BOISE, Idaho — After Fourth Judicial District Judge Samuel Hoagland dismissed a lawsuit brought by Babe Vote and the League of Women Voters in Idaho against the state over recent voter registration laws, the organization's have decided to file an appeal with the Idaho Supreme Court.
"The new voter registration law doesn't just burden students," Kendal Shaber a League of Women Voters board member, said. "People who have moved, people with disabilities, people in care facilities, people who are not housed, and new citizens will also find it difficult or impossible, to overcome these burdens put in place by Idaho's legislature. Many people who have been voters in Idaho for decades, will find the new registration requirements difficult to complete."
According to Shaber, the new law burdens students, people who may have moved, people who don't have homes and people with disabilities. The organizations further that because many Idaho counties do not keep records on what types of IDs are used to vote, the statement of purpose on the law banning student IDs is "untrue and misleading."
"Requirements include presenting a photo ID to get the free ID and a certified birth certificate with seal or a current US passport," Shaber said. "Also, anyone who has had a driver's license from anywhere in the last 6 months is ineligible for the free ID." "Getting to the DMV for these transactions can also be challenging," Shaber added. "A recent applicant required extensive assistance of a local nonprofit, multiple visits to the DMV and weeks of document collection. The woman ultimately gave up on obtaining the free ID."
House Bill 124 removed student IDs as an acceptable form of voter ID. Babe Vote and the League of Women Voters in Idaho said the law would make it more difficult for students who were 18 but still in school to vote.
Judge Hoagland ruled that was not the case and dismissed the lawsuit with prejudice.
“In this case, the legislature has eliminated student identification cards as one of the previously acceptable forms of identification; however, it has also provided for free state identification cards as an alternate form of acceptable voter identification,” the judge stated in his conclusion.
He furthered that the plaintiffs in the lawsuit were trying to equate the change in accepting student ID cards with age discrimination but, “not all young people are students and not all students are young people.”
A spokesperson for Babe Vote gave KTVB the following statement:
"We are of course disappointed with this result but are closely reviewing the court's decision and will be deciding in the coming weeks whether to appeal."
Secretary of State Phil McGrane said he was grateful for the case's successful resolution and that the new ID laws simplify the voting process.
“Voter registration is an important first step to being engaged in the democratic process. This legislation helped address inconsistencies in our law in an effort to build confidence in Idaho’s elections. I firmly believe that ensuring access to voting and maintaining security in elections are not conflicting goals. We have a great elections system here in Idaho and it was great to see that affirmed in this case.” said McGrane.
He added that his office looks forward to working with Babe Vote and the League of Women Voters in Idaho to register more voters.
Attorney General Raúl Labrador’s office stated in a news release that the court, “has dismissed a suit brought by leftist advocacy groups to stop Idaho from implementing House Bills 124 and 340.”
Labrador gave the following statement:
“This was a meritless lawsuit from the beginning. When the House passed these election integrity bills, they specifically recognized the need for free state voter IDs. Ideally, every Idahoan would exercise their right to vote, but all elections must be safe and secure. To ensure the sanctity of our elections, the House passed HB 124 and 340. But rather than encouraging young people to obtain their free state voter IDs, advocacy groups took legal action against the State, alleging age discrimination. We are pleased with this victory but acknowledge that the battle is not over. Other liberal advocacy groups are bringing the same claims in Federal court, and we will continue to defend these laws.”
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