We have all heard the expression “that doesn’t smell right.” I believe this is true of the proposed voting restriction bills, HB 1264 and 372, headed for Gov. Sununu’s office. In email communications with Sen. Andy Sanborn, I learned that virtually no voter fraud has occurred in New Hampshire (around one criminal charge related to voting per year); there is no voter fraud in New Boston; and no evidence for voter fraud in New Hampshire was reported before the disbanding of the federal voter fraud commission. What then is the necessity for new restrictions for voting in New Hampshire?

One requirement of the bills is that one’s car needs to be registered in N.H. in order for you to vote. I personally have a car registered in New Jersey – where I work part-time – but I have a New Hampshire license, and pay property taxes and participate in local community in New Boston. Should I not be able to vote here?

In addition, these bills passed the New Hampshire house and senate by partisan voting, supported primarily by Republicans, suggesting that the Republican party feels it has something to gain. Although the bills will affect me, it will disproportionately affect students here in N.H., potentially causing them financial hardship, which is why critics have characterized these bills as a poll tax. I think we all support fair and free voting rights and thus, like redistricting, our democracy is safest when changes in voting laws receive bipartisan support.

Let’s ask our reps to vote against new restrictions and ask the governor to veto the bills, as he had initially promised. The bills just don’t pass the smell test.