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There are a lot of areas where Hoosiers could make strides in improving the state’s civic health, but Indiana’s voter registration numbers continue to be the most significant problem.
That’s a key finding from the 2023 Indiana Civic Health Index, a report released Wednesday by the Indiana Bar Foundation and its partners in the Indiana Civics Coalition.
The 2023 INCHI is the sixth edition of the report, which was first released in 2011.
Charles Dunlap, the bar foundation’s president and CEO, said there are some areas where Indiana has demonstrated strong civic health.
For example, Dunlap pointed to the new state requirement, which began in January, that all sixth-grade students take one semester of civics education. He said Indiana is one of only seven states with a middle school civics requirement.
The bar foundation has partnered with the Indiana Chamber of Commerce to develop a publication for Indiana teachers to better understand and teach students about the role of state and local governments.
It also continues to administer the “We the People: The Citizen and Constitution” program and has partnered with the Center for Civic Education to expand its outreach for that program.
Dunlap also pointed to the Indiana Kids Election program, which the foundation describes as a comprehensive way to both teach students about voting and have them participate in a simulated voting environment.
But voter registration and turnout remain daunting challenges in Indiana.
The INCHI lists formal participation in the electoral process, in the form of voter registration and turnout, as the state’s most significant civil health challenge.
According to the report, Indiana ranked 50th in the nation in voting in 2022, with the national voting rate of 52.2% exceeding Indiana’s 41.9%.
“It should be noted that Indiana consistently placed in the bottom 10 of all states on midterm voter turnout since 2010. The presidential election year turnout was even less encouraging,” the report states.
In 2012, Indiana ranked 36th in voter turnout, but by 2020, the state’s rank in presidential election years fell to 46th.
The state’s voter registration ranking has consistently fallen between 2010 and 2022, according to the report, with its most recent rank of 40th at 66.5%.
“It is in the area of voter registration that the most significant impact can be made in preparation for the upcoming 2024 election, especially with a concentrated focus on registration of Hoosier youth,” the report says.
“If you care about the health of our democracy, then the data should be a wake-up call,” said Bill Moreau, founder and president of the Indiana Citizen Education Foundation Inc.
Moreau applauded some of the state’s advances in civics education but stressed that there needs to be more done to boost voter registration numbers.
Dunlap noted changes in voter registration rankings aren’t going to happen overnight. He said he hopes groups like the Lilly Endowment Inc. and other community foundations will step up to help fund outreach and voter registration efforts statewide.
“Our hope and plans are to have powerful voices help in that regard, lead by example and put the call out there,” Dunlap said.
Further, to address Indiana’s continued low ranking in voter registration and turnout, especially among 18-to-21-year-olds, the 2023 INCHI calls for a statewide focus on improving youth voter registration.
Specifically, the report recommends investing in nonpartisan education programs targeted at young Hoosiers focused on the importance of voting and encouraging eligible students to register.
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