Idaho Removes Student IDs from List of Acceptable Voter ID

WASHINGTON, D.C. — On Wednesday, March 15, Idaho Gov. Brad Little (R) signed House Bill 124, a bill that removes student ID cards from the list of acceptable identification to vote. H.B. 124 passed both chambers of the Legislature on party line votes, with all Republicans voting in favor and all Democrats voting against. Idaho law requires photo identification at the polls before voting in-person. H.B. 124 strikes student photo ID cards issued by a high school or accredited higher education institution from the list of acceptable forms of identification, while continuing to accept concealed carry permits and more. The law goes into effect on Jan. 1, 2024.

According to Tufts University’s civic research center, Idaho has seen a 66% increase in registration for voters aged 18 and 19 between November 2018 and September 2022. This is the highest registration rate for new, young voters in the country. 

Idaho Democratic Party Chair and state Rep. Lauren Necochea (D) told Democracy Docket after the Senate passed the bill that in addition to targeting students’ access to the polls, Idaho Republicans have introduced other bills limiting vote by mail and curtaining the ballot initiative process. “Idaho’s Republican lawmakers, who already have a supermajority, are chipping away at our voting rights to further tip the scales in their favor and weaken our democracy,” Necochea continued. “Idahoans should be very alarmed by these ploys to corrupt our free and fair elections.”

Read H.B. 124 here.

Read more about bills that target young voters here.