Over the past decade, legislation requiring voters to show identification documents at the polls has become a hot topic. Beginning with Georgia and Indiana in 2005, many states have enacted laws requiring voters to show photo ID at the polls. Many others require at least a non-photo-bearing identification document, such as a utility bill, bank statement or paycheck. For details on these requirements, see Voter ID: State Requirements.
 
However, not all states have followed this lead. In 16 states and DC, voters can cast a ballot in person on Election Day without showing an ID document. These states have "non-documentary" ID requirements, meaning voters must verify their identity in other ways, such as by signing an affidavit or poll book, or by providing personal information. In addition, all states have procedures for challenging voter eligibility.

Below are details on the statutory requirements for voter verification in states with non-documentary ID requirements.
 

Voters' Responsibilities

The three main types of non-documentary ID requirements that voters may be asked to satisfy are:

• Affidavit:  Some states, such as Iowa and Minnesota, ask voters to sign an affidavit asserting their eligibility to vote and/or awareness that falsely claiming eligibility is a criminal offense. Iowa includes the full text of its affidavit in statute. Other states provide partial texts or general guidelines.
• Signature:  In other states, voters must provide elections officials with a signature before casting a ballot. In most cases, this involves signing a poll book or voter registration list at the polls but there are some exceptions. For example, Oregon voters must sign the return envelope included with their mail-in ballots.
• Biographical information:  Voters may also be asked to provide personal information, either verbally or in writing, at the polls. In most cases, voters are asked to give their names and/or addresses. Maryland, New Mexico and (in certain circumstances) Minnesota, however, ask voters to provide full or partial birth dates.

These requirements are not mutually exclusive. Some states require voters to satisfy more than one. In New Mexico, voters must sign a signature roster and give their names and addresses both verbally and in writing. 
 

Election Officials' Responsibilities

In some states with non-documentary ID requirements, the evidence voters provide is verified by elections officials as a matter of course. Many states that require signatures or signed affidavits mandate that elections officials compare these signatures to the signatures on voters’ registration forms. Elections officials typically check voter- provided biographical information against voter records, registration lists or electronic poll books. In New York, officials also compare voters’ physical appearances to descriptions included in their voter records.
 

Voter Challenges

Like other states, states with non-documentary ID requirements permit citizen poll watchers and others to challenge voters' identity and/or eligibility to vote. States that require voters to provide their names at the polls often require elections officials verbally to repeat the names. This can help challengers identify individuals who are attempting to vote in another person's name or who are ineligible to vote.
 
Who can challenge a voter at the polls—and how—varies from state to state. Some states allow only elections officials or officially-appointed poll watchers to file challenges, while others permit all voters to do so. Commonly accepted grounds for challenge include failure to satisfy age, residency or registration requirements.