Voter identification (ID) laws generally require a person to provide some form of official, government-issued identification to register to vote, receive an absentee ballot, or vote in a state or federal election. For example, the Help America Vote Act of 2002 is a federal law that requires voter ID for all new voters in federal elections who registered by mail and did not provide a driver’s license number or the last four digits of a Social Security number that matched government records. See 52 U.S.C. §20901.

Most states have some form of voter ID requirement, but these laws vary from state to state. Some states request or require voters to show an identification document that has a photo on it, such as a driver’s license, state-issued identification card, military ID, tribal ID, and many other forms of ID. Other states accept non-photo identification such as a bank statement with name and address or other document that does not necessarily have a photo. Voter ID laws are usually located in a state’s statutes.

In New Jersey, voter identification laws are relatively lenient compared to some other states. New Jersey does not require voters to present photo identification at the polls. Instead, for most voters, no ID is required to cast a ballot in person. First-time voters who registered by mail and did not provide their driver's license number or the last four digits of their Social Security number may be asked to show ID. Acceptable forms of ID for these voters include any current and valid photo ID, or a variety of non-photo ID documents that show the voter's name and address, such as a utility bill, bank statement, or government document. These requirements align with the federal Help America Vote Act of 2002, which mandates that all new voters in federal elections who registered by mail and did not provide certain identification information must show ID to vote. New Jersey's approach to voter ID aims to balance election security with ensuring that eligible voters are not disenfranchised.