New Hampshire Election Day Registration Law Challenge (603 Forward)

Lawsuit filed on behalf of 603 Forward, Open Democracy and a New Hampshire voter against the New Hampshire secretary of state challenging Senate Bill 418, the state’s recently enacted voter suppression law. The law requires voters who register to vote for the first time on Election Day, but who lack a valid photo ID, to vote on an affidavit ballot, which is then separated from other completed ballots. After the election, these voters have seven days to mail documentation establishing their identity to the secretary of state in order for their votes to be counted. If voters fail to do so, their votes will be discarded from the official election results and their names will be referred to the attorney general’s office for investigation. The plaintiffs argue that this law violates multiple provisions of the New Hampshire Constitution by unduly burdening the right to vote and creating multiple classes of voters. The lawsuit ask the state court to declare that S.B. 418 violates the New Hampshire Constitution and permanently block it from being enforced. On Nov. 3, 2023, the court granted the defendants’ motion to dismiss the lawsuit.

Last updated: November 3, 2023 9:47 am EST