Indiana Law Barring Use of Student ID for Voting Halted by Court

Indiana-based Count US IN and others secured early relief in their challenge to a state law that disallows using student ID cards as photo identification needed to vote, a federal district court said.

The plaintiffs received a preliminary injunction because they showed a reasonable likelihood of success on the merits of their claims that the law imposed an undue burden on the right to vote, in violation of the First and 14th Amendments, Judge Richard L. Young of the US District Court for Southern District of Indiana said in a Tuesday opinion.

State officials are prohibited from enforcing SB 10 to the extent it stops voters from using documents from educational institutions as proof of identification, until the case is finally resolved, Young said.

Indiana accepted student ID cards from public universities to meet state law voting requirements for nearly two decades before enacting SB 10, the court said. Students who relied on their IDs, and lack an alternative form of identification, say the law will prevent them from voting in the upcoming elections this year.

Count US IN sued in May 2025, alleging SB 10 is unconstitutional, and moved for injunctive relief this past February.

Young granted the relief, stating that Indiana didn’t demonstrate a connection between the public having concerns about voter fraud and the need to eliminate student IDs as a valid form of photo identification.

The court can’t conclude, without more evidence, that SB 10 is necessary to protect confidence in election integrity, Young said.

State officials also failed to provide evidence that student IDs caused confusion or otherwise complicated election administration, the court said.

Eliminating student IDs would streamline election administration by narrowing the field of acceptable IDs, but the officials didn’t “explain why student IDs alone need to go,” the court said.

The court also said even if the law doesn’t make it impossible to vote, the moderate burden it imposes still constitutes irreparable harm as a matter of law.

Elias Law Group LLC represents the plaintiffs. First & Fourteenth PLLC represents Indiana.

The case is Count Us In v. Morales, S.D. Ind., No. 25-cv-864, 4/14/26.