As someone who has a disability and relies on state and federal services to live independently, I try to vote in my local elections whenever possible. Thanks to the pilot program started this year, I can finally vote independently and privately in my local municipal elections.
HB 67 would strive to make this pilot program permanent, but another bill would make it much harder for people like myself to vote. HB 613 would permit cities and towns to administer elections in ways that would directly conflict with voting rights guaranteed by the Americans with Disabilities Act and New Hampshire’s Constitution.
Some examples of just how this would hurt my ability to vote include a requirement that I have to notify my local town within 60 days of the election that I wish to use the accessible voting system. No other voter needs to notify the town how and if they want to vote, and if a first-time voter who can’t access printed materials doesn’t know about this requirement, they can’t easily find out.
This also makes it more difficult as the burden for voting now shifts from the local municipalities to the individual voters, despite the municipalities being legally responsible for running the election. This can expose voters to potential intimidation by other members of the public.
Please call your representatives today and ask them to accept HB 67 and reject HB 613. New Hampshire legislators must not pass legislation that clearly and unlawfully discriminates against voters with disabilities!
Andrew Harmon
New Hampton