diff --git a/helios/migrations/0009_add_deleted_at_index.py b/helios/migrations/0009_add_deleted_at_index.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..4f2cf72e9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/helios/migrations/0009_add_deleted_at_index.py
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+# Generated for adding index on deleted_at field
+
+from django.db import migrations, models
+
+
+class Migration(migrations.Migration):
+
+  dependencies = [
+    ('helios', '0008_add_election_soft_delete'),
+  ]
+
+  operations = [
+    migrations.AlterField(
+      model_name='election',
+      name='deleted_at',
+      field=models.DateTimeField(default=None, null=True, db_index=True, auto_now_add=False),
+    ),
+  ]
diff --git a/helios/models.py b/helios/models.py
index c8cde856a..53c2b5509 100644
--- a/helios/models.py
+++ b/helios/models.py
@@ -108,7 +108,7 @@ class Election(HeliosModel):
   archived_at = models.DateTimeField(auto_now_add=False, default=None, null=True)
 
   # soft delete timestamp - null means not deleted, non-null means deleted at that time
-  deleted_at = models.DateTimeField(auto_now_add=False, default=None, null=True)
+  deleted_at = models.DateTimeField(auto_now_add=False, default=None, null=True, db_index=True)
 
   # dates for the election steps, as scheduled
   # these are always UTC