NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP/WMOT) — A group of Tennessee college students wants a federal court to require the state to accept their school identification cards as valid voter identification.
The out-of-state students attending Fisk University and Tennessee State University say in the lawsuit filed last week they’d like to vote in Tennessee. However, the state won’t accept ID cards from other states nor will it accept student ID from Tennessee colleges and universities.
Attorney Jon Sherman with the Fair Elections Legal Network represents the students.
"The state has discriminated against students and discriminated on the basis of age. They've made it easier for older voters to cast ballots without showing ID and made it harder and harder for students to cast their votes."
The students say the law is unconstitutional. They note Tennessee does accept college and university identification cards issued by the state to workers, just not to students.
Last year, a report by the Government Accountability Office found states with strict voter ID laws saw drops in election turnout. Those drops were steepest among those aged 18-23.