Inform & Connect

The Legislative Docket

Highlighted Bills for your attention!

Contact Your Senator by Wednesday, June 11

OPPOSE Voter Suppression Bills

Last Thursday, June 5th, was the last day for bills to pass through both the State Senate and House Chambers.

This week, both the House and Senate will move to the Committee of Conference (CoC) phase. Bills that have passed both bodies, but with different versions due to amendments, must be revisited and either accepted as amended, reconciled in a CoC, or rejected. June 12th is the last day to form CoCs. June 19th is the last day for agreement to be reached within the CoCs. The final votes of the session will take place on Thursday, June 26th.

This week, we are amplifying actions requested by Open Democracy NH - to reach out to our State Senator to vote non-concur - a procedural move that would stop or at least delay these harmful bills from becoming law - on 2 bills that impose unnecessary restrictions on the absentee voting process. These 2 bills - SB218 and SB287 - are repeats from last week, so we are including talking points for both again, asking you to please contact your State Senator at this time. 
 

Action Alert: Please contact your State Senator by Wednesday evening. Ask them to vote NON-CONCUR on SB218 and SB287. 

Look up your State Senator's contact info here.

• Tell your State Senator that you are a constituent who considers voting records at election time. 

• Your email subject line should include reference to being a constituent. Example: [Your Town] Constituent: Vote Non-Concur on SB218 & SB287.

• Short emails are more effective. State your request and just a few talking points, put into your own words, or a personal story. 

OPPOSE SB218, relative to absentee ballot outer envelopes. 

• Rep. Connie Lane (D-Concord) for the Minority of Election Law: This bill, as amended by Amendment 2025-2407h, would compel registered New Hampshire voters who need to register before they can request an absentee ballot to prove they are US citizens in order to receive a ballot. The bill assumes that all voters have access to their citizenship documentation, can afford to obtain copies of such documentation, and have access to a copier and/or a computer. The bill’s sponsors and advocates offered no evidence in the public hearing that the bill would make voting more “secure.” For instance, no evidence was adduced to show that non-citizens are impersonating registered voters or are otherwise using absentee ballots. The minority is not surprised by the absence of any relevant evidence, as noncitizens face up to one year in federal prison for voting in federal elections – and also risk deportation. Given these penalties and the absence of any evidence for illegal voting by non-citizens, the minority believes that the bill will not realize any benefit to the public. Furthermore, the minority would prefer to wait until the resolution of the existing lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of last year’s HB1569 (2024), which imposed citizenship requirements for voter registration.

Additional talking points from Open Democracy:

• SB218 requires absentee voter registration applicants to submit multiple documents proving identity, citizenship, age, and domicile. 

• It will replace current affidavits with burdensome scanning and mailing requirements. Voters currently attest to their eligibility when they register via a sworn affidavit, punishable by penalty of perjury. 

• Adding additional requirements to scan, print, and send documents can disenfranchise eligible voters – especially those with disabilities who are registering absentee because they are unable to do so in person. 

• This bill does not solve a known problem - it just makes it that much harder for thousands of eligible voters to cast their ballots.

OPPOSE SB287, requiring applicants for absentee ballots to present a copy of their photo identification with their application.

• Rep. Connie Lane (D-Concord) for the Minority of Election Law: This bill, as amended by Amendment 2025-2414h, requires that a voter present ID when obtaining an absentee ballot. The bill assumes that all voters have access to a copier or can get to the clerk’s office to obtain a ballot in person. It ignores the fact that copiers are a luxury for most households and that many people are home bound and cannot easily get to the clerk’s office. The bill’s sponsors and advocates offered no evidence that the bill would make voting more “secure.” No evidence of fraud under the current system was introduced. This bill, like many others passed over the past few years, is based purely on speculation and adds yet another barrier to exercising the right to vote – also known as voter suppression.

• From the League of Women Voters - NH: The League opposes this bill that makes absentee voting more difficult, especially for people who really need to vote absentee and may, for the same reasons, not have access to a copier or a notary public. Last November nearly 12% of votes cast were absentee. That’s voters of both parties. It is wrong to disenfranchise these voters with nitpicking made-up new qualifications that only some can expedite. We’ve testified many times against this concept. One more example of a solution in search of a problem.

Additional talking points from Open Democracy:

• SB287 requires voters to submit their photo ID in person, include a photocopy, or have their application notarized.

• It creates serious barriers for voters without access to printers, notaries, or who cannot travel in person.

• This bill undermines the purpose of absentee voting and risks disenfranchising elderly, low-income, and disabled voters.

• By placing new, unnecessary barriers on the absentee voting process by requiring voters to submit a copy of their ID, get a notarized signature, or visit their clerk’s office in person before even receiving their ballot, SB287 effectively taking the "absent" out of "absentee".

You may watch House sessions live or recorded here. 

You may watch Senate sesions live or recorded here.