U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen joined New Hampshire college journalists in an April 17 press call to talk about ongoing changes to voting access for college students as new voter ID laws are passed.
Shaheen focused on HB 232 in particular, which makes student IDs an illegible form of identification at the polls in New Hampshire. Gov. Kelly Ayotte signed the bill into law on April 6.
As accessibility to the polls changes, Shaheen said she wanted to “raise the alarm” and inform students about the changes in policy. “It’s important that we make sure that students understand what they need to vote, so they’re not disenfranchised,” said Shaheen.
Shaheen also spoke against the federal SAVE Act, a bill that would require photo ID to vote and proof of citizenship to register to vote. The SAVE Act would also require all ballots to be counted within 36 hours of election day. The bill’s critics say the changes would make it substantially more difficult for students and married women to vote, and have equated it to a modern day poll tax.
Between the SAVE Act, HB 232, and HB 1569 — a bill signed into law by Gov. Chris Sununu that prevents voters from signing an affidavit to vote instead of providing photo ID — Shaheen described an intentional movement to disenfranchise voters in New Hampshire and nationwide. “There’s what I believe [is a] determined effort to prevent students from voting, and that’s why I wanted to just raise the alarm with all of you,” she said.
Students preparing to vote in New Hampshire elections should bring a driver’s license, nondriver’s ID, passport, or other legal form of identification listed in HB 323. More information about voting can be found online at sos.nh.gov.
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