Voter registration is getting more and more difficult for Granite Staters, and The Equinox believes it is crucial to get more people in line for the ballots now more than ever.
New Hampshire is the most difficult state to register to vote in. In most states, you can register to vote when you get your driver’s license, but this is no longer an option in N.H. Using a student ID to register, as many Keene State students have done in years past, is also no longer an option–but you can still use a firearm license to register. Beyond having a Real ID (your passport or an upgraded driver’s license), you must also bring at least one proof of residency; your birth certificate name must match the name on your ID if you are married and you must be able to prove you live in a home.
This means that people with no permanent address are not eligible to register to vote and married people that don’t have their name matching their birth certificates are also not eligible to register to vote, as well as those with other name changes that do not match the birth certificate. This may not seem on the surface like that large of an issue to most, but all of these voter restrictions make it difficult for many demographics to vote for who they want to see in office. We believe that voting is a fundamental human right, and that by putting limitations on who can vote and making the registration criteria so high, the state is silencing voices.
This state really hammers in on its “Live Free or Die” motto; it is the state where you can ride your motorcycle helmetless and choose not to wear your seatbelt, but if you are between homes, you are not eligible to vote for change. New Hampshire is constantly encouraging younger people to move here to get a variety in age demographics, but which young people do they truly want here? As it stands, N.H. is more of a nursing home than it is a community for young folks to come and thrive. It prides itself on not evolving since it was established, and it still holds true that it is most suitable for the rich, old white men that live here already. We feel that it is disappointing that N.H. wishes to continue down the very path that is killing it, and that it is not very “Live Free or Die” of the state to put what is essentially an admission fee on living in it.
The state continues to claim that the reason for these restrictions is to prevent voter fraud, of which there have been a very small number of cases in the last 15 years. The Equinox believes that voter fraud is just an excuse that the state is using to continue to use to implement more restrictions on voting. Many non-resident students feel that it is not even worth it to try and register in-state, and opt to just return to their home state to vote instead. Some feel that if there are going to be so many restrictions, they should just not vote at all. It becomes conflicting when states and news outlets beg young people to vote, but then states like N.H. are limiting young people and students from actually getting out there and participating.
We believe that public action should be taken in most circumstances, but especially in this one. Social pressures like friendships and family relationships may hold some folks back from speaking up about unfair voting regulations, but it is past the point of making others feel upset or uncomfortable. Holding the people closest to you accountable and educating them on things like unfair voter registration is important not just for making change, but for creating a better and more accessible future for all Granite State residents.
