Strafford County Judge overturns NH student voter registration law
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September 27, 2012
Strafford County, New Hampshire: In a speedy decision, Strafford County Superior Court Judge John M. Lewis overturned a new state law which would have required registering voters to sign stating that New Hampshire was their "domicile" and thus requiring them to obtain new driver's licenses and car tags. The law, which specifically targeted out-of-state students was originally challenged by a group of students and was backed by the League of Women Voters and the American Civil Liberties Union. The original law was enacted by the Republican legislature and overrode a veto by Governor John Lynch. However, Judge Lewis disagreed with the law, specifically the confusion around the terms "domicile" and "residency" which have previously been defined differently under state law. In his brief, Lewis stated "The state offers no compelling justification for this paragraph, which, again, presents an inaccurate expression of the law and has a clear harmful effect on the exercise of voting rights and education connected therewith." A joint statement from Senate President Peter Bragdon and House Speaker William O'Brien questioned the ruling, stating, "New Hampshire citizens have a right to elect individuals of their own choosing. Allowing non-residents into New Hampshire to dictate who will be our presidential choice, who shall be our governor, and who shall represent us in the Legislature takes away our voting rights." There has been no word whether the state intends to appeal the lawsuit.[1]
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