NH Governor Signs No-Excuse Voter ID And Citizenship Law
New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu recently signed a law requiring voters to provide proof of identity and citizenship when registering and casting ballots. This legislation mandates that voters show a photo ID and documentation proving citizenship, but will only come into effect six days after the upcoming election. The law, which was passed by a Republican-majority legislature, has drawn criticism from Democrats and advocacy groups who argue it could disenfranchise voters lacking proper identification.
Proponents of the law, including Sununu, believe it will enhance the integrity of the voting process, whereas opponents claim it could make it harder for some citizens to vote. Current laws allow voters to cast ballots without an ID by signing an affidavit, but the new law will eliminate that provision. The law is seen as a significant shift in voting requirements in the state, particularly considering the timing of its implementation close to the elections. Sununu has faced scrutiny regarding the law’s necessity and potential effects on voter turnout as New Hampshire approaches its elections with a closely contested political landscape.
Gov. Chris Sununu, R-N.H., signed a no-excuse voter identification and proof-of-citizenship bill into law last week, but it will not go into effect until six days after this year’s election.
The law, which passed the state’s Republican-majority House and Senate earlier this year, will require New Hampshire voters to provide proof of citizenship to apply for registration, as well as a photo ID when casting a ballot. In the event a person can’t show a valid ID, the supervisor may “review the voter’s qualifications and determine if the voter’s identity can be verified.”
“If the supervisor of the checklist determines that the voter’s qualifications and identity have not been established, the voter shall not be allowed to vote,” the law clarifies.
Current law allows people to show up to the polls without an ID, cast a ballot, and sign an affidavit promising that they are who they claim to be. It does not require voters to produce documentation until seven days after an election.
“I think this is a great bill and one needed in New Hampshire given its law allowing same day voter registration,” Hans von Spakovsky, Heritage Foundation senior legal fellow and manager of the Election Law Reform Initiative, told The Federalist. “Although it would have been good to have it in effect for this election, given that it only just got passed and just got signed into law so close to the election would probably make it extremely difficult for election officials to implement it before the election.”
Republican State Senate President Jeb Bradley did not send the bill, which carries a “60-day implementation delay,” to Sununu’s desk until Sept. 9, according to the New Hampshire Bulletin. The bill will go into effect Nov. 11.
“Given our late primary, there would have been one set of voting requirements for the Primary and another set for the General Election,” Bradley told The Federalist.
Sununu had previously expressed opposition to it over concerns it would be implemented too close to an election to give officials adequate time to respond, according to the New Hampshire Bulletin.
“Looking forward to the next decade or two, this legislation will instill even more integrity and trust in the voting process,” Sununu said in a statement, according to the outlet.
“I’m trying to appreciate, you know, making sure that for the next 10, 20 years, folks know that again, those provisions are in place. Everyone agrees you need it. You should have an ID to vote. It’s secure. It’s safe,” he reportedly said.
Democrats and other election integrity deniers have reportedly assailed the law, however, saying it will disenfranchise voters who do not have birth certificates, IDs, passports, or other identifying and citizenship-proving documentation, or those who “cannot get those documents in time,” according to the New Hampshire Bulletin. The bill is also reportedly opposed by left-wing organizations like the American Civil Liberties Union.
Sununu quickly addressed those arguments, reportedly describing the rhetoric as “fearmongering,” according to the New Hampshire Bulletin
“To say that somehow people can’t get identification and documents, in this day and age, 2024, we don’t do anything without documentation nowadays. … That’s absolutely required for a variety of different instances in our everyday lives. And this is no different,” he reportedly said.
New Hampshire’s narrow Republican majority in the state House, as well as the governor’s seat, are up for election this year. Sununu declined to seek a fifth term, and polling seems to suggest that race is a tossup.
For more election news and updates, visit electionbriefing.com.
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