Want to vote in the 2026 midterm election? You have to bring a photo ID, and Indiana has rules about what kind of ID you can use.

For college students, those ID rules have recently changed. Students used to be able to use IDs issued by Indiana’s colleges and universities to check in at polling places.

As of July 1, 2025, Indiana law banned students from using those IDs to vote. An Indiana University student appealed the law, but the courts decided to keep the ban in place when early voting was already underway for the primary election this past May. If things change, we’ll keep you posted.

In the meantime, here’s everything you need to know about what your ID must have and what happens if you forget to bring it.

What kind of IDs are acceptable

Your ID must:

• Show your photo.
• Have your name, which must match the name on your voter registration (although it doesn’t have to be identical).
• Have an expiration date. It can even be an expired ID, as long as the expiration date is after the last general election (Nov. 5, 2024).
• Be issued by the state or the U.S. government.

Some options that work are an Indiana driver’s license, a military ID, U.S. passport or Indiana photo ID.

Don’t have a photo ID? Get one for free.

If you don’t drive, or don’t have a photo ID, you can get a free state-issued ID at the Bureau of Motor Vehicles for voting. You can find branches of the BMV online using its locator. After you apply for an ID, it should be mailed to you within 10 days. Here’s what you need to bring with you to get your ID.

Forgot to bring your ID to the polls?

If you forgot your ID at home when you go to vote, you can ask to vote with a provisional ballot. Then, you’ll have to bring your ID to the election board by noon within 10 days of the election or prove one of the law’s exemptions applies to you.

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Mirror Indy reporter Sophie Young covers services and resources. Contact her at sophie.young@mirrorindy.org.

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Ready to vote in the 2026 General Election? Bring this kind of ID.

by Sophie Young, Mirror Indy
September 23, 2026

<h1>Ready to vote in the 2026 General Election? Bring this kind of ID.</h1> <p class="byline">by Sophie Young, Mirror Indy <br />September 23, 2026</p> <p>Want to vote in the 2026 midterm election? You have to bring a photo ID, and Indiana has <a href="https://www.in.gov/sos/elections/voter-information/photo-id-law/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">rules about what kind of ID you can use</a>.</p> <p>For college students, those ID rules have recently changed. Students used to be able to use IDs issued by Indiana’s colleges and universities to check in at polling places.</p> <p>As of July 1, 2025, Indiana law banned students from using those IDs to vote. <a href="https://indianacapitalchronicle.com/2026/04/20/indiana-college-id-voting-ban-goes-back-into-effect-as-injunction-is-stayed/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">An Indiana University student</a> appealed the law, but the courts decided to keep the ban in place when early voting was already underway for the primary election this past May. If things change, we’ll keep you posted.</p> <p>In the meantime, here’s everything you need to know about what your ID must have and what happens if you forget to bring it.</p> <div class="wp-block-columns"> <div class="wp-block-column"> <h2 id="h-what-kind-of-ids-are-acceptable" class="wp-block-heading">What kind of IDs are acceptable</h2> <p>Your ID must:</p> <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>Show your photo.</li> <li>Have your name, which must match the name on your voter registration (although it doesn’t have to be identical).</li> <li>Have an expiration date. It can even be an expired ID, as long as the expiration date is after the last general election (Nov. 5, 2024).</li> <li>Be issued by the state or the U.S. government.</li> </ul> <p>Some options that work are an Indiana driver’s license, a military ID, U.S. passport or Indiana photo ID.</p> </p></div> <div class="wp-block-column"> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://mirrorindy.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/primary-elx_polling-locations_DM07-1024x863.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-20798" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Jim Church (left) checks in to vote with polling clerk Neill Garber on May 7, 2024, at St. Augustine’s Home for the Aged on primary Election Day.</figcaption></figure> </p></div> </p></div> <h2 id="h-don-t-have-a-photo-id-get-one-for-free" class="wp-block-heading">Don’t have a photo ID? Get one for free.</h2> <p>If you don’t drive, or don’t have a photo ID, you can get a <a href="https://www.in.gov/sos/elections/voter-information/photo-id-law/obtaining-a-photo-id/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">free state-issued ID at the Bureau of Motor Vehicles for voting</a>. You can find branches of the <a href="https://www.in.gov/bmv/branch-locations-and-hours/bmv-branch-map/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">BMV online using its locator</a>. After you apply for an ID, it should be mailed to you within 10 days. Here’s <a href="https://www.in.gov/bmv/licenses-permits-ids/real-id-overview/#Proof_of_a_Change_in_Name_or_Date_of_Birth" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">what you need to bring</a> with you to get your ID.</p> <h2 id="h-forgot-to-bring-your-id-to-the-polls" class="wp-block-heading">Forgot to bring your ID to the polls?</h2> <p>If you forgot your ID at home when you go to vote, you can ask to vote with a provisional ballot. Then, you’ll have to bring your ID to the election board by noon within 10 days of the election or prove <a href="https://www.in.gov/sos/elections/voter-information/photo-id-law/exemptions/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">one of the law’s exemptions</a> applies to you.</p> <p>This &lt;a target=&quot;_blank&quot; href=&quot;https://mirrorindy.org/indiana-election-2026-photo-id-rules/&quot;&gt;article&lt;/a&gt; first appeared on &lt;a target=&quot;_blank&quot; href=&quot;https://mirrorindy.org&quot;&gt;Mirror Indy&lt;/a&gt; and is republished here under a &lt;a target=&quot;_blank&quot; href=&quot;https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/&quot;&gt;Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;img src=&quot;https://i0.wp.com/mirrorindy.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/cropped-Mirror-Indy-square-logo-1.png?resize=150%2C150&amp;amp;ssl=1&quot; style=&quot;width:1em;height:1em;margin-left:10px;&quot;&gt;</p> &lt;img id=&quot;republication-tracker-tool-source&quot; src=&quot;https://mirrorindy.org/?republication-pixel=true&amp;post=91624&amp;amp;ga4=G-X0R0QW371R&quot; style=&quot;width:1px;height:1px;&quot;&gt;&lt;script&gt; PARSELY = { autotrack: false, onload: function() { PARSELY.beacon.trackPageView({ url: &quot;https://mirrorindy.org/indiana-election-2026-photo-id-rules/&quot;, urlref: window.location.href }); } } &lt;/script&gt; &lt;script id=&quot;parsely-cfg&quot; src=&quot;//cdn.parsely.com/keys/mirrorindy.org/p.js&quot;&gt;&lt;/script&gt;

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