By — Lindsay Whitehurst, Associated Press Lindsay Whitehurst, Associated Press Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/supreme-court-allows-new-hampshire-to-fully-ban-student-ids-for-voting-in-midterms Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Supreme Court allows New Hampshire to fully ban student IDs for voting in midterms Politics Oct 23, 2026 11:41 AM EDT WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court cleared the way Thursday for New Hampshire to fully ban the use of student IDs for voting during the midterm elections. The justices granted a Republican-backed emergency appeal and blocked the use of student IDs as a backup method of identification. The Supreme Court cited a longstanding legal principle that judges shouldn't change voting rules too close to Election Day. Educate your inbox Subscribe to Here’s the Deal, our politics newsletter for analysis you won’t find anywhere else. Enter your email address Subscribe Form error message goes here. Thank you. Please check your inbox to confirm. Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson was the only justice to publicly dissent. New Hampshire passed a law this year that said student IDs would no longer be an expressly accepted form of identification for obtaining a ballot. The secretary of state then issued guidance barring them as a backup way to prove a voter's identity. A judge left the law in place but blocked the guidance in early October, prompting the appeal to the Supreme Court. The Republican National Committee weighed in to support the state. READ MORE: Many GOP states have imposed voting rules mirroring Trump's midterm proposals The decision comes less than two weeks before New Hampshire voters cast ballots in a closely contested U.S. Senate race. New Hampshire state Rep. Donald McFarlane said he sponsored the bill to eliminate student IDs for voting because colleges don't have the same controls when issuing those cards as government agencies. READ MORE: Democrats want a blue wave. New Hampshire is Exhibit A for why that may not happen "Today's Supreme Court decision is a victory for common sense," he said in an email. "It allows HB 323 to work as intended: strengthening voter identity verification, applying a consistent standard, and maintaining public confidence in New Hampshire elections." A free press is a cornerstone of a healthy democracy. Support trusted journalism and civil dialogue. Donate now By — Lindsay Whitehurst, Associated Press Lindsay Whitehurst, Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court cleared the way Thursday for New Hampshire to fully ban the use of student IDs for voting during the midterm elections. The justices granted a Republican-backed emergency appeal and blocked the use of student IDs as a backup method of identification. The Supreme Court cited a longstanding legal principle that judges shouldn't change voting rules too close to Election Day. Educate your inbox Subscribe to Here’s the Deal, our politics newsletter for analysis you won’t find anywhere else. Enter your email address Subscribe Form error message goes here. Thank you. Please check your inbox to confirm. Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson was the only justice to publicly dissent. New Hampshire passed a law this year that said student IDs would no longer be an expressly accepted form of identification for obtaining a ballot. The secretary of state then issued guidance barring them as a backup way to prove a voter's identity. A judge left the law in place but blocked the guidance in early October, prompting the appeal to the Supreme Court. The Republican National Committee weighed in to support the state. READ MORE: Many GOP states have imposed voting rules mirroring Trump's midterm proposals The decision comes less than two weeks before New Hampshire voters cast ballots in a closely contested U.S. Senate race. New Hampshire state Rep. Donald McFarlane said he sponsored the bill to eliminate student IDs for voting because colleges don't have the same controls when issuing those cards as government agencies. READ MORE: Democrats want a blue wave. New Hampshire is Exhibit A for why that may not happen "Today's Supreme Court decision is a victory for common sense," he said in an email. "It allows HB 323 to work as intended: strengthening voter identity verification, applying a consistent standard, and maintaining public confidence in New Hampshire elections." A free press is a cornerstone of a healthy democracy. Support trusted journalism and civil dialogue. Donate now