A federal judge has temporarily halted Indiana’s attempt to disqualify student identification cards as valid voter ID, a move hailed by voting rights advocates and decried by state officials. The ruling effectively restores access to the polls for thousands of students who rely on their university-issued IDs.
The legal battle centered on Senate Bill 10, a recently passed law that removed student IDs from the list of acceptable forms of identification, despite their acceptance for nearly two decades. Judge Richard Young determined the law likely infringes upon the constitutional rights of students and young voters, citing potential violations of the First and Fourteenth Amendments.
The state argued that student IDs lacked the same rigorous issuance standards as state-issued driver’s licenses, raising concerns about election security. However, the judge pointed out that Indiana currently accepts other non-driver IDs – including military and tribal IDs – which often have less standardized requirements than university-issued cards.
Evidence presented to the court revealed a significant impact on student voters. Nearly 200,000 students attend Indiana public universities whose IDs previously qualified, and estimates suggest around 40,000 students could be affected by the ban. Polling data indicated that student IDs were a primary form of identification for a substantial portion of voters at on-campus locations.
The judge’s 34-page order emphasized that Indiana had presented no evidence of voter fraud linked to student IDs or any administrative issues caused by their use. He characterized the law as “a solution in search of a problem,” questioning the justification for eliminating a widely used and accepted form of identification.
The lawsuit was brought forth by voting rights groups and an Indiana University student who had previously used his student ID to vote but now lacked an alternative qualifying ID. The judge acknowledged the potential for irreparable harm to these voters if the law remained in effect.
While the ruling is a preliminary injunction – meaning it doesn’t permanently strike down the law – it allows student IDs meeting the state’s requirements to be used in upcoming elections. The state’s Attorney General has announced plans to appeal the decision, promising to continue fighting for what they deem “commonsense election rules.”
The court also considered, but did not rule on, a claim that the law intentionally discriminated against younger voters, a potential violation of the Twenty-Sixth Amendment. This aspect of the case remains open for further consideration as the legal proceedings continue.
Ultimately, the judge concluded that overriding a democratically enacted law was justified given the strong likelihood that the law itself is unconstitutional. He underscored that Indiana has no legitimate interest in enforcing a statute that is “probably unconstitutional.”
