INDIANA — A federal judge has issued a preliminary injunction blocking an Indiana law that prohibited the use of college-issued student identification cards at polling places. The ruling, delivered Tuesday, April 14, 2026, ensures that students at public universities can continue using their institutional IDs to vote in the upcoming May primary.
U.S. District Court Judge Richard Young ruled in favor of the plaintiffs, stating that Senate Bill 10 likely imposes an unconstitutional burden on young voters, violating the First and Fourteenth Amendments.
In his 34-page opinion, Judge Young was critical of the state’s justification for the ban. Republican lawmakers had argued that student IDs lacked the “rigor” of driver’s licenses and were necessary to prevent voter fraud. However, the judge noted that student IDs have been accepted in Indiana for nearly two decades without a single documented case of fraud.
“On this record, SB 10 looks more like a solution in search of a problem,” Young wrote. He further pointed out the inconsistency in the state’s logic, noting that Indiana still permits IDs from the Veterans Administration, the military, and Native American tribes—many of which are less uniform than student IDs.
Impact by the Numbers
The legal challenge was spearheaded by the groups Count Us IN, Women4Change Indiana, and IU student Josh Montagne. They argued the law was a “surgical attack” on young voters.
- 40,000 to 90,000: The estimated number of Indiana students impacted by the ban.
- 66%: The percentage of voters at Indiana University Bloomington campus polling sites who utilized student IDs in the 2024 election.
- 20 Years: The length of time student IDs have been a valid form of identification in the state before this legislation.
Judge Young highlighted the practical difficulties the ban created for students, particularly those from out-of-state. To obtain a standard Indiana state ID, students often need:
- Birth Certificates: Which out-of-state students may not have immediate access to.
- Proof of Residency: Many students live in dorms and lack traditional rental contracts or utility bills.
“Students are the only group that are told that their widely held, government-issued ID cannot be used to vote,” Judge Young noted.
The State’s Defense
The office of Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita defended the law, maintaining that any burden on voters was “minimal” and intended to bolster election integrity. The state also argued that changing the rules just three weeks before the May 5 primary would cause administrative confusion.
Judge Young rejected this, stating the state provided no evidence that student IDs have ever complicated election administration or caused confusion for poll workers.
What This Means for Voters
For the May 5, 2026, Primary Election, students at Indiana public universities may continue to use their student IDs to vote, provided the ID meets these existing requirements:
- It is issued by a public Indiana university.
- It contains the voter’s name and photo.
- It has a valid expiration date (or is current).
The injunction remains in place while the broader lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the law proceeds through the courts.
