Voting Rights in the News

Originally published in the Concord Monitor

Letter to the Editor: Live Free and Vote

By: Angela Brennan, Former State Representative and Bow Resident.

Let's be clear: There is no evidence of widespread voter fraud. Why then are the majorities in the State House passing bills to tackle a non-existent problem? SB287, currently on its way to the Governor's desk, is such a bill seeking to solve a problem that doesn't exist and needs to be vetoed. As a former state representative who served on the House Election Law Committee and evaluated bills that would restrict voting access, similar to SB287, I repeatedly asked our Secretary of State and local election officials, if there has been any evidence of widespread voter fraud- the answer was always NO. Thousands of New Hampshire voters utilize safe and secure absentee ballots to exercise their right to vote. SB287 would require far more documentation to request an absentee ballot than the documents currently required to register to vote. Voters who meet the established criteria to vote with an absentee ballot have already provided sufficient documentation as part of their voter registration. This bill creates unnecessary roadblocks for the voter and for local election officials who will be overburdened with excessive paperwork containing sensitive information thus slowing down the effective and efficient process that our trusted election officials have established. If the Governor believes in free and fair elections and our constitutional right to vote, she will veto SB287 to protect ballot access for seniors, people with disabilities, and Granite State voters of all political persuasions.