The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for Feb. 13, 2025
Today’s Script
(Variations occur with audio due to editing for time. Today’s Links below the script)
The New Hampshire legislature has proposed various schemes over the last decade to keep liberal-leaning college students living in the state from voting in elections. Most have failed, but no fewer than three voter suppression bills are before the legislature this year.
A 2020 New Hampshire Supreme Court decision overturned a previous bill, SB 3, and preserved the current rules allowing college students to use their dormitory or off-campus address as their legal “domicile” for voting purposes. As of last November, an official student ID could still be used as identification.
That could change with HB 323, which eliminates school-issued identifications as acceptable means of ID for voting, whether from a public or private college or high school.
SB 223 has been tried before. It allows any student eligible to vote in New Hampshire to qualify for in-state tuition at any state university system campus, BUT also eliminates college-issued IDs as a form of identification. The bill could cost the state’s universities $141 million dollars in tuition fees.
HB 289 challenges the definition of “domicile” again. Previous bills tried to outlaw dormitories as acceptable domicile, a student’s intent to stay in the state long-term, requiring a car registration, or to have a New Hampshire driver’s license. HB 289’s latest tactic prohibits domicile status for anyone who is legally a dependent at an address outside the state.
We’ve linked to local reporting and the text of the bills at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org. I’m Brian Beihl.
Today’s Links
Articles & Resources:
NH Dept. of Justice – Establishing Domicile/Residence in New Hampshire
NH Supreme Court – Decision overturning SB 3 – League of Women Voters NH v. Gardner
NH House – HB 323 – AN ACT requiring the presentation of a government-issued photographic means of identification in order to vote.
NH Senate – SB 223 – AN ACT relative to using college or university student identification cards to obtain a ballot.
NH House – HB 289 – Prevents a person from claiming domicile if that person is a legal dependent of a person who does not live in New Hampshire.
New Hampshire Bulletin – Republicans say out-of-state college students should vote back home; students disagree
WMUR – Bill would remove college IDs as qualifying identification to vote in New Hampshire
Groups Taking Action:
Open Democracy NH, League of Women Voters NH, NH Youth Movement, NH Campaign for Voting Rights
Register or Check Your Voter Registration:
U.S. Election Assistance Commission – Register And Vote in Your State
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