Sensitive New Hampshire voter registration data, including driver’s license numbers, the last four digits of Social Security numbers and birthdates could be compelled for delivery to the federal government, pending the outcome of a recent lawsuit from the Trump administration against New Hampshire Secretary of State Dave Scanlan.
The lawsuit, which was filed on Thursday, Sept. 25, is the latest development in an ongoing series of petitions by the Trump administration to receive the data. The Trump administration is claiming that the requested information is necessary in order to achieve their stated goal of ensuring election integrity, and cites Title III of the Civil Rights Act of 1960, Section 303 of the Help Americans Vote Act (HAVA), and Trump’s own Executive Order 14248 as grounds for compelling Scanlan to surrender the data.
A bipartisan coalition of concerned New Hampshire citizens has filed a court motion opposing the Trump administration’s lawsuit, according to reporting from the New Hampshire Bulletin.
The federal government’s claim to the information contrasts with New Hampshire state law. While voter information such as name, party affiliation and legal address are already publicly retrievable information, the New Hampshire Secretary of State is legally limited in their official capacity to provide certain voter information, such as the data requested by the Trump administration.
“The federal government is trying to acquire voter database information from every state in the country. New Hampshire has a very clear statute that says under what conditions the [New Hampshire] Secretary of State can release voter data, and puts limitations on the data which can be granted,” said Scanlan.
“We’ve reviewed the statutory references in the federal law, and don’t believe those references give the federal government the authority to hand over that information,” added Scanlan.
Scanlan said that he will defer to state law unless the federal government’s authority to supersede it is determined.
Keene State College has a large population of eligible student voters, many of which are first year students who will be aging into the first election in which they may vote during the upcoming 2026 midterm elections. Students who receive housing through the school or live in off-campus accommodations in Keene are eligible to vote in the city if able to produce proof of age, residence in the city and meet general requirements of all eligible voters, even if Keene (or any city a New Hampshire college student resides in) is not the city of residence in official state or federal paperwork, as their hometown would be.
In this case, a valid student ID and proof of residence, which can include paperwork from the college or off-campus accommodations is deemed sufficient to vote in the city, rather than forcing a student to return to their hometown.
According to Scanlan, there is no indication that the pending lawsuit should infringe on student voting. He encouraged students to make their voices heard in the democratic process.
“New Hampshire has a law that says that to vote, you have to qualify in four ways. You have to prove your identity, citizenship, age, and domicile. The law specifies that if you are a college student, even if you are from out of state, you can claim domicile or residency in the community you are living in,” said Scanlan.
“I’m not going to speculate on how the federal government is going to use the information they are requesting if they obtain it, but my message to college students, and any citizen of New Hampshire is that we are going to follow the state statutes as they currently exist,” added Scanlan.
Scanlan further encouraged KSC students to vote in elections and contribute to the democratic process, even if they find it intimidating.
According to Sophomore Bradley Lehtonen, the ability to vote in Keene makes participation easier.
“I think it’s really important to be able to vote here in Keene. I live two and a half hours away, and I wouldn’t be able to just leave town to go home and vote on that day,” said Lehtonen.
“The last time I voted, I had other things to do that day. Being able to vote five minutes away helped me make sure I could vote, and get to class later,” added Lehtonen.
First-year student Matthew Roussos said that he’s not discouraged from voting, but remains skeptical of the lawsuit’s intentions.
“I voted in last year’s elections, but it does concern me that this is something the federal government is reaching out for. It’s easy in this political climate to feel like you can’t do much, especially as a student where you’re coming into the world and are still developing your sense of place, politically or socially. I think that through activism on campus we can encourage people to vote,” said Roussos.
New Hampshire Attorney General John Formella was unable to give an interview to The Equinox; however, New Hampshire Department of Justice (Office of the Attorney General) Director of Communications and External Affairs Michael Garrity said in an email response to The Equinox’s inquiry that the lawsuit is under review.
“We have received the complaint and are reviewing it,” said Garrity.
Ryan Pacheco can be contacted at
rpacheco@kscequinox.com
