Compiled from reports by SCOTUSblog, UPI and CBS News. See the original articles linked below.
The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday, Oct. 22, allowed New Hampshire to stop accepting student identification cards for voting in the Nov. 3 midterm election, according to SCOTUSblog, UPI and CBS News.
UPI reported that the justices granted an emergency request from the state, which was supported by the Republican National Committee. SCOTUSblog's Amy Howe wrote that the brief, unsigned order paused a ruling by a federal district judge while the state's appeal goes forward. CBS News, in a report that included contributions from The Associated Press, said the order was issued less than two weeks before the state's closely contested U.S. Senate race.
What the order said
SCOTUSblog reported that the court relied on the Purcell principle, which generally discourages lower federal courts from changing election rules close to an election. The order stated that such courts should ordinarily not alter those rules on the eve of an election, SCOTUSblog said. CBS News reported that the court found the lower court had not justified departing from that principle.
Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson was the only justice to publicly dissent, according to CBS News. SCOTUSblog reported that she described the district court's order as a targeted one that addressed alleged misinformation. CBS News said she argued Purcell did not necessarily apply because the lower court's order left the state's own rule untouched.
How the dispute began
According to SCOTUSblog, the state law, HB 323, passed in April and took effect in June. UPI described it as removing student IDs from the forms of identification accepted when a person requests a ballot. The Coalition for Open Democracy sued, arguing that the law burdens the right to vote and was meant to discriminate against young voters, SCOTUSblog and UPI reported.
U.S. District Judge Joseph Laplante declined to block the law itself, UPI reported. SCOTUSblog said he instead blocked a directive from Secretary of State David Scanlan that discouraged election officials from considering student IDs under a separate provision, described as a safety valve, for voters who prove their identity in other ways. CBS News said the secretary of state's guidance had barred student IDs as a backup form of identification, and that the judge blocked it in early October.
SCOTUSblog reported that the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Boston declined to pause Laplante's ruling, so Scanlan turned to the Supreme Court. According to SCOTUSblog, he argued the ruling would force the state to undo its election preparations. The coalition replied that the ruling enforced the legislature's statutes against overreach by the executive branch, and that the secretary's revised website guidance was now the status quo, SCOTUSblog said.
Reaction and effect
UPI reported that the effect of the order is that student IDs cannot be used as a backup means of establishing identity, in addition to no longer being a primary form of identification under state law. CBS News reported that New Hampshire Attorney General John Formella, a Republican, praised the decision.
SCOTUSblog said the order keeps Laplante's ruling on hold while the state's appeal proceeds.
Sources
- Supreme Court allows New Hampshire to restrict use of student IDs in voting (SCOTUSblog, 2026-10-22)
- U.S. Supreme Court says New Hampshire can limit student IDs for voting (UPI, 2026-10-22)
- Supreme Court rules New Hampshire can ban use of student IDs for midterm voters (CBS News, 2026-10-22)
This article was compiled with AI assistance from the reports listed above and reviewed by GMA before publishing.