Supreme Court Temporarily Lets New Hampshire Block Student IDs at the Polls
The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday issued an emergency order allowing New Hampshire to stop accepting student IDs as voter identification in the November midterm elections. In a one-paragraph unsigned order, the justices granted an emergency application filed by Secretary of State David Scanlan, temporarily pausing U.S. District Judge Joseph Laplante's Oct. 2 ruling. That ruling had required the state to keep student IDs available as supporting evidence in its "safety valve" identity process.
New Hampshire lawmakers passed a law this spring under which student IDs alone may no longer verify a voter's identity. The state interpreted the law to also bar student IDs in the safety-valve process, and the Republican National Committee backed the state's emergency request. State officials argued the lower court's ruling changed election rules too close to Election Day and risked voter confusion.
New Hampshire law allows voters who lack standard ID to attempt to prove identity through alternative means. The dispute was whether student IDs could serve as one supporting factor in that process. The district court found the state's reading went beyond the statute and improperly restricted voters; the Supreme Court majority, citing the principle against late election-rule changes, concluded the lower court had not justified deviating from that approach.
The order primarily affects college students in New Hampshire, especially out-of-state students who rely on campus IDs. Voting-rights groups say the restriction raises barriers for young voters, while state officials and Republicans argue it closes a potential ID loophole and protects election integrity.
Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson publicly dissented, arguing the Purcell doctrine did not apply. She wrote that the district court's injunction did not sow confusion but instead prevented it, because it stopped material misrepresentations about state election rules. In her view, ensuring accurate public information justified the lower court's relief.
The stay is temporary, not a final ruling on the merits. The state's appeal will continue, and a final decision may come after the election. For the November vote, New Hampshire's restriction will be enforced, and voters should bring other accepted forms of identification.