NC elections board approves student and public employee IDs for upcoming elections
The North Carolina State Board of Elections said Monday that it approved 99 types of student and employee identification cards for use in the 2023 municipal elections and 2024 primary and general elections.
The approvals come as the state prepares to ask that voters show photo ID at the polls, starting with the municipal elections this fall.
North Carolina added a photo ID requirement to the state constitution in 2018, but it has been held up by various legal cases. The Republican-majority state Supreme Court in April ruled the voter ID law is constitutional, overturning a 2022 decision by the Democratic-majority court.
The newly approved photo IDs can be used to confirm a person’s identity when they check in to vote — in addition to or in lieu of identification already permitted by state law for use by voters, such as state driver’s licenses.
The newly approved IDs include student photo IDs for all UNC system schools, as well as many other public and private colleges and universities, the board said. They also include employee photo IDs for a variety of educational institutions, as well as some county governments and charter schools. The cards will remain valid for use as a voter’s photo ID through Dec. 31, 2024.
To qualify, the student identification card had to contain a picture of the student's face, an expiration date and be issued after enrollment and confirm the student's identity using social security number, citizenship status and birth date. The IDs of six institutions were rejected for use in the 2023 municipal elections because they lacked expiration dates, according to the board. Those institutions will be able to re-apply for the 2024 elections
A full list of acceptable types of voter ID is available on the state board’s website. The board is expected to announce additional ID application periods for 2024 elections.
Voters who don’t have an acceptable photo ID can get one for free from the N.C. Division of Motor Vehicles.
Voters will still be allowed to vote with or without an ID, the board said. If an in-person voter doesn’t provide an acceptable ID, the voter will be allowed to fill out an ID exception form and a provisional ballot, or vote using a provisional ballot and bring an acceptable ID to the county board of elections office before the county canvass.
Voters who vote by mail will be asked to include a photocopy of an ID with their ballot or complete an ID exception form for absentee voting. The photocopy will be mailed in a special envelope to protect the voter’s personal information on their ID, the board said.
