Concord Police Providing Safety Patrols After U.S. District Judge Strikes Down Voter Security Provision

CONCORD, NH — Concord police officers are running safety patrols at and around the home of a federal judge who recently ruled against proof of citizenship requirements when registering to vote in New Hampshire.

Last week, U.S. District Judge Samantha Elliott, a judge appointed by President Joe Biden in 2021, struck down an updated voter registration law that removed sworn affidavits to prove citizenship during voter registration. The provision, popular with the public and backed by Republicans but rejected by Democrats, was approved in 2024 as part of new ballot security measures. The ruling by Elliott was praised by supporters of allowing affidavits and denounced by the bill’s sponsors. Elliot, in the ruling, said the provision imposed an undue burden on young people and women regarding their right to vote. She also issued a statewide injunction to block officials from enforcing that part of the law.

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According to scanner chatter, Concord police have been running “police presence” patrols around and near the judge’s West End home, including running checks on vehicles in the area. Police were at the judge's home on Tuesday, conducting a safety patrol.

Both Concord police and the U.S. Marshals Service, which provides security at the U.S. District Court on Pleasant Street in Concord, offered no comment when asked if there had been threats against Elliott since the ruling last week.

Safety patrols in Concord are not unusual, given the political activity associated with being the state’s capital.

For two-and-a-half years, since the Oct. 7, 2023, Supernova Sukkot Gathering music festival attack, where more than 1,200 people were killed, including 12 Americans, officers have been regularly providing safety patrols at Temple Beth Jacob on Broadway, one of New Hampshire’s oldest Jewish temples.

Secretary of State David Scanlan noted Elliott’s ruling did not impact important portions of the bill that require registrants to provide documentary proof of identity, age, and domicile. New voters cannot use an affidavit to prove identity, age, or domicile. Every voter must still provide proof of identity when checking in to obtain a ballot on election day. Any voter who lacks proof of ID on election day cannot complete a challenged voter affidavit to prove identity and obtain a ballot.

Scanlan said, until further notice, the state would reimplement the use of a qualified voter affidavit solely for a registrant to prove citizenship, and he urged new voters, “to the extent possible, to provide documentary proof of citizenship.” Those voters, too, could use state resources, such as information from Vital Records and the Division of Motor Vehicles, to obtain proof of citizenship.

The New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office said it was reviewing the court’s decision and intended to pursue an appeal, since the law represented a commonsense approach to voter registration and election administration designed to protect the integrity of New Hampshire’s elections.

Elliott was promoted to chief judge in 2025. Before being appointed to the court in 2021, she was a shareholder at Gallagher, Callahan & Gartrell in Concord for many years. According to information online, she attended Colgate University and Columbia Law School.

Concord NH Patch will update this post when more information becomes available.

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