Which 14 states and D.C. does NCSL list as using non‑documentary voter verification, and where can each state's statutory text be found?
Executive summary
The National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) identifies 14 states plus Washington, D.C., as having “non‑documentary” voter verification regimes—where voters may cast an in‑person ballot without showing a photo or other ID document and instead verify identity by affidavit, poll‑book signature, or biographical matching [1] [2]. The materials provided for this briefing confirm NCSL’s categorization and describe the verification methods but do not include a copied list of the 14 states and D.C. nor direct links to each state’s statutory text, so this account explains what NCSL says and gives a precise roadmap for locating each state’s statutes using NCSL and state law resources [1] [3].
1. What NCSL actually reports about “non‑documentary” verification
NCSL separates state voter ID approaches into those that require documentary identification and those that rely on non‑documentary verification; in the latter group voters may verify identity by signing an affidavit, matching biographical details to voter records, or other non‑documentary means rather than presenting an ID at the polling place [1] [2]. NCSL’s public guidance notes that these requirements are not mutually exclusive and that multiple verification mechanisms can coexist within a single state’s law [1]. NCSL also cautions that it does not administer elections or provide legal advice and directs voters to local election officials for assistance [4].
2. Why the user’s direct request can’t be answered verbatim from the provided reporting
The supplied NCSL pages and PDFs unequivocally state the tally—14 states plus D.C.—and explain the concept of non‑documentary verification, but the excerpts in the reporting package do not enumerate the individual states nor paste the statutory citations for each [1] [2]. Because the instruction set mandates that every factual assertion be supported by the supplied sources, it is not possible to produce a definitive, sourced list of the 14 states and their statute links from these materials alone; doing so would exceed what the provided reporting contains [1].
3. Exact, actionable roadmap to find each state’s statutory text
To compile the requested list with primary‑law citations, start at NCSL’s “Voter Verification Without ID Documents” page and its companion “Voter ID Laws” hub—NCSL aggregates the categorizations and provides state‑by‑state notes and links to statutory text or to the state code when available [2] [5]. Where NCSL’s state notes don’t include full statute text, use NCSL’s election resources and state legislation databases pages to navigate to the individual state legislative or code websites, or to the NCSL 50‑state surveys and enactment roundups that collate statutory language [3] [6] [7]. For researchers seeking a consolidated source of state statutes, the state legislative websites and official codified statutes are the authoritative repositories—NCSL’s pages are an index and analysis tool rather than the primary legal text [3].
4. How to verify and cite each statute once located
After identifying which 14 states NCSL flags, pull the statutory text from the official state code or legislative website and record the citation (e.g., “[State] Stat. § [section number]” or the permanent URL on the state legislature’s site). Cross‑check NCSL’s state note against the statute to confirm the particular non‑documentary mechanism (affidavit, poll‑book signature, biographical verification) described by NCSL—NCSL’s summaries explicitly state these categories and that states may require multiple verification steps [1]. Keep in mind NCSL’s own disclaimer that its resources do not constitute legal advice and that law changes can occur between NCSL updates [4].
5. Alternative perspectives and caveats
Advocates and critics frame non‑documentary verification differently: supporters emphasize access and lower barriers to voting, while opponents argue for documentary ID as a fraud‑prevention measure; NCSL’s role here is descriptive, not prescriptive, and its materials are designed to inform legislative tracking rather than litigate policy merits [5] [3]. Because the supplied package lacks the state list, any final, state‑by‑state statutory catalog must be compiled by following the NCSL links to state notes and the states’ official codes; that work remains necessary to satisfy the user’s exact demand in primary‑source form [2] [3].