Why It Matters
The Supreme Court has allowed New Hampshire officials to restrict how student IDs may be used when voters seek ballots in the state’s November election for an open U.S. Senate seat.
What Happened
In an unsigned order issued Thursday, the court permitted enforcement of New Hampshire’s interpretation of its voter-identification law. The law bars voters from using student IDs alone to verify their identities, while allowing other forms of proof.
The dispute centered on whether student IDs could be combined with additional evidence. A federal district court blocked enforcement of the state’s interpretation on Oct. 2 after the Coalition for Open Democracy challenged it.
The Supreme Court said the lower court’s ruling came too close to Election Day. The justices invoked the “Purcell principle,” which addresses court decisions that alter election rules shortly before voting.
New Hampshire Secretary of State David Scanlan and the Republican National Committee supported the policy. Lawyers for the plaintiffs criticized the Supreme Court’s decision.
By the Numbers
- Thursday: The date of the Supreme Court’s order.
- November: The month when New Hampshire voters will choose a replacement for retiring Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen.
- Oct. 2: The date the federal district court blocked enforcement.
- 31 percentage points: Democrats’ advantage over Republicans among younger adults in a recent CNN poll.
Zoom Out
Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson dissented. She wrote that the court had not fully defined the limits of the Purcell principle and said she would not set aside a federal-court order intended to ensure voters receive accurate information about election procedures.
The ruling follows a mid-September Supreme Court decision rejecting President Donald Trump’s proposal concerning mail ballots.
What’s Next
New Hampshire voters will cast ballots in November for the Senate seat that Shaheen is leaving. Under the Supreme Court’s order, student IDs cannot be used alone to establish a voter’s identity under the challenged state-law interpretation.
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