The American Democracy Minute Radio News Report & Podcast for Oct. 1, 2025
September 30th, New Hampshire implemented new hurdles for registering to vote by mail and requesting an absentee ballot. The regulations hit students, elders and the disabled the hardest, and a pending suit claims many could be disenfranchised.
New Hampshire already has some of the strictest absentee voting rules in the country, accepting only a few excuses to vote absentee. The state had over 99,000 absentee voters in 2024.
With the added requirements of SB 287 and 218, citizens registering to vote by mail must now submit copies of proof of citizenship documents, age, and residency. The voter registration application must also be signed by a witness before submission, according to new guidelines from the New Hampshire secretary of state’s office. The Brennan Center recently found that one in nine Americans don’t have ready access to such documents. Notably, only ONE noncitizen has ever been convicted for voting illegally in New Hampshire.
Then, after the voter registration is accepted, New Hampshire requires an absentee ballot application be submitted for each election, which now must include a copy of the voter’s state or federally-issued photo identification – even if you’ve provided those documents previously – or a notarized signature.
A lawsuit filed August 19th argues such restrictions make it difficult for students, elders, the disabled and those without access or means to copy the documents, to vote.
We have more at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org. I’m Brian Beihl.
Today’s Links
Articles & Resources:
NH Secretary of State – Absentee Voter Registration
NH Secretary of State – Absentee Ballots
NH General Court – SB 287 Text – Final Version
NH General Court – SB 218 Text – Final Version
New Hampshire Bulletin – Ayotte signs bills to tighten absentee voting, ensure accessible voting
NH Superior Court (Via Democracy Docket) – Robertson v. Scanlan
Groups Taking Action:
Open Democracy Action, League of Women Voters NH, NH Campaign for Voting Rights
Register or Check Your Voter Registration:
U.S. Election Assistance Commission – How to Register And Vote in Your State
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