Voting=rights advocates in New Hampshire say the state’s new ban on student IDs at the polls is part of a larger nationwide trend of voter suppression.

Despite a lack of evidence, GOP lawmakers argued college students could use fake school ID’s and that the ban was needed to ensure election security.

But Lisa Kovack, director of the New Hampshire Campaign for Voting Rights, said the state already has some of the most restrictive voting laws in the country.

"The Trump administration has openly stated a desire to ensure that only 'the right people are voting’ and laws like this one are how that goal is pursued at the state level," she said.

College students who are eligible to vote will now need to show a government-issued photo ID to cast a ballot, despite having shown a passport or driver’s license to secure a school ID.

Data show voter turnout among college students has been steadily increasing over the past decade.

New Hampshire is the eighth state to ban student IDs at the polls. The new law will be in place for the September state primaries and November’s midterm elections unless blocked by a court.

A lawsuit challenging a 2024 state law that requires first-time voters to present proof of citizenship is already underway. Kovack said that law prevented more than 300 residents from voting in recent town elections. She said she worries larger elections will overburden poll workers with documentation requirements and long lines of frustrated voters.

"Our elections are well-run. They’re safe – they’re secure," she said. "Our local election officials do an extremely good job of running clean elections and they’re very dedicated and committed professionals."

She said anti-voting legislation is rooted in conspiracy theories and that young people should be encouraged to participate in elections. She noted that even Republican Secretary of State David Scanlan has admitted that new voting restrictions are “reacting to perceptions” of voter fraud rather than real problems.

Source: Public News Service