James Hiltz

Voters are already required to show proof of citizenship in New Hampshire when they register to vote, one of the most restrictive requirements of any state in America. However, most voters register to vote on election day where an indigency affidavit would not be available and there is no process to look up someone's citizenship via databases. Many married people may change their name, meaning their birth certificates may not make their current name. Would this therefore mean they have no proof of citizenship? What if the person is born outside of New Hampshire and must wait months to try and obtain the documents we are demanding of them? Does this mean they have no proof of citizenship? On top of that, we are asking taxpayers to cover the cost of hiring new staff and allocating funding for "birth certificate vouchers" that could otherwise be spent improving our election systems and supporting our elected officials, instead of setting up a program that has no guarantee of assisting any voter with registration. If we are truly interested in ensure no voter is turned away due to lack of documents, the easiest solution is simply to bring the affidavit process and let voters attest to their citizenship by signing a sworn statement.