Federal Judge Halts Indiana’s Ban on Student IDs for Voting
A federal judge blocked Indiana from enforcing a 2025 law. The law had removed college student ID cards from the state’s accepted voter identification list. U.S. District Judge Richard Young issued a preliminary injunction on Tuesday.
Court findings and legal basis
Young wrote that the law likely infringes students’ constitutional rights. He found plaintiffs likely to succeed on First and Fourteenth Amendment claims. The judge said plaintiffs showed irreparable harm and met injunction standards.
The order runs 34 pages and notes Young was appointed by President Bill Clinton. He did not resolve a separate age-discrimination claim under the Twenty-Sixth Amendment. That issue remains for later proceedings.
Plaintiffs and the challenge to SB 10
Plaintiffs filed the lawsuit in May 2025. They include Count US IN, Women4Change Indiana and Indiana University student Josh Montagne.
Montagne said he used his IU-issued student ID to vote three times. He said he lacked another qualifying ID after SB 10 took effect.
Why the judge blocked enforcement
The ruling notes student IDs had been accepted for almost two decades when they met existing criteria. Young found the state provided no evidence that student IDs produced voter fraud or major administrative problems.
Indiana had argued student IDs lacked the rigor of driver’s licenses and state IDs. The judge said that argument was weakened because other non-driver IDs remain accepted. Those include military, Veterans Administration and tribal identification.
Campus impact and numbers
The court cited data showing nearly 200,000 students attend Indiana public universities. A Monroe County election official estimated about two-thirds of voters at one on-campus polling place used student IDs in the 2024 general election.
Young estimated roughly 40,000 students would be affected by the ban. He noted plaintiffs’ experts offered higher estimates.
State response and next steps
Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita said the office intends to appeal. His office described the state’s voter ID law as vital to election security and integrity. The AG said courts should not create special exemptions for some voters.
The injunction does not permanently nullify SB 10. It allows student IDs that satisfy the state’s voter ID criteria to be used while the case proceeds. The judge found treating the injunction weeks before the May 4 primary would not unduly disrupt election preparations.
The federal judge’s decision effectively halts enforcement of the ban on college student IDs used for voting, at least temporarily. Minor updates to training and materials would be required to resume the prior practice.
Report by Filmogaz.com.
