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Concord, N.H. - Today, the New Hampshire Democratic Party filed a lawsuit in the United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire challenging HB 1264, the voter restriction law that was signed into law by Governor Chris Sununu last spring. HB 1264 will require every person who registers to vote in New Hampshire and who has a driver’s license or car to obtain a New Hampshire driver’s license and register their car in New Hampshire at significant expense. Under this new law, if a voter fails to obtain a New Hampshire driver’s license or register their car within 60 days of registering to vote, they will be subject to criminal penalties. The New Hampshire Democratic Party will argue HB 1264 is unconstitutional on three grounds: 1. It violates the First and Fourteenth Amendments, which prohibit severe burdens on the right to vote. 2. It imposes restrictions that specifically target young New Hampshire voters, who historically vote Democratic, and who are guaranteed the right to vote under the Twenty-Sixth Amendment. 3. It violates the Twenty-Fourth Amendment by establishing what is essentially a poll tax for those seeking to register to vote. NHDP Chair Ray Buckley issued the following statement: "The New Hampshire Democratic Party is proud to defend the right of all eligible voters in New Hampshire to cast a ballot and we will continue to stand opposed to these partisan, unconstitutional, and politically-motivated efforts to limit the electorate. HB 1264 is just the latest in a string of recent efforts to disenfranchise younger, traditionally liberal voters. There can be no justification for this legislation other than to create an electorate more inclined to elect those who put this law into place. We remain committed in our fight to preserve New Hampshire's electoral integrity because we firmly believe an engaged electorate is a signal of a strong and vibrant democracy."
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