By Ruth Brown, Idaho Reports
The Senate passed a bill Thursday evening, in a 28-7 vote, to prohibit the use of student IDs as a form of identification at the polls.
Sen. Scott Herndon, R-Sagle, sponsored H 124 in the Senate after it passed the House on a party line vote. Herndon said student IDs are not required to include a date of birth and schools do not require proof of identification to obtain one.
“The problem with them is there is no uniformity,” Herndon said.
He said a person without a driver’s license could still sign a personal affidavit at the polls, if they do not have another form of identification. In the 2022 General Election, only 104 voters used student IDs.
Sen. Melissa Wintrow, D-Boise, said she did not want to discourage any student from voting and opposed the bill. Every Democratic senator voted against the bill.
The bill now heads to the governor’s desk for signature.
Ruth Brown | Producer
Ruth Brown grew up in South Dakota and her first job out of college was covering the South Dakota Legislature. She’s since moved on to Idaho lawmakers. Brown spent 10 years working in print journalism, including newspapers such as the Idaho Statesman and Idaho Press, where she’s covered everything from the correctional system to health care issues. She joined Idaho Reports in 2021 and looks forward to telling stories about how state policy can impact the lives of regular Idahoans.
