What the court decided

In a brief unsigned order, the justices blocked a lower-court ruling and allowed New Hampshire's ban on student ID voter identification to stand for the midterms. The order sided with an appeal backed by the Republican National Committee.

The justices pointed to the rule that lower federal courts should not "alter election rules" too close to election day. The supreme court did not disclose how its members voted on the matter.

How the dispute arose

The case stems from a New Hampshire directive issued earlier this year barring student IDs at the polls, even as backup identification under what is known as "safety valve" identification. New Hampshire has required voters to present an ID to vote since 2012.

• Republican governor Kelly Ayotte earlier this year signed a law removing student IDs from the state's list of acceptable voter ID forms.
• A lower court judge blocked the directive, and state officials then asked the supreme court to intervene.

The two sides

Voting rights advocates challenged the directive, arguing it would disenfranchise young voters who may not have access to a driver's license or passport. Republicans countered that the directive was needed to combat voter fraud.

Jackson's dissent

Ketanji Brown Jackson, a member of the court's liberal wing, dissented from the majority. She said the lower court judge was asking state officials to correct guidance that "could mislead voters and local election workers".

With the order in place, New Hampshire's directive barring student ID voting at the polls stands for November's midterm elections, and the justices did not disclose how they voted.