House Election Law Advances Anti-Voter HB217, Retains Others for Future Action

CONCORD – Today, the House Election Law committee voted to advance anti-voter bill HB217, relative to absentee ballots, while retaining numerous other anti-voter bills for further work over the summer. In response, 603 Forward Advocacy and Engagement Director, Matt Mooshian, released the following statement: 

“We have seen this playbook before–the Election Law Committee holds on to a slate of restrictive bills to work on over the summer so they can wait until an election year to advance disruptive changes to our elections. And every year, election officials do the best they can to stay on top of these always changing laws. The decision to retain certain legislation will only cause chaos for voters. This is just the beginning of the fight to stop these bills that further roll back our freedom to vote."

Election officials have also raised concerns about the bill’s potential consequences and recent election law changes made by the legislature. Allison St. Aubin, a Moderator from Claremont, stated, “We’ve already seen the challenges new voting restrictions, such as those from HB1569, can create for voters and election workers alike. HB217 will cause confusion and burdensome requirements for the small number of voters who need to use absentee registration, making it harder for everyone—voters, clerks, and poll workers—to navigate the system.”

603 Forward envisions a thriving New Hampshire where people are free to live, work and raise a family. In our New Hampshire: democracy is protected above all else; young people have a voice in government at all levels; and policy changes to help build an inclusive, affordable and resilient state.

###