The New Hampshire Republican Party says college students attending school remotely during the pandemic and who don’t have a current New Hampshire address shouldn’t be allowed to register to vote or request absentee ballots.
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State law allows students attending college in New Hampshire - and other temporary residents -to claim their New Hampshire address as their domicile, permitting them to vote here.
But with many students attending school remotely, the New Hampshire GOP is arguing that “students who do not live here and have no residence here at the time of the election are not qualified voters.”
In a letter to Attorney General Gordon MacDonald, a Republican Party lawyer requested that the state instruct local election officials that they must confirm a current residential address to permit students to register to vote or receive an absentee ballot.
The AGs office confirmed receipt of the letter but had no comment.
But state Democrats says the targeting of college students amounts to voter suppression.
"If you are a U.S. citizen, will be 18 years of age or older by Election Day, and your home is in New Hampshire - even if you are temporarily absent - you can vote in New Hampshire," said a party spokesperson.
“These rules apply to all Granite Staters, including college students."
