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In case you missed it, NHDP Chair Ray Buckley, Senate Democratic Leader Donna Soucy, NHDP Veterans and Military Families Caucus Co-Chair Maura Sullivan, and UNH College Democrats President Heath Howard gathered virtually today to discuss SB 418, a Republican-sponsored voter suppression bill that could take away the right to vote for active duty military service members and their families and college students.
SB 418 would endanger the secret ballot, impose a stringent voter ID requirement, violate voters’ privacy rights, make same-day registration more complicated and difficult, and overturn how New Hampshire has conducted elections for decades.
Read key excerpts here:
NHDP Chair Ray Buckley:
“This is just the latest example of Republicans in the state legislature refusing to honor New Hampshire’s decades-long tradition of voter engagement that Granite Staters take pride in. Clearly, Republicans know they cannot win if they play fairly, so they are doing everything in their power to disenfranchise Granite State voters.”
Democratic Leader Senator Donna Soucy:
“This bill would hurt voters like college students and military or overseas voters. In addition, this causes serious privacy concerns, as more voters their votes are reviewed by more and more officials, and their votes become known to a wider circle of people — destroying any reasonable expectation of privacy.”
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“This is an affront to our right to vote, and my Republican colleagues in the Senate know that.”
Maura Sullivan:
“Under the Uniform and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Right Act, or UOCAVA for short, military personnel serving overseas are required to be sent their ballots 45 days in advance of the general election. This ensures that they can have their votes counted and their voices heard in our democracy.”
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“There is no reason for the legislature in Concord to make these sweeping changes to our election system, let alone ones that could prevent service members and families from voting in our elections. Our service men and women in uniform and their families sacrifice to defend our freedom and our democracy. Doing anything to potentially take away their constitutional right to vote would be disgraceful.”
Heath Howard:
“This bill will make it harder for lawfully domiciled college students, who may not have proof of residency readily available on Election Day, to cast their votes.”
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“The voices of young voters are important. The NH GOP knows that our votes make or break elections, especially here in New Hampshire. The NH GOP also knows that silencing us is their only path to victory. We must push back against this harmful legislation. I implore our State Senators to stand up for our democracy and to vote against SB 418 tomorrow.”
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