Rural NH voters face new barriers to absentee voter registration

By Kathryn Carley

Voting rights advocates in New Hampshire said a new law will make absentee voting harder for people in rural areas.

A bill signed by Gov. Kelly Ayotte earlier this month requires absentee ballot requests to include proof of citizenship, age, domicile and identity, even for those who have previously voted in the state.

Olivia Zink, executive director of the advocacy group Open Democracy Action, said eligible voters, including seniors and people with disabilities, will now have to make an in-person request.

“If you have to go to the town clerk’s office, you’re no longer voting by absentee,” Zink pointed out. “You’ve taken the absentee out of absentee ballot.”

Supporters said the new requirements are needed to improve election security but even Secretary of State David Scanlan said lawmakers are “reacting to perceptions” of voter fraud rather than real problems. New Hampshire is one of just 14 states requiring an excuse to vote absentee.

The changes follow new proof of citizenship requirements signed into law by former Gov. Chris Sununu last year. At least 100 people were turned away from the polls this spring when they could not provide a passport or birth certificate. Zink noted New Hampshire already has some of the strictest voting requirements in the nation and the state is making it harder for people to carry out their most basic civil right.

“The strategy is confusion, and if people feel confused, they don’t participate,” Zink stressed. “What we need to do is make sure we’re educating as many folks as they can on knowing their rights in order to cast their ballot.”

Zink added the changes around absentee voting won’t take effect until Sept. 30, so Manchester residents voting in their municipal primary will face a different set of rules in the November general election. She encouraged people to contact their town clerk or the Secretary of State’s office with any questions regarding their voter registration or eligibility.

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