BOISE, Idaho — Idaho voting laws are scheduled to update on January 1, 2024. Meaning the countdown is to when student IDs will no longer serve as a valid form of voter ID.
The law began as House Bill 124 - in a fairly simple process, the bill crossed out the Idaho code that allows student ID cards to be used for voting.
Voting groups like BABE Vote and The League of Women Voters of Idaho are suing the Secretary of State over it. To summarize their case: “The plaintiffs argued that the ban on student ID was illegal age discrimination that violated the state constitution’s equal protection clause, as voters using student ID are often young Idahoans, who would be disproportionately burdened by the new law.”
However, Secretary of State Phil McGrane doesn’t see the law in the same light as the suit paints it.
“Student IDs, it really was just the standard...student IDs were much lower than, say, a driver's license, military I.D., passport or other IDs. And so, the legislature had a bill that they wanted to advance that,” McGrane said.
McGrane said that to him, this is a data-driven conversation about use of ID types in voting.
“We only had 104 voters out of there. Almost 600,000 voters who cast ballots show a student I.D. And so that really started to open up the conversation about, you know, what forms work, what forms don't," McGrane said. "That's also where the conversation about the free ID came in is making sure that anybody would have access with that free I.D.”
That free ID is now available per a new Idaho law. Ellen Mattila, a spokesperson with Idaho Transportation Department, details the requirements for getting one.
“You need to be at least 18, at least old enough to vote. You can't have a had a valid driver's license in the last six months. You need to bring proof of citizenship. Or if the DMV already has that on file, you will use that. And then you need to bring proof of Idaho residency and proof of identity just like any other card you would get,” Mattila said.
To be clear, the ID is not just for voting. It’s a free state ID for a variety of things like:
“If you need to present it at a bank or a liquor store or a bar or restaurant or something like that. You can use it for that as well,” Mattila said.
McGrane said there is certainly focus on young voters in his office, he says he is always working to get more people involved and voting.
“Also, we've set aside funds to make sure we can do voter education at all of the universities in the state. And just to make sure we can do some outreach, including we're going to send a letter to all those hundred and four voters who use the student I.D. just to let them know about some of the changes so that they can be ready next time they vote,” McGrane said.
Free IDs are ready now, contact your local DMV about getting one. To be clear, student IDs are allowed as forms of ID until the end of 2023. So for example, voters could use it in the upcoming Boise Mayoral race.
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