Federal Judge Halts Indiana Student ID Ban for Voters

A federal judge has blocked Indiana's ban on student IDs for voting ahead of elections.

U.S. District Judge Richard Young issued a preliminary injunction on April 14, 2026, blocking Indiana's enforcement of Senate Bill 10 before this year's primary elections. The law, signed by Governor Mike Braun in April 2025, would have removed college-issued student IDs from the state's list of acceptable voting identification.

• Opponents argued the restriction would disenfranchise up to 90,000 students, with Judge Young noting around 40,000 Indiana students would be directly affected.
• The order came in response to a lawsuit by civil rights groups and Indiana University student Josh Montagne, who alleged the measure unfairly targeted younger voters.
• Judge Young described the exclusion as "selectively excluded a form of identification that otherwise complies with the neutral criteria established by Indiana's voter ID law and that has been accepted as a form of voter identification for nearly two decades."
• He also highlighted the inconsistency of banning school-issued IDs while still permitting other less regulated forms, such as identification from the Veterans Administration and Native American tribes. "There is no evidence that student IDs have been used to engage in voter fraud or any other voting-related misconduct," Young wrote.

The law's supporters, including state officials, contended college-issued IDs lacked the 'rigor' of driver's licenses—a claim not substantiated by evidence in the record. As Senate Minority Leader Shelli Yoder put it, "Where is the abuse of student IDs in our elections?"

The court’s decision contrasts recent trends in other states, where some lawmakers and courts have restricted student ID voting access.