DURHAM - Several students at the University of New Hampshire are sharing their thoughts following a lawsuit that questions limits on using student IDs to vote. They note worries that the change may lead to mix-ups for young voters and reduce opportunities for political participation.

House Bill 323, which removed student IDs as acceptable identification for obtaining a ballot, was approved by Republican Gov. Kelly Ayotte in April. That month, Secretary of State David Scanlan issued guidance stating that student IDs cannot serve as proof of identity for voter registration, absentee ballot requests, or checking in at polls. A lawsuit filed in August by Free Speech for People on behalf of Coalition for Open Democracy seeks to block both the bill and the directive ahead of the election.

"I believe that student IDs are valid in the court system, and because a student ID is just enough of identification like a real ID would be. I don't know why you need to bring extra identification... I feel like college students don't really bring - or have other forms of identification, especially since they have a home, but they're not there very often - so, they keep all of their identification at home. So, it takes a toll on how many people are able to vote," UNH student Dalaney Trudeau said Monday.

Secretary of State Scanlan's request for a stay in the proceedings was rejected by the First Circuit Court of Appeals, though an emergency stay has been sought from the U.S. Supreme Court. A federal judge earlier determined that student IDs may still be reviewed by election officials at polling places as proof of identity when paired with additional documents.

Head of UNH's Media Relations Tania DeLuzuriaga said the university has not taken a position on the lawsuit.

Michael Garrity, spokesman for the New Hampshire Office of the Attorney General, said there were no updates to the case as of Monday.

"The State has asked the United States Supreme Court for an emergency stay in this matter. New Hampshire has a strong interest in ensuring that its election laws are applied consistently and that local election officials have clear, workable guidance in administering elections," Garrity said.

Prime sponsor of HB 323, Rep. Donald McFarlane, R-Orange, did not respond for comment. Co-sponsor Rep. Ross Berry, R-Weare, maintained that the public backs the measure. When asked about student concerns over confusion and lower turnout, Berry said: "I don't see how that is a thing."

Another student, Olivia Rose of Barrington, called the restriction unacceptable and inappropriate. She noted it would increase detachment from politics, as students might skip researching current events, and that limiting voting access would reduce their likelihood of participating.

UNH student Kai Shanahan said student IDs offer a solid method to confirm voter identity "because sometimes, students aren't able to get a driver's license or a non-driver's ID. Especially since for a lot of people at college, it's their first time being out of the house."

Shanahan added that the rule would create more confusion for young college voters and "definitely stop people from voting."

According to data from July by the Civics Center - a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization aimed at encouraging young people to vote - just 7% of 18-year-olds are registered to vote in the state as of March 31. It also noted that "there is not a single county in the state where the rate was at 10% or more as of March."

The data shows that, per county, the various rates of 18-year-olds registered to vote are:

Rockingham: 9.4%
Carroll: 8.3%
Sullivan: 8.1%
Cheshire: 7.0%
Grafton: 6.7%
Strafford: 6.7%
Hillsborough: 6.6%
Merrimack: 6.4%
Belknap: 5.4%
Coos: 4.0%

Student James Frady, from Massachusetts, said he was unaware of the lawsuit but if a student ID is paired with other documents to prove identity then "I see it as a valid marker that you're here at UNH and you're in the system."

"I'm from Massachusetts, and I voted in Massachusetts, but I think it's definitely a hassle to get all the documents in order. And that could definitely make it easier if student IDs were allowed as an option," Frady said.

House Democratic Leader Rep. Alexis Simpson, D-Exeter said: "Eligible voters have a fundamental right to cast a ballot, and deliberately removing ways to prove identity is voter suppression. For six years, Republicans have made it harder to register, vote absentee, and prove identity at the polls as the cost of living has skyrocketed. If Republicans had an agenda Granite Staters wanted, they would run on that instead of attacking the right to vote."

House Majority Leader Jason Osborne, R-Auburn said he did not have any comments on the matter.