En esta noticia
Voters in 21 states face new ID, registration or mail ballot rules in the Nov. 3 midterm elections, and some could be turned away at the polls without the right documents, according to a Brennan Center for Justice count of 38 new laws in effect for this election.
The tally, released Oct. 1 by the center at New York University School of Law, covers laws passed since the 2024 election that make it harder to register, stay on the voter rolls or cast a ballot. Early voting is already underway in many of these states.
The states are Arkansas, Florida, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, West Virginia and Wyoming.
Several adopted their own versions of proof-of-citizenship rules that President Donald Trump has pushed nationally through the SAVE Act, a bill that stalled in Congress.
In which US states could you be turned away at the polls?
These states narrowed which IDs are accepted at the polling place, so a document that worked in 2024 may not work this time:
- Iowa: Voters without an accepted photo ID can no longer have another registered voter from their precinct sign an oath vouching for their identity.
- Indiana, Montana and New Hampshire: Student IDs no longer count as voter ID. Montana also ended a one-day window after the election for voters to confirm their eligibility when they cast a provisional ballot, one that’s set aside until officials verify it.
- Kentucky, Utah and West Virginia: Credit cards, bank statements and utility bills can no longer be used to prove identity.
- Tennessee and West Virginia: New photo ID requirements are in effect.
- Oklahoma: Vote centers, which let voters cast a ballot at any location in their county, are banned. Voters must go to their assigned precinct.
Which states changed the rules for registering or voting by mail?
Other changes apply earlier, when you register or send back a mail ballot. A missed step can leave you with a partial ballot, or with a ballot that doesn’t count:
- South Dakota and Utah: New registrants must show a document such as a passport or birth certificate. Those who don’t can vote only in federal races, which this year means the U.S. House and Senate contests.
- Mississippi: Applicants whose citizenship can’t be confirmed through state and federal databases must provide a birth certificate, passport or similar document.
- Indiana, New Hampshire and Wyoming: Some or all registrants must prove citizenship, and in Wyoming the rule also applies when updating a registration. New Hampshire added other ways to prove citizenship this year, plus vouchers for a birth certificate copy for low-income residents.
- Ohio, North Dakota and Utah: Mail ballots must arrive by Election Day to count; in Utah, by the time polls close. North Dakota voters can no longer return a mail ballot at a polling place.
- Arkansas: Mail ballots now need a witness signature.
- Indiana and West Virginia: People who vote infrequently face a greater risk of having their registration canceled.
How can you avoid being turned away at the polls?
Before going to vote, check your state election office’s website for the IDs it accepts and confirm your registration is active, especially if you moved or registered recently. In New Hampshire, students can get a state ID for free.
Some rules could still change. South Dakota’s proof-of-citizenship law faces a court challenge, and the American Civil Liberties Union is suing Ohio over its removal of suspected noncitizens from the voter rolls. Courts have already blocked laws in Kansas, Montana and Ohio from taking effect this fall.
Most voters won’t face new barriers, the Brennan Center found. Since the 2024 election, 32 states have passed 61 laws that make voting easier, and Republican supporters of the tighter rules say they build trust in elections.