College IDs Valid for 2012 Election
2 min readBy COLLEEN HUBER
With the upcoming elections, college students have the opportunity to have an impact on their country.
To make voting easier for college students, the Virginia State Board of Elections (SBE) has sent out a release to inform the citizens of Virginia of the changes in Virginia’s voter identification laws.
New forms of identification are now acceptable at polling locations, including student identification from Virginia colleges and universities.
“It is nice because I don’t have my car on campus so I don’t always have my license on me, but I always have my ID” said Ellyn Loftus, sophomore Spanish major.
Last May, Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell signed bills to prevent voter fraud and to increase the forms of documents that polling locations would accept, according to the release.
Voters in Virginia formerly were allowed to vote without a form of identification by signing a statement swearing to their identities, according to the release.
Other new forms of identification include bank statements, utility bills and government checks containing the holder’s current name and address, according to the release.
The release informed Virginians that, in mid-September, voter identification cards were sent out to all registered voters, along with the list of all the acceptable forms of identification the voter can use at the polls.
The release stated that, during the first week of October, college students would receive their ID cards at their permanent residences.
Tom Kramer, executive director of Virginia21, an organization that encourages students to become politically involved, said in the release, “Student IDs are an essential item in every college student’s daily possessions. The SBE is doing a great job in letting students know that the power to vote is literally already in their wallets.”
“It makes it a lot simpler,” said sophomore English and education major, Erica Kreider. “I always have my ID on me so I wont forget.”
The deadline to register to vote is Oct. 15 and for more information on voting and the upcoming election, visit the SBE’s webpage.
