but the Marion County Election Board took no part in filling out or sending that letter,” says Marion County Clerk Kate Sweeney Bell. “To say otherwise shows how little the Secretary understands about what’s going on in Indiana’s largest election jurisdiction.”
In Marion County, the Election Board and the Board of Voters Registration are separate entities. A handful of other large counties in the state are also similarly situated. Yet, unsurprisingly, the state-created letter referenced in the WTHR story failed to account for that distinction, leading to voter confusion.
“The Marion County Election Board and the Marion County Board of Voters Registration, while separate,” says Clerk Sweeney Bell, “work closely to ensure accurate information reaches voters.”
The Indiana law that led to this issue (Indiana Code § 3-7-38.2-7.3), enacted in July 2025, has caused issues for both voters and election administrators. Individuals who are undoubtedly citizens and undoubtedly registered to vote are now having to reaffirm their status, creating confusion for voters.
The Marion County Election Board is only involved in administrating the ‘proof of citizenship’ law if an appeal is filed by a person who has been removed from the voter rolls. To date, there have been no appeals filed with the board.
“I labeled this voter suppression because that’s what it is,” says Clerk Sweeney Bell. “I stand by that statement. Secretary Morales says this is personal for him. This is personal for me too. My job is to protect all legal voters in Marion County, and I take that job seriously. Forcing new American citizens to jump through extra hoops to vote is nonsense. And it’s a process Secretary Morales conveniently never had to abide by himself.”
The voter in question provided the required documentation and was able to cast his ballot.
Vote by mail and early in-person voting for the Indiana Primary has already begun and Election Day is on May 5th. Everyone is encouraged to check their voter registration status at indianavoters.in.gov and get their ballots cast on time. Please contact the Marion County Election Board at 317-327-5100 or [email protected] if you have questions or need assistance. Even if it’s a voter registration issue, our staff will help get you to the right office.
I just registered to vote using Indiana's Voter Portal. Update voting registration, see who's on the ballot, get election results, and so much more. Indianavoters.com