New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu (Republican) has signed a bill into law that will tighten the state's voter ID law for future elections.
The controversial bill would require voters to show proof of U.S. citizenship when registering to vote, and would also require them to show voter ID before casting a ballot.
The law won't go into effect until 60 days after the Nov. 5 general election this fall.
of The bill was passed. The bill was passed by New Hampshire's Republican-led legislature in May. The bill had been in limbo for months before Governor Sununu signed it on Thursday.
Sununu said the bill would promote confidence in elections, while maintaining that the state's elections are properly administered, safe and secure. The Boston Globe reported..
The Hill reached out to Governor Sununu's office for comment, but in a statement reported by the Globe, the governor said New Hampshire has a “proud record of conducting transitions of power and elections that are trusted and truthful.”
“As we look ahead to the next decade or two, this bill will bring more integrity and trust to our voting process,” Sununu said in a statement.
in Post to social platform XState Rep. Angela Brennan (D) said the bill is unconstitutional and that she and Republican state Sen. Jim Gray oppose it.
“Prepare for massive, expensive litigation with New Hampshire taxpayer money,” she posted. “Thank you, NHGOP.”
The bill would overturn the state's affidavit system, which allows people to vote even if they show up to the polls without ID, and will remain in place for this election, but critics of the bill say it will disenfranchise future voters.
MacKenzie Taylor, campaign director for the New Hampshire Voting Rights Campaign, said in a statement that the law makes New Hampshire the first state in the nation to require voters to show proof of citizenship at the polls.
“The extreme bill signed by the Governor will disenfranchise all New Hampshire residents,” Taylor said. “When this law goes into effect later this year, voters without the proper documentation could be turned away from the polls, introducing major new changes to New Hampshire's registration system, burdening election officials and disenfranchising voters.”
