Anti-Voter Policies Underscore Urgent Need for New Candidates to Run
CONCORD, NH – Last week, Governor Ayotte signed House Bill 323 into law, restricting which forms of ID can be used at the polls and eliminating student IDs as an acceptable form of identification, another step in a long line of voter suppression from Ayotte’s State House.
Voters already have to prove who they are, where they live, and that they are eligible to vote when they register. Student IDs have long been one tool to verify a voter’s identity. Removing them creates new hurdles for voters, especially young people, working students, and those just getting civically engaged. This law comes on the heels of other election law changes that have already created confusion at the polls.
New Hampshire has increasingly become a testing ground for restrictive voting proposals, including policies similar to those in the so-called “SAVE Act,” which would impose stricter documentation requirements nationwide. These attacks are the latest in a pattern of policies that create new barriers for eligible Granite Staters and risk further confusion at the polls, underscoring the need for new leaders willing to step up and change course.
“This is a distraction from the issues Granite Staters actually want their elected officials to focus on,” said Matt Mooshian, 603 Forward Program Director. “People are worried about the cost of housing, good paying jobs, finding and affording child care – not whether eligible voters should be turned away because they don’t have the right form of ID. Instead of addressing actual issues, conservative politicians are spending time advancing policies that make it harder for people to participate in our democracy.
When we see a pattern like this, the answer is to elect leaders who will focus on the real issues facing our communities and ensure every voter can make their voice heard,” Mooshian added. “We need more democracy-minded people – especially young folks – stepping up to run for office and lead. The future of our democracy depends on it.”
603 Forward remains committed to building the next generation of leaders who will expand civic participation, push back against efforts that silence voters, and deliver solutions on the issues that matter most to Granite Staters.
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603 Forward envisions a thriving New Hampshire where people are free to live, work and raise a family. In our New Hampshire: democracy is protected above all else; young people have a voice in government at all levels; and policy changes to help build an inclusive, affordable and resilient state.
