Voting Rights for College Students: Navigating Complexities and Ensuring Access

Presidential debates are purposely held on college campuses because it is well-known that college students are a large voting population who often serve as leaders when it comes to political activism and community involvement. However, the path to the ballot box isn't always straightforward for these young, engaged citizens. This article delves into the multifaceted issue of voting rights for college students, exploring the challenges they face, the legal landscape, and the ongoing efforts to ensure their voices are heard.

The Constitutional Right to Vote

When students leave home to attend college, some of them want to vote in their college towns. The Supreme Court, in its 1979 landmark decision in Symm v. United States, held that students have the constitutional right to register and vote where they attend college. Despite this ruling and other constitutional protections, college students also have to be knowledgeable about the various state voter identification (ID) laws across the country that require voters to show some form of identification to vote at the polls on Election Day.

Voter ID Laws and Their Impact on Students

Voter ID legislation was introduced in 32 states in 2012, and as of the November 6, 2012 Presidential Election, 30 states had voter ID laws in effect. However, various state voter ID laws were inequitable as they applied to college students. Whereas some states allowed college student IDs as acceptable forms of identification for voting, other states did not. In fact, certain state voter ID laws specifically excluded such IDs for voting purposes. In certain other states, students could use their college IDs to vote if the IDs were issued by public higher education institutions. However, students could not use their college IDs to vote if they attended private higher education institutions in the same state.

The use of student ID is a frequent target in state legislatures. At least four states have restricted the use of student IDs in recent years. Seven states require voter ID to cast a ballot and expressly forbid the use of student ID cards as a form of voter ID. These states include Idaho, Indiana, North Dakota, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas.

For example, in Arizona, the law permits the use of student ID cards that meet specific requirements. However, no student IDs currently meet those requirements. In Arizona, the ID must be valid and include the student’s address, in addition to their photograph and name. In Utah, the ID must be currently valid. Many state legislatures have been actively working to eliminate the use of student IDs for voter identification in recent years. Notable for their efforts are the legislatures of Arkansas, New Hampshire, Wyoming, Oklahoma, and Kentucky.

Finally, many schools are transitioning to using digital forms of identification. There is little existing guidance available on the use of such IDs for voting purposes. The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, for example, recently introduced digital student ID cards. However, the state board of elections agreed not to accept them until the legislature explicitly approves their use. Students should exercise caution until legislatures clarify the use of digital IDs as voter IDs.

Residency Requirements and Out-of-State Students

Some states have attempted to define residency in a way that excludes college students. New Hampshire is notorious for its hostility to the voting rights of college students originally from other states. New Hampshire legislators recently considered two bills aimed at preventing students from registering with their campus address as their primary address. This year, H.B. 289 would have prohibited a person from claiming residency in New Hampshire if they are a dependent of a person residing outside of the state.

For example, if you want to pay in-state tuition at Ohio State University but are registered to vote in California, you may have a hard time establishing residency in Ohio. Grants and scholarships similarly dependent on residency may also consider your voter registration location, but it likely won’t be the primary factor. If you are an out-of-state student who wishes to vote in their home-state elections, you’ll need to request a ballot from your home state. Some states may require a valid excuse to vote absentee, but being a student at an out-of-state institution will qualify you.

On-Campus Polling Places: A Battleground

Lawmakers have also introduced bills targeting polling places on college campuses. Traditionally, college campuses have been logical sites for polling places. Their often central locations and dense populations make them ideal sites for both early voting and Election Day. Yet, in recent sessions, states have attempted to make it more difficult to vote on campus. This year, Texas lawmakers introduced H.B. 3144, which would have prevented any school or college campus from hosting a polling place unless the campus is closed to students that day. In 2023, Texas lawmakers introduced H.B. 2390, which would have outright prohibited polling places on college campuses. Students should research their closest polling place and not assume they will have a location on campus.

Like 74% of other universities across the country, Duke did not have a polling location on campus on election day. Without an on-campus location, students have to find their own transportation to the polls. This costs money and time, and students are often short on both.

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Proof of Citizenship Requirements

In 2025, more than half of states considered proof of citizenship bills. These would require Americans to present a birth certificate or passport to register to vote. Today, only three states require proof of citizenship for everyone registering to vote in state elections. They include Arizona, New Hampshire, and Wyoming.

Navigating the Voting Process: A Student's Guide

The voting landscape can be unfavorable to college students. Some states actively discourage students from registering in their new state. Students are often newer to the voting process and may even be in a new community or new state with different election laws then they are familiar too. Additionally, students can face unique challenges such as having the necessary proof of residency or identification for registering and voting. Students are less likely to register and vote if they feel they lack adequate knowledge about the voting process or policies and positions of candidates, or the connection between issues they care about and voting.

The best way to overcome these barriers is to help students make a plan well before registration deadlines and Election Day! Plan when and what students need to register to vote, and how, when, and where they are going to vote before or on Election Day.

Key Steps for College Students to Vote:

Determine Your Voter Registration Address: Students can register to vote where they reside while attending college (e.g. school dormitory) or at an address that you intend to return to while not in the college community (e.g. family home) - it’s up to you. Once you determine your voter registration address, be sure to register at least 30 days prior to the election in which you wish to vote.
Register to Vote: Most states, Washington, D.C., and Guam allow registering online. An office like student affairs should be able to help. One convenience of voting at school is that your college can ensure you’ve correctly listed your school address for registration purposes, including street address, residence hall and room number, experts say. Be sure to update it every time you move, even if it’s just a block or a residence hall away.
Find Your Polling Location: Find the polling location nearest to your campus by visiting Vote.org and organize a transportation system if it is far from campus.
Understand Early and Absentee Voting Options: Options for early voting and absentee voting vary by state. Voters can visit their polling location in the county of their college address on Election Day, present their Photo ID, and vote using the voting system. Voters can visit any early voting center in the county of their original home or other address during the early voting period, present their Photo ID, and vote using the voting system like they would at their polling place on Election Day. Absentee may be your best option if you attend school far from your original home address. Persons who will be absent from their county of residence during early voting hours for the duration of the early voting period, and during the hours the polls are open on Election Day qualify to vote absentee.
Check Your State's Voter ID Laws: Be sure to bring the required forms of identification to campus, especially if you are from out of state.

Important Dates and Deadlines:

General Election Day: November 5. It's always the first Tuesday in November.
Voter Registration Deadline: Check the state’s deadlines because every state is different. All states except North Dakota require registering, sometimes several weeks ahead. Register well in advance so that you don’t forget or have trouble gathering valid ID documents, voting experts recommend.

The SAVE Act and Its Potential Impact

The so-called “Safeguard American Voter Eligibility,” or SAVE, Act is currently making its way through the Senate, and all voters should be very alarmed. Under the SAVE Act, all eligible voters must unnecessarily present a passport or birth certificate to register to vote or update their current registration. Drivers licenses, state IDs, and many tribal IDs, which are all existing and established methods to prove your eligibility, would no longer count. Additionally, if the name on their birth certificate doesn’t match their name on other documentation, voters are required to show a passport that does match. This also makes it much harder for low-income students, who likely operate on a tight budget, to register to vote.

The Broader Context: Voter Suppression and Its Impact

Even without the SAVE Act, eligible college students face unique hurdles to exercising their right to vote. These are systematic problems that contribute to nationwide low student voter turnout. Additionally, if a student decides to register at their campus address, which is likely to change yearly, they may have to update their registration for each election cycle.

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Students at Historically Black Colleges and Universities, or HBCUs, face especially high barriers to voting because of their unique intersection of representing high concentrations of both Black and young voters. Most HBCUs are located in states with long histories of voter suppression and stricter voting laws, specifically targeted at Black communities. HBCU students who do overcome these hurdles may find their votes have less of an impact in their communities because of systems designed to drown out their voices.

After the passage of the Voting Rights Act in 1965, the racial gap in voter turnout grew smaller. However, this trend has reversed since the 2012 Shelby County v. Holder Supreme Court ruling. The Shelby County ruling rolled back the “preclearance” clause of the Voting Rights Act, which held that states with a history of voting discrimination had to get federal approval, or preclearance, before changing their voting laws. The rollback means these states are able to pass even more restrictive voting laws, with less oversight. Now, students in these states must navigate more burdensome registration processes, which keeps many from voting.

The Importance of Youth Vote

Young voters (ages 18-29) have long been considered an afterthought among politicians. The cliche is that people under 30 don’t vote. That’s not quite the case - at least not in recent elections. The youth vote may have been the deciding factor in races in Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, and Pennsylvania - all key battleground states.

Another cliche is that younger voters are apathetic, but Cleaver believes those claims are overblown. A 2020 survey of young people found that of those who didn’t vote, nearly one-quarter (22%) said they wanted to but couldn’t. Barriers prevent young people from voting at higher rates than other age groups, such as the inability to get time off work or school (17% for young voters vs. 9% for 35- to 64-year-olds).

In general, college students tend to support more progressive climate policies. Many young people, myself included, are afraid for our future. Studies show young people worry about the climate crisis at higher rates than older generations. Low-income students and students of color often come from communities disproportionally impacted by pollution. When students, especially these students, are disenfranchised, we lose the voices of those who have to live with the legacy politicians are currently leaving.

Overcoming Apathy and Empowering Student Voters

“Whenever people talk about voter apathy, they’re echoing a voter suppression tactic,” she said. “It becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy where young voters begin to believe that their generation doesn’t vote, so they don’t go vote.”

Instead of spending energy imposing restrictions on students, policy makers should pursue efforts to strengthen students’ ability and desire to vote. Currently, a bill pending in the New York State Senate would specify how colleges and universities provide voter registration materials to their students and make colleges, universities and public schools participating registration agencies under the National Voter Registration Act (“NVRA”).

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