The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday evening reinstated New Hampshire’s 2026 voter identification law, barring high school and college identification cards from being used at polling places in the state’s Nov. 3 midterm election.
What the court did
The unsigned order overturned a decision by a federal judge in New Hampshire who had temporarily allowed student ID cards to remain an acceptable form of identification. With the Supreme Court’s action, election officials will enforce the state law as written for the upcoming election.
All New Hampshire voters will be required to present a government-issued form of identification at the polls, rather than school-issued photo IDs, beginning with the Nov. 3 election.
Background
Earlier in 2026, the state Legislature approved a law that removed school identification cards from the list of documents voters may use to prove identity at the ballot box. A federal judge in New Hampshire had temporarily blocked enforcement of that provision, allowing students to use campus and school IDs while litigation continued.
- The Supreme Court’s unsigned order restores enforcement of the law that excludes school IDs.
- The decision comes less than two weeks before the Nov. 3 midterm election.
- New Hampshire election officials must follow the law as now reinstated by the high court.
Implementation and next steps
With the law back in effect, voters who rely on a school-issued identification card will need to present a government-issued ID to cast a regular ballot at their polling place. The court did not provide a written opinion in the unsigned order accompanying the reinstatement.
Legal challenges connected to the state’s voter ID rules remain in the federal court system. The Supreme Court’s order restores the statute for the immediate election period while any further litigation proceeds through the courts.
Election administrators and campus officials have been notifying students and voters about acceptable forms of ID in light of the ruling. Voters should consult their town or city clerk for the list of qualifying documents and any local instructions ahead of Election Day.
