A bill before the state senate’s Election Law and Municipal Affairs Committee, HB 1569, would remove voters’ access to a critical tool for validating their ability to vote when registering or re-registering to vote in New Hampshire. Currently if someone comes to vote and does not have proof of domicile or citizenship, they can sign an affidavit, a powerful legal tool with serious legal consequences should they lie about being a NH resident.

As someone who moved during the pandemic to help family, I had to update my credentials so I could vote in the local town warrant, and only by sheer chance did I have my birth certificate as my non-driver’s license was out of date. Unfortunately the birth certificate copy, notarized when I was born, was not recognized as the local poll officials thought the laminated copy looked fake. Had HB 1569 been in effect, I would not have been able to vote in a town I had lived within for 18 of my 38 years, all thanks to changes in technology. Any tool that allows us as citizens to vote should be cherished, and removing those tools only helps to weaken our great state. Please oppose HB 1569, and please let your state senators know how egregious this bill is.

Andrew Harmon

New Hampton