New Hampshire State Sen. Regina Birdsell says the guiding principle behind her new comprehensive Bill to tighten Voter Registration requirements borrows from former President Ronald Reagan. “Trust, but verify,” she said. “We trust you, but we want you to bring in proof.” The second-term Hampstead Republican, who Chairs the Senate Election Law and Internal Affairs Committee, said the basics of her long-awaited Amendment to Senate Bill 3 is, “My constituents have been clamoring for this,”.
Her Bill requires that anyone who Registers to Vote within 30 days of an Election, or on Election Day, present definitive Proof of Residency in the State. Those who do not can still Vote but would be required to provide Proof of Residency to Town and City Clerks no more than 10 or 30 days after the Election, depending on where they live, for their Vote to be counted.
It’s a shorter turnaround requirement than under current Law, and the follow-up Provision in her Bill would allow Police on routine patrol to visit a home to seek Proof of Residency from the Voter.
Election Law Reform has been among the biggest issues at the State House this year in the aftermath of the 2016 Election. It was drawing the attention of Gov. Chris Sununu and Lawmakers even before President Trump put New Hampshire in the National spotlight two weeks ago by making an unsubstantiated claim that thousands of people were bused into the State from Massachusetts and Voted Illegally.
Dozens of Bills addressing State Election Laws were filed, most of them in the House. But several key House Bills have been recently put on hold while State Senate Republicans, led by Birdsell, work on what has been described as an all-encompassing, or Omnibus, plan. Also put on hold was a separate Senate Bill to put into place a 13-day Residency requirement.
Birdsell said that a final draft of her Amendment will not be available until the week of March 6th, after Lawmakers return from a recess next week.
Outlining the Plan in a State House interview, she said her Bill would continue the existing practice of allowing people who do not show positive Photo IDs at Polling places to fill out and provide Election officials with an Affidavit swearing that they are domiciled in New Hampshire. But she said her Bill is different than current Law because it requires those Voters to provide Proof that they are domiciled in the State, and do so promptly.
She said the goal of the plan is to stress that in New Hampshire, “domicile is more than just an idea, and that is a verifiable act, and they must show proof of that act. They must show that there has been some act performed, by proof that they have purchased a home, or a New Hampshire motor vehicle registration or a New Hampshire fishing or hunting license. Or there must be proof presented of residency at an institute of higher learning. In order to claim domicile in this state, it can’t be just an idea in your head, It’s going to require that you show you have an intent to stay, and then it has to be coupled with a verifiable act and proof of that.” Birdsell said.
Birdsell said that people who go to their City or Town Clerks to Register to Vote 30 or fewer days prior to an Election “are going to be required to fill out the registration form. It’s also going to have the domicile affidavit attached to it.”
For those who Register to Vote on Election Day, “If you are going to be claiming domicile, it’s the same situation. You are going to be required to bring in one of those same types of proof. If you don’t have them, you can still fill out the paperwork (affidavit) and vote. But you are going to be required within a certain period of time to bring the proof back to the town hall.”
Birdsell said that those who reside in Communities whose Town or City Halls are open 40 hours a week will have 10 days to bring in Proof of Domicile. Those who reside in Communities whose Town or City Halls are open on a part-time basis will have 30 days to present the Proof.
People who do not return to their city or Town Halls with Proof of Residency will receive letters from the secretary of State’s office seeking Proof, as is current procedure.
Students who claim domicile in a Campus Dormitory “can get a confirmation from the university. You can get a letter from the school saying you reside at a certain dorm, or you can use a bill you received from the school,” Birdsell said.
She cautioned that a Student who comes to New Hampshire from another State and claims Domicile in New Hampshire “must remember that we entered into the crosscheck program. If they are registered in another state, they need to be careful and switch their registration to New Hampshire.”
The Senator and former Two-Term House member said her interest in Election Law Reform was sparked by her Constituents in her Home Town when she ran for the House for the first time in 2010. “I ran then on trying to tighten up the voting laws, and my constituents are still clamoring for it. They’re concerned about what they feel is the looseness of our voting system. They are afraid of people coming over the border, and people who are here temporarily.”
She said that when she Campaigned to represent Hampstead in the House in 2010 and 2012, “some of my constituents told me they were standing (at the polling place) seeing cars from Massachusetts coming in on Election Day. “Were they people who had just moved in? I don’t know. But I know that this is what my constituents want,” Birdsell said.
Birdsell said she is prepared to be accused by opponents of Election Law Reform of trying to suppress Voting. “They can say that, but there will be language in this bill saying, for instance, that if you are a student, and you have a residence on campus, you can vote.” “We are not trying to suppress,” she said. “We’re just trying to make sure that if you are claiming domicile here, you have a vested interest in what happens in your community.”
Regarding claims by Trump and others of Election Fraud in the State, Birdsell said, “I don’t completely buy the claims of election fraud. I’d say that what we have are fairly loose laws. But I’m sure there are going to be people who hate it. There are going to be people who like it and there are going to be people who can live with this.” “I’ve learned as a state representative and a state senator that you can’t please everybody all the time. So this is the best that we’re going to be able to do.”
As for Trump’s claims, Birdsell said, “He obviously doesn’t know New Hampshire as well as he thinks he does.”
NYC Wins When Everyone Can Vote! Michael H. Drucker
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