The Supreme Court on Thursday allowed New Hampshire to prohibit the use of student identification cards as valid identification for voting in the upcoming midterm elections. The ruling, issued shortly before Election Day, blocked lower-court restrictions that had permitted student IDs as a backup form of voter identification.

The decision came in response to an emergency appeal by the state, supported by the Republican National Committee, following a dispute over a state law passed earlier this year. The law banned student IDs as an accepted form of identification for obtaining a ballot, and subsequent guidance from the New Hampshire secretary of state barred their use even as a secondary method of verifying voter identity.

A federal judge had permitted the law to remain but temporarily blocked the secretary of state's guidance in early October, allowing student IDs to be used as backup identification. The state then appealed to the Supreme Court, which sided with New Hampshire. The court’s majority emphasized a longstanding legal principle against altering voting regulations close to an election to avoid confusion and administrative difficulties.

Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson was the sole dissenter, opposing the court’s decision to permit the ban on student IDs.

New Hampshire state Representative Donald McFarlane, sponsor of the legislation, defended the bill, arguing that student IDs lack the same safeguards as government-issued identification and could undermine election integrity. In a statement, he said the Supreme Court’s ruling “is a victory for common sense” that will strengthen voter verification and maintain public confidence in the state’s elections.

The ruling comes as voters in New Hampshire prepare to cast ballots in a highly competitive U.S. Senate race, underscoring the heightened scrutiny of election rules in closely contested states.