‘We can’t wait until you’re out of office’: New Hampshire youth activists sue state’s governor

The Bill: 

On September 12, New Hampshire‘s Gov. Chris Sununu (R) signed HB 1569 into law, which requires proof of U.S. citizenship when registering to vote and a photo ID to vote. The law won’t take effect until after the 2024 election. 

As reported by the Associated Press, New Hampshire voters do not currently need a photo ID to vote—they can sign an affidavit to attest to their identity and send in further proof within the next week.

“We have a proud tradition and proven track record of condition elections that are trusted and true,” Sununu said. “This legislation will instill even more integrity and trust in the voting process.”

The Backlash: 

The newly minted law has many opponents, including New Hampshire Youth Movement, a youth activist group that is suing the state over the law.

In a recent Instagram post, the group called the legislation a “right wing voter fraud conspiracy” that will disenfranchise “thousands of voters.” They also said that they “can’t wait until [Sununu is] out of office,” as the governor is finishing his final term this year.

Commenters on their post were even more cutting.

“Sununu himself is a conspiracy,” one Instagram user said.

“Awwwww chrisssy poo why u wanna embarrass yourself on your way out the door???” another person wrote. “Poor baby.”

The New Hampshire Youth Movement has taken a different approach in their lawsuit, though, and hasn’t made mention of the new law being part of a conspiracy. As reported by the New Hampshire Bulletin, the group’s lawsuit claims that the new law and its implementation will cause “confusion” and extra work for New Hampshire Youth Movement, which works to aid voter registration. 

The Background:

A law similar to HB 1569, the SAVE Act, passed in the U.S. House of Representatives in July.

The bill, also known as the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act, would require a proof of citizenship to register to vote in the U.S. And though the SAVE Act seemed to have some momentum as it was included in a version of House Speaker Mike Johnson’s (R-Mo.) proposal to fund the government until March of next year, NBC reported that Johnson axed the SAVE Act from his latest draft.

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