Sununu Vetoes Democrat's Proposed Changes To Voting Residency Law

CONCORD, NH — Gov. Chris Sununu, R-NH, vetoed a state Senate bill Friday sponsored and approved by Democrats that would have given protections to political activists, college students, and military personnel, who aren't residents of New Hampshire, in order to allow them to vote in the state. Sununu vetoed SB 67, saying it would "undermine" HB 1264, a Republican bill he signed last year, "restoring equality and fairness," by ensuring all voters lived by the same legal requirements.

"New Hampshire now aligns with virtually every other state in requiring residency in order to vote," Sununu said. "The Supreme Court ruled (HB 1264) is constitutional while affirming that New Hampshire had a compelling state interest in seeing the bill enacted."

HB 1264 changed NH RSA 21:6 and 21:6-a by adding the female gender when describing an inhabitant or resident and struck the words "for the indefinite future" from a voter's "principal place of physical presence" or residence. The "indefinite future" provision, described as the "domicile loophole," allowed college students, people who work but don't reside in the state, often called "visiting professionals," and others to vote in the state even though they weren't residents.

Democrats wanted "for the indefinite future" added back as well as "including military personnel, a student of any institution of learning, or a person employed for a fixed term, is not a resident for the purposes of Title XXI of New Hampshire's statutes governing motor vehicles." They have criticized Republicans for the changes likening it to voter suppression even though most students and visitors can file an absentee ballot at their homes.

SB 67 was another in a series of laws Democrats had hoped to amend, alter, or rescind changes to the domicile law approved in previous sessions that Sununu has vetoed.

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Sununu did, however, sign HB 593, a bill that expanded information about voters that is not accessible under the state's right-to-know law, RSA 91-A, when it comes to voter checklists. The expanded information not allowed to be public include domicile affidavits, phone numbers, and email addresses that may be provided to the secretary of state. This issue was raised after lawsuits by the American Civil Liberties Union and others attempting to keep the state's voter's lists out of the hands of other state officials checking dual voter registrations, a backlog of voter affidavits from four federal election cycles that have not been examined by the New Hampshire Attorney General's Office, as well as the now defunct Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity.

The governor also signed HB 495, the creation of a commission on drinking water, and HB 737, a commission to investigate and analyze the environmental and public health impacts of PFCs – perfluorinated chemicals – in the air, soil, and groundwater of Bedford, Litchfield, and Merrimack.

State Rep. Dick Hinch, R-Merrimack, commended Sununu for signing the PFC bill.

"The residents of Merrimack, Bedford, and Litchfield deserve to know the full scope of negative effects that perfluorinated chemicals have on their health and community, and this commission is an important step in achieving that goal," he said. 'The information gathered by this commission will assist state government in staying on top of our water crisis and mitigating any current and future issues that arise. I’m proud of all the progress made in addressing Merrimack’s water crisis and I will continue to work with leaders on all levels to protect our constituent's health and safety."

Sununu also signed bills into law expanding gender identity discrimination policies, requiring universal changing stations in certain public places, the removal of contaminants from the Coakley Landfill, and the usage of campaign funds for child care expenses.

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