State Voter ID Laws in Flux, Student IDs in Question

A group of students is shown here voting in Fayetteville, N.C., in 2020. Advocates are unsure how the state’s new voter identification laws will affect students. Melissa Sue Gerrits/Getty Images

State laws vary widely on whether college-issued IDs can be used at polling places. As some states change or modify the laws, voting rights advocates say the legislative maneuvers may impede student voting.

As the 2024 presidential election cycle gets into gear, many state legislatures are considering whether or not to allow students to use their institutional IDs at the polls.

Most states that require voters to show identification in order to vote allow some or all students to use their institution’s ID card to fulfill that requirement. But over the past several months, at least five states have either proposed or passed laws that would prohibit students from using their college-issued IDs to vote.

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