Student IDs are secure and reliable. They should be recognized as voter ID | Opinion
Voter participation is vital for the strength and integrity of our democracy. This is particularly true for students, who represent the future of our nation but often face unique challenges when it comes to voting.
Currently, Tennessee’s voter ID requirements arbitrarily prohibit the use of college and university student IDs as voter identification at the ballot box.
Fortunately, there’s a simple solution – SB 285, which was discussed this week by a Tennessee Senate subcommittee, would help make voting more accessible for young people by permitting them to use student IDs from accredited higher education institutions as photo identification at the polls.
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Student IDs are reliable
It’s been long established in Tennessee that IDs issued by higher education institutions are a secure and valid form of voter ID – current state law permits faculty and staff to use IDs furnished by state postsecondary institutions when they go to vote. But students at the very same institutions face a double standard; they are expressly prohibited from using their photo identification cards to vote, despite these IDs being nearly identical to those of faculty and staff.
Instead of encouraging greater civic participation by young people through allowing the use of student IDs as voter IDs at the polls, Tennessee forces students to jump through hoops to obtain an acceptable voter ID, simply to make their voice heard in our democracy.
The most common form of voter identification is a driver’s license, but that is less likely to be the case for young people and future generations. Due to the growing cost of owning a car and access to more transportation options like Uber and Lyft, college students today are less likely to have driver’s licenses than they were in the past. In 2021, only 60% of 18-year-olds had a driver’s license while over 90% of those over the age of 35 had one. Under Tennessee’s current voter ID law, students without a driver’s license would need to obtain a less common form of identification like a state ID card or a passport, despite having a student ID card.
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Student IDs safely secures identity of college students
Not only are student IDs easily accessible and reliable for students, they are also a secure and convenient means of establishing the voter’s identity. Tennessee’s colleges and universities themselves depend on this being the case. Student IDs frequently include robust security features and are increasingly used for crucial functions like granting access to buildings and rooms as well as for financial transactions. These reliable, convenient, and secure identification documents meet the standards of other forms of voter ID currently allowed by law, and should be an option for young voters to satisfy photo ID requirements for voting.
In 2022, Tennessee saw its lowest midterm voter turnout in nearly a decade with 38.57% of eligible voters casting a ballot, down 16% from the last midterm cycle in 2018. In order to help more Tennesseans make their voices heard, we need to ensure that they do not face unnecessary barriers to casting their ballots. SB 285 would be a step forward for making voting as accessible for students as it is for older voters.
Contrary to popular myths, students are highly motivated to vote if they have the information and tools they need to do so. By recognizing student IDs as valid voter identification, we can help welcome younger voters into our democracy and put them on the path to lifelong civic engagement.
Patrick Williamson is Policy Counsel with the nonpartisan Fair Elections Center.
This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Opinion: Why Tennessean student IDs should be recognized as voter ID
