The Independent View: NH Creating Poll Tax with HB1264

The New Hampshire Governor, Christopher T. Sununu (R), just Signed a Republican-backed Bill that Creates a Poll Tax.

HB1264, an Act relative to construction of the Terms: "resident," "inhabitant," "residence," and "residency".,requires Voters to Pay to get a New Hampshire Driver's License or ID, and Pay up to Hundreds of Dollars in Fees to Register their Vehicle to the State of New Hampshire, all just to Vote.

The Bill will take effect July 1st, 2019, which means the upcoming 2018 Elections will be held under the Existing Statutes that allow People Domiciled in the State to Vote in the State even if they are not Residents of the State.

But beginning in the 2019 Municipal Elections, and in the 2020 Elections, People who Vote in New Hampshire will be Residents of the State and if, for instance, they do not have a New Hampshire Driver’s License, they will be required to obtain One within 60 Days of Voting. They must also Register their Vehicles in the Granite State.

If they do not have a Vehicle, they will have to Pay for a State ID.

If they do not take action to become Residents, they could face Penalties and would be required take such action or No Longer Vote in the State.

That means Homeless, Minorities, Students, and the Military, will be Disenfranchised.

Gilles Bissonnette, Legal Director of the American Civil Liberties Union of New Hampshire, said this week that the Group may bring a Court Challenge to the New Law when Sununu Signed the bill. He Reiterated after the Signing that the ACLU-NH is considering Legal Action.

Yesterday, in a 3-2 Ruling, the New Hampshire Supreme Court declared Constitutional, on an Advisory, Non-Binding Basis only, New Hampshire’s latest Legislative effort to Suppress the Right to Vote, HB1264. The ACLU-NH and The Fair Elections Center filed a Joint Brief before the New Hampshire Supreme Court Challenging HB 1264’s Constitutionality. Attorneys for the ACLU-NH and The Center that filed this Brief are Gilles Bissonnette, the ACLU-NH Legal Director, and William Christie and S. Amy Spencer of the Law Firm Shaheen & Gordon, P.A.

Gubernatorial Candidate Steve Marchand:

Obviously, I strongly urge Governor Sununu to keep his word and veto HB1264. However, that is only one part of what needs to be done to dramatically improve our elections process. In my first six months as Governor, I will push vigorously for the passage of the following package of reforms:

The repeal of any voter suppression legislation signed into law by Sununu. Including SB3 & HB1264, if it becomes law. Instead, we should go to automatic voter registration.

HB1666 would establish an independent redistricting commission, much like Iowa. In 2019, I want that bill on my desk to sign into law.

We’ve proposed the most comprehensive & specific campaign finance reform plan in New Hampshire history. It includes a publicly funded match for candidates who focus their fundraising on low-dollar, in-state donations. It is the only way to fix a fundamentally broken system. Molly has criticized the concept of public funding of elections to an even greater extent than Governor Sununu.