Advocates say new voter registration rules turned away nearly 100 New Hampshire voters
Voting rights advocates in New Hampshire are highlighting alleged issues with new ID requirements for voter registration that they said turned away nearly 100 qualified voters from casting ballots earlier this month.
The March town elections were the first test for New Hampshire's new voter registration law, which went into effect late last year. It requires proof of U.S. citizenship in order to register, which means an unregistered voter needs to show up with a document like a birth certificate or a passport to prove their citizenship.
The New Hampshire Campaign for Voting Rights said it knows of 96 people who were turned away during town elections, including Reegan DePasquale, a Hampton mother of two.
"I obviously brought my ID, brought my kids, and I didn't realize that I also needed to bring a passport or a birth certificate," DePasquale said. "I don't usually carry those around with me, and it was very frustrating because I am a citizen of this community."
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DePasquale said she has been a qualified voter in New Hampshire in the past.
"I am in the system, but it was listed as removed because it had been too long since I had voted for New Hampshire, and it was also under my maiden name," she said. "So, I imagine even if that was the case, that I could use that, I would also need to carry my marriage certificate, too. Just another thing that I don't carry around."
Advocates said DePasquale's story is typical of those turned away at the polls on March 11.
"Complying with these unnecessary documentary requirements may seem like a small deal to some, but for people who have a job and small children, it's actually not," said Henry Klementowicz, of the ACLU-New Hampshire.
Secretary of State David Scanlan said the majority of those turned away came back with proper documentation.
"The way that we will approach that is education," he said. "We will be reaching out and encouraging voters to register early."