The head of New Hampshire’s Democratic Party filed a lawsuit Wednesday challenging a new state law that requires voters who move to the state within 30 days of an election to provide proof that they intend to stay. The party contends it presents confusing, unnecessary and intimidating hurdles to voting. Democratic Chairman Raymond Buckley said the law amounts to voter suppression. He’s asking for a judge to declare the law, signed by Republican Gov. Chris Sununu in July, unconstitutional. The lawsuit names Attorney General Gordon MacDonald and Secretary of State William Gardner as defendants. A statement from MacDonald’s office says the law is presumed to be constitutional. “The Department of Justice will defend it vigorously and we are confident it will be sustained,” the statement said.
The suit says the law will penalize voters “simply for failing to understand or comply with confusing and burdensome paperwork requirements.”
It says the law requires all people seeking to register to vote to present evidence of “a verifiable act or acts carrying out” their intent to be domiciled in New Hampshire. It contends people seeking to register more than 30 days before an election could be denied the right to register, and that those who can’t present such documentation within 30 days must complete different, lengthy forms.
Full Article: NH Democratic Party challenges new voter law.