Tell Committee of Conference Members: HB 317 is BAD for Community

email advocacy

Email Subject:

Dear [Your Elected Official],

I am writing to share my concerns about the original House version of HB 317. For generations, New Hampshire elections have relied on the integrity and local knowledge of election officials who know the people in their communities. There has been no demonstrated issue with towns improperly allowing people to vote without verifying identity, despite repeated hypothetical concerns raised throughout discussion of this bill.
Many lawmakers from both parties recognized the importance of preserving community trust and common sense in our elections, especially in small towns where election officials often personally know the voters they serve. I appreciate that the Senate amendment maintained the ability for election officials to confirm the identity of voters they personally know while adding a secure signed attestation process.
As you work to resolve differences between the two versions of HB 317, I hope you will protect the community-based nature of New Hampshire elections and avoid changes that could unnecessarily prevent already registered, eligible voters from casting their ballot.

Sincerely,

[Your Name]

[Your City & State]

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Summary

HOW TO SEND A CUSTOMIZABLE UJOIN EMAIL: 1. Review the pre-written message and make any edits or additions you’d like. Feel free to send as is, or delete the whole thing and write what you want! Personalized messages are often the most effective and persuasive.  2. Scroll down and fill in the boxes with your first and last name, email, and address. Your information will automatically appear at the end of the message as: “Sincerely, [Your Name], [Your City & State]” 3. Recipients are automatically entered by Open Democracy staff. If the action is directed toward a specific legislative committee, the email will automatically go to committee members. If the action is intended for your own legislators, the system will automatically identify and send the message to your representative(s) based on the address you provide. 4. If you'd like a copy of the email sent to yourself, be sure to check the box. ACTION DESCRIPTION:  In its original version, <a href="https://gc.nh.gov/bill_status/billinfo.aspx?id=520&inflect=2">HB 317</a> sought to eliminate the ability of an election official who personally knows a voter to attest to that voter’s identity if they forget to bring a photo ID with them on Election Day. Supporters of the bill repeatedly raised hypothetical concerns about NH towns “waving folks through” the check-in line without ID. But that is not how New Hampshire elections operate, and there has been no demonstrated issue with election officials improperly allowing people to vote without verifying who they are. For generations, New Hampshire elections have taken pride in the integrity and local knowledge of our election officials—trusted neighbors who know their communities well. HB 317 would tell those officials that their judgment no longer matters. If passed in its original form, it could turn away eligible voters who are personally known to local election officials simply because they forgot or misplaced their ID that day. During the public hearing, Representative Charlie St. Clair also underscored the importance of personal recognition and community trust. Looking toward Senator Tim Lang, he remarked that they had known each other for years, and joked that if he were required to show ID just to testify that day, he would hope Senator Lang would still be able to identify him. Notably, concerns about this bill crossed party lines. During the Senate Election Law Committee hearing, Senator Tim Lang criticized the proposal as “anti-community,” saying it “takes community out of the equation” and ignores the relationships built through local civic life in New Hampshire towns. He explained that after years of serving alongside neighbors on school boards, budget committees, and zoning boards, “community means nothing” under the bill as written, adding that he could not support it in its original form. Senator David Rochefort similarly pointed to the realities of the small North Country communities he represents, noting during the hearing, “I got a town with six voters in it.” Rochefort explained that in many of the towns he serves, people have known each other for generations and are deeply involved in local civic life. Reflecting on his own participation in zoning boards and community meetings, he suggested that if he showed up without an ID, he would hope the people in his town meetings would still be able to identify him. The Senate ultimately amended the bill before passing it. Under their version, voters whose identity is personally confirmed by an election official would still be allowed to vote, but both the voter and election workers would be required to sign documentation attesting to that identification. HB 317 is now headed to a Committee of Conference, where House and Senate members will attempt to resolve the differences between the two versions of the bill and come to a final agreement.

Who will receive your email?

Ross Berry Representative

Jim Qualey Representative

Robert Wherry Representative

Claudine Burnham Representative

James Gray Senator

Tim Lang Senator

Rebecca Perkins Kwoka Senator