College and high school students would no longer be able to use photo identification cards issued by their schools to obtain a ballot, under a proposal that cleared the New Hampshire Senate on Thursday on a 16-8 vote.
The New Hampshire House, on a near-party line vote, previously approved HB 323, which will now head to Gov. Kelly Ayotte’s desk.
Republicans argue that ending the use of school-issued ID cards will strengthen election integrity and create more uniformity across polling locations.
“This update builds greater confidence in the voting process, establishing clear, dependable rules, while still ensuring individuals can vote without difficulty,” Sen. James Gray of Rochester told colleagues.
The New Hampshire Secretary of State’s office has repeatedly said there is no evidence of widespread fraud in New Hampshire elections. It isn’t clear if the state has ever investigated or prosecuted someone for using a fabricated school ID to obtain a ballot.
School-issued IDs are not accepted for people seeking to register to vote for the first time in the state.
Sen. Rebecca Perkins Kwoka, a Democrat from Portsmouth, said the measure unfairly targets young voters who are otherwise qualified to participate in New Hampshire elections.
“What this bill really does, in effect, is restrict the ability for college students to vote,” she said.
Under current state law, all registered voters must show a photo ID at their polling location to obtain a ballot. Drivers licenses, including ones issued by other states, are accepted, as are passports and armed services identification cards. Identification cards issued by both private and public high schools in New Hampshire, as well as colleges and universities in the state, have been accepted, as well.
Sen. Dan Innis, a Republican from Bradford who teaches at the University of New Hampshire, argued that his own school identification card lacked an expiration date. “I could have this ID long after I've left the university, as could many students,” he said.
