NC Board of Elections approves Duke Student Voter ID for upcoming elections

Duke students will be able to request a voter ID from the University in two upcoming elections to fulfill North Carolina’s new photo voter identification requirement.

On Monday, the NC State Board of Elections approved 99 student and employee ID cards for use in the 2023 municipal and 2024 primary and general elections, including the Duke Student Voter ID Card. Student IDs for NC Central University, Durham Technical Community College and all schools in the University of North Carolina system were also included.

“To further empower our students to exercise their voting rights effectively, we will work to educate them about voting and encourage participation in all election procedures,” Frank Tramble, vice president for communications, marketing and public affairs, wrote in an email to The Chronicle. “Using Duke ID at the polls will streamline voting for our student community, aligning with our commitment to fostering an inclusive and engaged campus environment.”

Tramble also noted that Duke has recently experienced a “notable surge” in student voting turnout through collaborative efforts to “validate Duke campus addresses for voting purposes” with the Durham Board of Elections. 

A voter ID law was originally passed in 2018 but was struck down by a then Democrat-controlled NC Supreme Court, which ruled that the law was racially biased. The court, now controlled by Republicans, reversed the previous decision and put it into effect in April. 

The law requires a non-expired photo ID to be presented when voting. This includes driver’s licenses, other DMV-issued IDs and U.S. passports. Those voting by mail will need to include a photocopy of their photo ID. 

Exceptions to the requirement include if the voter has been in a natural disaster within 100 days before an election, has a religious objection to being photographed or had a “reasonable impediment” to getting qualifying identification. A form must be completed explaining why the voter is exempt from the requirement, and the county board of elections will determine if the vote can count.

“Since many Duke students do come from out-of-state, this new requirement could add another hoop for students to jump through if they want to vote in North Carolina,” wrote senior Pilar Kelly, incoming chair of Duke Votes, in an email to The Chronicle. “We will work closely with Duke and the Board of Elections to make the process of requesting a Duke Student Voter ID simple, so that we can continue our upward swing of high student voter turnout.”

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