Supreme Court Allows New Hampshire to Ban Student IDs

The Supreme Court of the United States ruled on Thursday that New Hampshire may implement a blanket ban on using student IDs for voter identity verification. The decision comes ahead of the November 3 midterm elections and reverses a lower court ruling that had previously blocked a directive from Secretary of State David Scanlan.

Scanlan's directive prohibited election officials from accepting student IDs even under a safety valve provision intended for voters who struggle to establish their identity. The legal battle follows a law signed in April by Governor Kelly Ayotte requiring government-issued identification to vote.

Republican state leaders and the Republican National Committee defended the measure as a necessary step to prevent voter fraud and the use of fake identification. Democratic critics and voter advocacy groups argued the ban is a tactic to disenfranchise young voters who do not possess driver's licenses. Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson dissented from the ruling.

The dispute occurs during a high-stakes Senate race between Democratic candidate Chris Pappas and Republican John E. Sununu, who are competing for the seat vacated by the retired Senator Jeanne Shaheen.