Which 14 states and DC do not require ID to vote in person, and what verification methods do they use?
Executive summary
Fourteen states and Washington, D.C., do not require voters to present a government ID at the polling place; instead those jurisdictions verify voter eligibility through alternative methods such as signature comparison, sworn affidavits, poll-worker vouching, provisional ballots with post‑election verification, or confirmation by election officials [1] [2]. Reporting and trackers differ on the exact count (some outlets list 14 states + D.C., others 15 states), and the specific mix of verification practices varies by state [1] [3] [4].
1. The headline: which jurisdictions waive ID—and why the number matters
Authoritative trackers including the National Conference of State Legislatures state that 14 states plus Washington, D.C., use verification methods other than presenting ID at the polling place rather than requiring ID outright [1], and advocacy mapping by the Movement Advancement Project describes the same category as “No ID required, but voter eligibility is verified through other means (14 states + D.C.)” [2]; however national media summaries and datasets sometimes report a slightly different tally (Newsweek cited 15 states in April 2024), reflecting shifting laws and definitional differences between “no ID required” and “non‑photo ID allowed” [3] [4].
2. What “verification without ID” actually looks like in practice
States that do not demand a specific ID tend to rely on a handful of administrative alternatives: comparing the voter’s signature on the ballot envelope or poll roster against the signature on file, allowing voters to sign an affidavit attesting to their identity when they lack ID, permitting a trusted poll worker or registered voter to vouch for an individual’s identity at the polling place, issuing provisional ballots that are counted only after post‑election verification, or having election officials verify identity after the fact through mail inquiries or review of registration records [5] [6].
3. Concrete examples and the range of mechanisms used
Some states explicitly allow affidavits: reporting notes that Michigan (and in similar fashion Texas in some contexts) permits a voter to sign an affidavit claiming they do not possess a valid photo ID to cast a ballot [7] [8], while broader state practice described by NCSL and other trackers includes signature matches and provisional ballots where the voter must later prove identity for the ballot to be counted [1] [5] [4]. Poll‑worker vouching and administrative follow‑up mailings are also enumerated as accepted alternatives across various jurisdictions [6] [5].
4. Why counts and categories diverge across sources
Different organizations classify state laws differently—some separate “strict photo ID,” “non‑photo ID,” and “no ID required” categories, while others fold non‑strict or conditional practices into broader counts—so a headline number can change depending on whether a state’s affidavit process, provisional‑ballot remedy, or first‑time voter rules are treated as equivalent to “no ID” [4] [1] [3]. Tracking groups and news outlets rely on NCSL, Ballotpedia, VoteRiders and state secretaries of state, and those primary sources can be updated at different times, creating apparent discrepancies in public reporting [4] [9] [1].
5. The policy debate: integrity vs. access, and how verification methods play into both arguments
Supporters of stricter ID rules argue that identification requirements prevent in‑person impersonation and bolster public confidence in elections, a point routinely advanced by proponents and conservative policy groups noted in coverage [3] [1]; opponents counter that in‑person voter impersonation is rare and that alternative verification systems balance integrity with access by allowing eligible voters who lack IDs to cast ballots subject to verification procedures, a rationale reflected in NCSL’s discussion of verification without documents [1] [5]. Academic and policy studies cited by journalists and encyclopedic summaries also stress that methods like signature verification and provisional ballots are common but vary in effectiveness and administrative burden [6] [1].
6. Bottom line and limits of the record provided
The available reporting and election‑law trackers converge on the basic fact that 14 states plus Washington, D.C., do not require an ID presented at the polling place and instead use alternatives such as signature checks, affidavits, vouching, provisional ballots, and post‑election verification [1] [2] [5], but the precise roster of those 14 states is not enumerated in the excerpts supplied here and counts differ slightly across sources—readers seeking the current state‑by‑state list should consult up‑to‑date primary trackers like NCSL or Ballotpedia and state election offices for the definitive, current list and the exact procedure used in each jurisdiction [1] [4].