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Long hearing on proposed New Hampshire citizenship requirement draws constitutional questions
Summary
Rep. Bob Wherry’s HB 15‑20 would add a New Hampshire citizenship or durational residency requirement and an oath for voters; supporters say it addresses nonresident voting concerns, while opponents and the League of Women Voters raised constitutional and access concerns and cited a more than $2.5M fiscal note.
Representative Bob Wherry introduced HB 15‑20 as an attempt to clarify voter qualification by creating a New Hampshire citizenship concept and potential durational residency or oath requirement. He cited data presented in testimony alleging thousands used out‑of‑state driver licenses in same‑day registration (reference: 6,540 individuals in 2016) and argued some measures may help deter nonresident voting. He referenced Dunn v. Blumstein in explaining case law limits and noted a potential 30‑day durational residency window allowed under federal law.
Committee conce…
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