Duke students can now request a Duke Student Voter ID Card, weeks after the NC State Board of Elections approved it to fulfill the state’s new photo voter identification requirement.
The card is approved for use in the 2023 municipal and 2024 primary and general elections, the former of which will be held on Nov. 7. Other non-expired photo ID — including NC driver’s licenses, other DMV-issued IDs and U.S. passports — also fulfill the new requirement. For those who register to vote at most 90 days before the election, out-of-state driver's licenses are also valid. Those who choose to vote by mail will need to include a photocopy of the photo ID they are using.
The Duke Student Voter ID Card is a “physical card, separate from the electronic or physical Duke Card,” which can be obtained by students for free. To request one, Duke students must fill out this digital form.
A new photo will not be needed for the card, as it will display the same picture used on the student’s DukeCard.
After requesting their new voter ID, students will need to bring their mobile DukeCard or driver’s license to one of the several on-campus card pickup events throughout the fall, which will take place either at East Campus Marketplace or at the Bryan Center Plaza.
The pickup events at East Campus Marketplace will be on Sept. 20 and Oct. 19., both from 4 to 7 p.m. The BC Plaza pickup events will be on Sept. 19, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.; Oct. 5, 1 to 5 p.m.; Oct. 18, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Oct. 30, 1 to 5 p.m.
“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, previously 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.”
The state’s new voter ID law was originally passed in 2018, but was struck down by a then Democrat-controlled NC Supreme Court ruled that the law was racially biased. After Republicans won the Court back in 2022, the justices reversed the decision and put the law into effect in April.
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.
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Jazper Lu is a Trinity junior and managing editor of The Chronicle's 119th volume.