Indiana college ID voting ban goes back into effect as injunction is stayed

An Indiana law banning the use of public university student identification cards for voting is back in effect after a Monday order from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit — as early voting for the state’s May 5 primary continues.

A federal judge last week blocked enforcement when he granted a preliminary injunction sought by voter advocates alleging the ban “deliberately abridges young voters’ right to vote.”

The plaintiffs include Count Us IN, Women4Change Indiana and Indiana University student Josh Montagne. The day after the injunction was set, Montagne used his student ID to vote on IU’s Bloomington campus, he confirmed to the Indiana Capital Chronicle.

The state of Indiana filed an emergency motion for a suspension of the preliminary injunction. The appeals court granted the motion on Monday, pending appeal, and promised a “reasoned decision” within two business days.

Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita called the order a “BIG WIN for Election Integrity” in a post to X.

“This commonsense protection is needed to close loopholes, prevent potential fraud by out-of-state or ineligible voters, ensure every ballot belongs to a verified Hoosier, and preserve public confidence in fair, honest, and transparent elections,” Rokita wrote.

For decades, student ID cards issued by public colleges and universities satisfied the state’s voter ID law as long as a card included the voter’s name, photo and a valid expiration date.

Indiana lawmakers removed those IDs from the list of acceptable forms of identification last year, in Senate Enrolled Act 10. Republicans argued they weren’t subject to the same “rigor” as driver’s licenses — arguments Rokita echoed on Monday.

“Our voter ID law now fully applies again. Only secure, government-issued IDs like Indiana driver’s licenses are accepted at the polls,” Rokita wrote.

However, other forms of ID without expiration dates — like those issued by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, the military and Native American tribes — still qualify.

The state has maintained in court filings that the ban would impact a small number of students and that any burden created by the change is “minimal.”

The judge and plaintiffs estimated between 40,000 and 90,000 students in Indiana could be affected.

Indiana Capital Chronicle is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Indiana Capital Chronicle maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Niki Kelly for questions: [email protected].