Corrie Bernow | Oppose HB1520

This proposed bill is un-New Hampshire in both spirit and substance. Requiring people to be born in New Hampshire—or to sign a so-called “Loyalty Oath”—in order to vote fundamentally misunderstands what citizenship, democracy, and our state motto stand for. It also creates a solution in search of a problem, while spending $2.5 million of taxpayer money to do it. Labeling long-time residents as “aliens” simply because they were born elsewhere is offensive and unnecessary. New Hampshire has always been a state shaped by people who chose to live here, work here, raise families here, pay taxes here, and contribute to their communities. Under this bill, people like me—who are legally eligible voters, who have followed every rule, and who care deeply about this state—would be treated as second-class citizens unless we swear a loyalty oath to prove our worthiness. That is not freedom. That is gatekeeping. Voting is not a privilege granted by birthplace. It is a fundamental right tied to residency and citizenship in the United States. States do not—and should not—create their own versions of citizenship. The idea of a “New Hampshire Citizenship Card” moves us dangerously close to that line, while inviting legal challenges that will cost even more than the $2.5 million already earmarked from the General Fund. And for what? There is no evidence of widespread voter fraud in New Hampshire that would justify this level of intrusion, expense, or division. Our current system already includes safeguards to verify identity and residency. If the goal is election integrity, this bill misses the mark. If the goal is exclusion, it succeeds. New Hampshire’s motto is “Live Free or Die,” not “Prove You Belong or Be Silenced.” Freedom means trusting our neighbors unless there is a real reason not to. It means welcoming those who choose this state and commit to it—not punishing them for where they were born. At a time when we should be focused on lowering costs, strengthening local communities, and protecting individual liberties, this bill does the opposite. It wastes money, invites lawsuits, divides residents, and undermines the very democratic values it claims to protect. New Hampshire can—and should—do better than this.