New bill tightens rules for proving age, citizenship at upcoming elections

CONCORD - The Secretary of State's Office today is reminding Granite Staters ahead of March local elections that there are new requirements in place for voter registration following the passage of HB 1569, which took effect in November.

In New Hampshire, individuals must be a United States citizen, at least 18 years old by the date of the election, and have their primary residence in New Hampshire to register to vote. The law no longer authorizes an applicant to complete affidavits as an alternative means of proving their qualifications as a voter. If an applicant does not provide acceptable documentary proof of identity, age, United States citizenship, and/or domicile, they are not eligible to be registered to vote.

To register to vote in New Hampshire, individuals can register at their local clerk's office, at a local supervisor of the checklist meeting, at the polls on election day, or, if they qualify to use the absentee process, by absentee. When registering, individuals will need to prove they are qualified. The proof documents listed below are the most commonly used forms of proof, but the lists are not exhaustive:

• Proof of identity and age - driver's license, or government-issued photo identification, or passport/passcard.
• Proof of citizenship - birth certificate, or United States passport, or naturalization documents, or other proof of citizenship issued by the United States Department of State, or other reasonable documentation which indicates the applicant is a United States citizen.

• Proof of domicile - driver's license, or resident vehicle registration, or government-issued ID with the current domicile address listed. If an applicant attests that they do not possess any of these, they can use a rental/lease agreement, or utility or other bill with the current domicile, or the Confirmation of Domicile Form (blank form provided by local election officials which must also be signed by a person owning, leasing, or renting the domicile property).

A full list of acceptable documents individuals can use when registering to vote can be found in the Secretary of State's "Registering to Vote in NH" document, which is posted on www.sos.nh.gov.

Registered voters must prove their identity at the polls on election day to receive a ballot. Most do so by showing a qualified photo ID such as a driver's license or non-driver ID.

For questions about who is running in local elections, registration deadlines and election dates, and other related questions, voters should reach out to their local clerks. Voters can use the Secretary of State's Voter Information Lookup at app.sos.nh.gov to find their clerk's contact information.