As town meetings and local elections approach, the Secretary of State’s office is reminding voters of a new law for registering and obtaining a ballot in New Hampshire.
The Republican-backed law known as HB 1569 went into effect in November, after the general election. It ends the use of sworn affidavits for would-be voters to prove their citizenship or residency qualifications if they fail to bring certain documents to the polls or town hall.
Under the new law, all qualified residents seeking to register must bring either a birth certificate, passport or naturalization papers to the polls to prove their U.S. citizenship. In addition, voters will need to prove their residency (domicile) with an acceptable document, such as a driver’s license, utility bill or lease.
The Secretary of State’s office has posted a full list of acceptable documents that can be used to register on their website.
The new documentation rules for registering to vote apply only to first-time voters in New Hampshire. Residents who move between towns do not need to prove their citizenship when registering in their new community.
Sworn affidavits are also now prohibited for registered voters who show up at the polls on election day to receive a ballot, but fail to bring identification, and there are no longer provisional ballots available for people who seek to register and vote but lack identification.
The new voting law, which was authored by former New Hampshire Supreme Court chief justice Bob Lynn and signed by Gov. Chris Sununu, was immediately challenged in court by a coalition of progressive and voting rights groups. While those legal challenges work their way through the federal courts, the law remains in effect.
