With all the commotion in the news lately, out-of-state students may be confused about whether or not they can vote in New Hampshire. The good news is that yes, you can! In fact, every US Citizen 18 years or older living in New Hampshire while attending school has an absolute right to vote here.
Here’s how the new law works. When you go to the polls to vote, you’ll be asked to show a photo ID. You can use a driver’s license, passport, or even your student ID, as long as it has both your name and a photo. If you don’t have a photo ID, don’t take no for an answer — you can still cast your vote if you sign a simple statement (basically a piece of paper confirming your name, residence, and voting eligibility). It’s that easy.
You may have heard that if you want to vote in New Hampshire you’ll also have to register your car here or have a driver’s license from New Hampshire. This is absolutely not true, as a New Hampshire court ruled recently. Out-of-state students are free to vote in New Hampshire and register their car and have a license from wherever they live the rest of the year. This confusion is not an accident. The new law, while not affecting New Hampshire students’ absolute right to vote here, is deliberately intended to cause confusion and to keep you and other students from voting. Why? If you believe a top New Hampshire Republican, Bill O’Brien, who played a key role in passing the new law, it is because students are “foolish,” “lack life experience” and “just vote their feelings.” Students, according to the top New Hampshire Republican, are “voting as a liberal. That’s what kids do.” (He was caught on tape saying this!) That’s why he tried to stop you with this law meant to cause confusion – because he thinks you’ll vote against him. Seriously.
Despite what O’Brien might think, we are informed, intelligent, and fully capable of determining our own future by exercising our constitutional right to vote, just like any other American citizen.
Your vote is important, and politicians know it. You will decide the next President of the United States.
When you go to the polls on Election Day, don’t leave before you have cast the vote you are rightfully entitled to and have had your say. The future of our country depends on it.
Katherine Montplaisir
kmontplaisir@ksc.keene.edu