Student IDs across the University of North Carolina System aren’t fully eligible for use under the state’s new voter ID law, but the university is working to make sure qualifying students and employees can vote, a top UNC official says.
Under the state’s voter ID constitutional amendment — which has an uncertain future after a Wake County Superior Court judge ruled it unconstitutional — students at UNC schools and community colleges are eligible to vote using their student IDs at polling precincts.
But there’s a problem: Some students are enrolled in UNC campuses and community colleges who aren’t eligible to vote in North Carolina, or the United States, and they have school-issued IDs.
Tom Shanahan, UNC’s senior vice president and general counsel outlined the issues in a Feb. 25 letter.
“The voter ID law recently passed by the General Assembly provides for the use of university-issued student and employee IDs for voting if the institution’s chancellor or other authorized individual certifies under penalty of perjury that the IDs are issued after a process that includes methods of confirming the individual’s identity that include, but are not limited to, Social Security number, citizenship status, and birthdate.
“Students at UNC System institutions currently may receive student IDs even if they are not citizens, or do not have social security numbers, or are not 18 years of age,” his statement reads. “UNC System institutions continue to work through these and other requirements of the law. They are also working to identify ways to assist in obtaining valid photo ID for those students and employees who need it, in the event that institutionally-issued IDs cannot be certified for use by the March deadline.”
Teams at each of UNC’s 17 schools are working with the N.C. State Board of Elections to provide voting access for eligible students and employees, he said.