https://twitter.com/caseymcdermott/status/1248256835976597506For the uninitiated, SB3 was a highly controversial bill meant to suppress the student vote (along with election-day registration). It originally because Sununu himself flip-flopped and signed it, despite
openly admitting that the bill was meant to suppress the student vote. It's also worth noting that suppressing the student vote has been a long-term goal of the NHGOP - even to the admission of our former Speaker.
There's little support for repealing election-day registration, even among Republicans. They floated the idea after Trump's comments about Democrats busing in voters, but few want to outright repeal it because it'd put us under the jurisdiction of the Motor Voter Act.
The crux of the law is that it requires voters who registered within 30 days of the election to show proof that they live at their address - whether it be car registration, a utility bill, a driver's license, or a statement of residency. It's fairly obvious what the intent of the bill is - so obvious that our governor literally said he initially hated the bill because it hurt the student vote. Anyone who can't can still vote, but must sign a long, confusing form to do so.
There were originally penalties involved, but those were immediately struck down by a judge. As for the case itself, Democrats argued that the restrictions imposed were confusing, added more red tape to the election, and that the "problem" of voter fraud didn't meaningfully exist in the state. Republicans argue that the bill doesn't actually prevent anyone from voting, per se, and that there's a need to be proactive against any sort of voter fraud before it happens.
SB3 is commonly confused with HB1264, which changes the definitions from a domicile-based system to a residency-based system. The bill, in effect, requires people to obtain a NH license or register their cars in the state. Such a ruling is currently pending.
