Dartmouth College students and Hanover’s town clerk joined scores of New Hampshire voters and advocates on Tuesday to testify on HB 1264, a bill that has sparked controversy over claims that it would tie motor registration fees and other obligations associated with residency to participation in elections. A simple proposed tweak to the state’s definition of a legal resident has fueled a debate over the merits of voting by students who grew up out-of-state but now attend college in New Hampshire. Advocates say the measure would simplify statutory terms and protect the integrity of elections, whereas opponents call it a “poll tax” that would suppress the vote through unnecessary fees.
“We didn’t just choose Dartmouth; we chose New Hampshire,” Michael Parsons, a sophomore from Norfolk, Va., said on Tuesday morning before the start of a public hearing of the Senate Election Law and Internal Affairs Committee.
Parsons, a baseball player who volunteers with the Special Olympics and Children’s Hospital at Dartmouth fundraisers, said the bill’s redefinition of residency in relation to voting status was a blow to students’ involvement in communities.
“Why has my volunteering with the community not demonstrated intent (to participate)?” he asked.
Full Article: Valley News – Dozens Testify on N.H. Voter Bill.