Judge bars New Hampshire proof of residency requirement for new voters
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A New Hampshire judge on Monday put on hold a law requiring some voters to present proof of residency when they register, saying it would lengthen lines at polling places and make it difficult for students, disabled voters and others to cast ballots...
The measure, which passed largely along party lines and went into effect last year, required those seeking to register within 30 days of an election to present documents proving that they live in the area where they intend to vote. Without such proof, they must agree to either send it in within 10 days or the state will seek to verify their domicile...
“Where the law threatens to disenfranchise an individual’s right to vote, the only viable remedy is to enjoin its enforcement,” Presiding Justice Kenneth C. Brown wrote in his decision for the Hillsborough Superior Court Northern District in Manchester.
He added that the registration form is too complicated for many people to understand.
The legislation is the subject of a lawsuit filed by League of Women Voters of New Hampshire and other groups, who said it would disenfranchise numerous groups including students, the disabled and homeless voters. The measure will be put on hold while the merits of the case are decided...
New Hampshire Congresswoman Carol Shea-Porter, a Democrat, welcomed the ruling.
“This law undermines our state’s reputation for holding free and fair elections, and it hurts our democracy,” she said in a statement.
23 Oct 2018, 2:19 am
