In Milford, New Hampshire, residents missed casting their votes on critical local matters, such as the town’s $19 million budget, cemetery trustee elections, and acquiring a new dump truck. An 18-year-old high school student in Durham was unable to vote on the school board or the decision to allocate $125,000 for athletic fields. These individuals were impacted due to New Hampshire’s new law mandating proof of U.S. citizenship for voter registration, reflecting the potentially wider implications as the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act continues to progress in Congress and is under consideration in over a dozen states.
Election officials in New Hampshire observed these local cases, revealing the practical challenges the new legislation brings. This act has drawn criticism, particularly from advocacy groups concerned that women, such as those who have changed their names through marriage, may encounter difficulties matching their identification documents. Brooke Yonge, a hairstylist, experienced such challenges in Derry when her birth certificate and driver’s license names did not match, requiring her to provide a marriage license. Despite this, Yonge expressed that the requirements, albeit cumbersome, seemed reasonable.
New Hampshire stands as one of the 20 states where voters can register on election day. According to the New Hampshire Campaign for Voting Rights, on March 11, during town elections, at least 56 individuals attempting to register were turned away. Concerns arise about larger voter turnout in future elections, especially during the November general elections. Derry’s town clerk, Tina Guilford, expressed her hopes that those turned away would return, highlighting the emotional toll on voters.
Further heightening these voting concerns, about 8 in 10 voters in New Hampshire reportedly favored demonstrating proof of citizenship during registration, including a significant number of Trump supporters and voters for Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris.
A similar sentiment is perceived at the national level as legislation urging proof of citizenship for registration stagnated in the Senate after passing the U.S. House. With Republicans holding control, the subject is slated to resurface soon. Previously, former President Trump fueled theories about noncitizen voting, although research and state reviews found such instances rare and unintentional.
Elsewhere, the SAVE Act and similar policies are being discussed in 17 states. Legal challenges have already arisen in places like Kansas and Arizona, where the intricacies of verifying citizenship have proven problematic. Texas is considering even more stringent measures, pushing to verify the citizenship of current registrants.
Within New Hampshire itself, lawmakers are evaluating amendments to existing laws. One proposal envisions covering documentation costs for low-income voters, yet critics argue that this implies unnecessary stigma while providing insufficient solutions—all exacerbated by the state’s limited access to birth certificate records.
Back in Durham, high school students, traditionally learning through observing the election process, witnessed firsthand the difficulties of registration. An eligible student could not vote due to a lack of citizenship documents, demonstrated to the town clerk’s logical helplessness as the student never returned.
