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Politics · October 23, 2026

US supreme court sides with Republicans on rejecting student IDs in New Hampshire midterms

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The U.S. Supreme Court issued an unsigned order on October 22, 2026, allowing New Hampshire to prohibit the use of student IDs as a form of voter identification for the upcoming midterm elections. The ruling stays a lower court's decision that had briefly blocked state guidance barring student IDs from being used as backup 'safety valve' identification. The Supreme Court majority cited the Purcell principle, which discourages federal courts from altering election rules close to an election. Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson was the sole public dissenter, arguing the lower court's order did not actually change the underlying state law and therefore didn't violate existing precedent.

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Reported across the spectrum

  • The U.S. Supreme Court cleared the way for New Hampshire to prohibit student IDs for voting.
  • The decision was issued as an unsigned emergency order.
  • The ruling cited the principle that courts should not change voting rules close to an election.
  • Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson was the only justice to publicly dissent.
  • New Hampshire passed a law earlier this year removing student IDs from the list of accepted identification.
  • The Republican National Committee backed the state's appeal to the Supreme Court.

Reported by only some outlets

  • New Hampshire has required voter ID since 2012.
  • The state law removing student IDs was signed by Governor Kelly Ayotte in April.
  • State Representative Donald McFarlane sponsored the bill, citing lack of government-level controls at colleges.
  • New Hampshire is hosting a competitive U.S. Senate race between John E. Sununu and Chris Pappas.
  • The specific seat was held by retiring Senator Jeanne Shaheen.

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