Republican senator’s invoice would require copies of voters’ IDs to be submitted with absentee ballots

A Republican senator is proposing a bill that will require voters to include copies of their photo identification documents in requests for postal votes and again when the completed ballot papers are returned. Robert Giuda von Warren told the Senate’s Senate Suffrage and Local Affairs Committee on Monday that his intention was not to disenfranchise voters but to ask absent voters to be subject to the same identification requirements as those who vote in person. Senate Bill 54 was one of two bills that focus on absentee voting by the committee. The other bill, Senate Bill 47, sponsored by the Senate Democrats, would make universal postal voting permanent. >> Read our report on Senate Draft 47 here. “As we are trying to improve the security of our elections and the verification of those who have cast ballots, it occurred to me that there is no legal way to identify those people verify who cast the ballot, or are resident in the state, “said Giuda Giuda said Senate Bill 54 would require a voter to have a photocopy of his or her New Hampshire driver’s license, non-driver’s license, or other form of identification with the request for a postal vote and also included in the outer envelope when returning the postal voting slip. Proxy voting and electoral officials in Derry rejected the bill. Portsmouth Democratic Senator Rebecca Perkins Kwoka asked if Giuda had considered the extra burden the bill would impose on absent senior voters who may not have access to copiers and printers. Giuda said there would be enough time before the next election for people to make copies of their IDs. He said he was ready to push back the bill’s effective date, which is currently 60 days after it was passed. He said the bill will focus more on the 2022 state elections than on this year’s local elections. “I don’t think this is an unnecessary burden,” said Giuda. “And given the trust it would give the public if they were to vote by post, I think this is a good move.” Timothy Horrigan, D-Durham, said the bill was unnecessary: ​​”It just puts an extra burden on the voter, especially older, disabled and poor voters,” he said. “Not everyone has a photocopier available.” Horrigan said the bill could result in copies of voter IDs being piled up in local town halls, which he claimed would “invite electoral fraud guards to search people’s driver’s licenses” while watching the number of votes The New Hampshire Disability Rights Center said voters with disabilities, particularly paraplegia or visual issues, were being unduly burdened. A voter without a disability could more easily or photocopy his ID, he said. “There is no justification for treating these two voters differently,” said Skibbie. He said the state should make electronic voting more widely available to people with disabilities to ensure that the voting process is private, “and it doesn’t require one voter to involve someone else.” The bill, he said, “will allow the vote.” less accessible, no more, and it will send an unfortunate message to people with disabilities who have difficulty participating in civic life more fully in this state. “Hooksett’s Janice Kelbie said it is not true that all people with disabilities have someone to help them. as Giuda said. She said her late husband loved voting but “had difficulty voting” as his Parkinson’s disease progressed. “Putting more and more obstacles in the way would cause unnecessary frustration and hardship and turn away people who want a voice in how our country works,” said Kelbie. “We shouldn’t put obstacles in the way of our most vulnerable citizens.” Derry Town Clerk Daniel Healey agreed that the bill “disenfranchises our elderly residents who cannot get a photocopy machine and a copy of their ID.” He said some residents of care homes in Derry did not have IDs. “I don’t know what they would do,” said Healey. Healey also asked what city officials would do with the ID cards after they were received. The city presenter Ter Guilford In November there were 6,500 postal votes in her city. “The number of voters calling to request a postal vote because they didn’t have a printer at home – they didn’t have these skills – was huge. “She said. Guilford said voters who go to the city office to vote in person may not have a problem showing ID, as many of those who have to vote from home would face an additional burden.” disenfranchised them and it would suppress their voice, “said Guilford. According to the testimony of the opponents, Giuda said,” The intention was in no way to disenfranchise them, but to examine those who are able to do so. “I would make the argument, that it is too annoying to know months in advance if you are going to dial remotely, you will be given a copy of your driver’s license – I don’t think that’s a nuisance. I think that’s responsible, “he said. He said there might be changes to appeal to people with disabilities, “but the intent of this bill was to target those out of state or out of residence to request a postal vote.” Nobody spoke in favor of the bill. >> Download the FREE WMUR app

CONCORD, NH –

A Republican senator is proposing a bill that will require voters to include copies of their photo identification documents in requests for postal votes and again when the completed ballot papers are returned.

Senator Robert Giuda von Warren told the Senate’s Senate Suffrage and Local Affairs Committee on Monday that his intention was not to disenfranchise voters but to ask absent voters to be subject to the same identification requirements as those who vote in person.

Senate Bill 54 was one of two bills that focused on the postal votes taken by the committee. The other bill, Senate Bill 47, sponsored by the Senate Democrats, would make universal postal voting permanent.

>> Read our report on Senate Bill 47 here.

“As we try to improve the security of our elections and the verification of those who cast ballots, it occurred to me that there is no legal way to verify the identity of those who cast the ballot or their residence in the state “said Giuda.

Giuda said Senate Bill 54 would require a voter to include a photocopy of their New Hampshire driver’s license, non-driver’s license, or other form of identification with the request for postal voting and also inside the outer envelope when returning the postal voting slip.

Proxy voting and electoral officials in Derry rejected the bill.

Portsmouth Democratic Senator Rebecca Perkins Kwoka asked if Giuda had considered the additional burden the bill would impose on older absentee voters who may not have access to copiers and printers.

Giuda said there would be enough time before the next election to make copies of their IDs. He said he was ready to push back the bill’s effective date, which is currently 60 days after it was passed. He said the bill will focus more on the 2022 state elections than on this year’s local elections.

NH.gov

Senator Robert Giuda, R-Warren

“I don’t think this is an unnecessary burden,” said Giuda. “And given the trust it would give the public if they were to vote by post, I think this is a good move.”

Rep Timothy Horrigan, D-Durham, said the bill was unnecessary.

“It just creates an additional burden on voters, especially older, disabled and poor voters,” he said. “Not everyone has a photocopier available.”

Horrigan said the bill could result in copies of voter IDs being piled up in local town halls, which he claimed would “invite citizen fraud guards to search people’s driver’s licenses” while watching the vote.

Michael Skibbie, political director for the New Hampshire Disability Rights Center, said voters with disabilities, particularly paraplegia or visual problems, are under undue stress. A voter without a disability could more easily or photocopy his ID, he said.

“There is no justification for treating these two voters differently,” said Skibbie. He said the state should make electronic voting more widely available to people with disabilities to ensure that the voting process is private “and that a voter does not have to involve another person.”

The bill, he said, “will make voting less accessible, no more, and it will send an unfortunate message for people with disabilities who are struggling to participate more fully in civil life in this state.”

Hooksett’s Janice Kelbie said it was not true that all people with disabilities have someone to help them, as Giuda had explained. She said her late husband loved voting but “had difficulty voting” as his Parkinson’s disease progressed.

“Putting more and more obstacles in the way would cause unnecessary frustration and hardship and turn away people who want a voice in how our country works,” said Kelbie. “We shouldn’t put obstacles in the way of our most vulnerable citizens.”

Derry Town Clerk Daniel Healey agreed that the bill “disenfranchises our elderly residents who cannot get a photocopy machine and a copy of their ID.”

He said some residents of care homes in Derry did not have IDs.

“I don’t know what they would do,” Healey said.

Healey also asked what the city officials would do with the IDs upon receipt.

Derry town host Tina Guilford said there were 6,500 absent voters in her town in November.

“The number of voters calling to request a postal vote because they didn’t have a printer at home – they didn’t have these skills – has been huge,” she said.

Guilford said voters who go to the city office to vote in person may have no problem showing ID as many of those who have to vote from home would face an additional burden.

“They disenfranchised her and it would suppress her voice,” Guilford said.

According to the testimony of the opponents, Giuda said: “The intention was in no way to deprive them of their rights, but to examine those who are able to do so.

“I would argue that it is too annoying to know months in advance that if you vote remotely, you will get a copy of your driver’s license – I don’t think that’s a nuisance. I think that’s responsible, ”he said.

He said there could be changes to appeal to people with disabilities, “but the intent of this bill was aimed at those out of state or out of residence to request a postal vote.”

Nobody else spoke out in favor of the bill.

>> Download the FREE WMUR app