The Trump administration’s Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity is coming to New Hampshire next month. Secretary of State Bill Gardner’s office confirmed those plans, as did an official notice in the federal register.
The panel is scheduled to meet at 10 a.m. on Sept. 12 at the New Hampshire Institute of Politics at St. Anselm College. This will be the commission's second meeting, and its first outside Washington.
Gardner, a member of the commission, was not immediately available for additional comment on Thursday afternoon. His participation on the commission, and his decision to comply with a request to share state voter information with the panel, have stirred fierce local debate.
Those criticizing Gardner for participating in the Trump commission say the secretary is lending his authority to an effort that will be used to advance more restrictive voting laws. Gardner has said he joined because he wants to study why people are losing confidence in the nation’s elections and how to fix that.
At the commission's first meeting in Washington last month, Gardner signaled an interest in studying voter identification laws and their effect on voter turnout rates.
According to the meeting notice, members of the public can attend the September meeting — but registration is required and space is limited. There won’t be an opportunity for public comment at the meeting, but people can submit written comments in advance. More details on the meeting can be found here.
