Idaho student sues for right to use student ID cards to vote

Idaho’s Secretary of State, Phil McGrane, was recently sued over House Bill 124, which bans the use of student IDs as a valid form of voter identification. 

High school senior Rosaura Albizo Barron and the political activist group March for Our Lives, claim that the law is unconstitutional in that it is discriminatory against young people.

”This legislation is intended to make it harder for one group of people—young voters—to participate in Idaho’s elections,” the complaint alleges, adding that the new law ”comes in the context of an unprecedented wave of youth political activism in Idaho.”

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House Bill 124, signed into law on Mar. 16 and taking effect Jan. 1 of 2024, mandates that only a valid Idaho driver’s license, Idaho identification card, United States passport, tribal photo identification, or a conceal and carry license are valid to use at a polling place. 

The plaintiffs allege that the law is inconsistent with the Twenty-Sixth Amendment of the United States Constitution, which guarantees that “[t]he right of citizens of the United States, who are eighteen years of age or older, to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of age.”

The Idaho Senate is Republican-controlled and Senator Scott Herndon helped sponsor the bill, viewing it as an issue of election integrity.

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“Secretary McGrane takes great pride in protecting the right of every legal voter in Idaho to cast their vote. As the session nears an end, we are working on legislation to enhance both access and security in Idaho elections,” said the Secretary of State’s Office in an official statement.

Campus Reform has contacted all parties mentioned and will update any comment.