New voting regulations in New Hampshire are set to significantly alter the landscape for both students and residents in 2026. With changes to student IDs and absentee ballot requirements, voters are advised to acquaint themselves with the new rules to ensure their voices are heard.
Olivia Zink, executive director of the Coalition for Open Democracy, emphasized the importance of understanding the new regulations. “The laws have changed a lot, so if you voted in 2025 or 2024, this year will be different,” she explained to InDepthNH. Voters should remember “ACID”: Age, Citizenship, Identity, Domicile when preparing to vote.
The Coalition for Open Democracy has initiated legal action against House Bill 323, a law that prohibits the use of student IDs for voting. The bill was signed by Gov. Kelly Ayotte in June, prompting the Coalition to sue the Secretary of State’s Office to protect students’ voting rights.
Ben Horton, legal counsel for the Coalition, explained the lawsuit’s motivation. “(The Coalition’s) work is directly impacted by HB 323, which takes away student IDs – whether those are high school IDs or college IDs — as a valid form of identification when obtaining a ballot,” he stated.
Horton criticized Secretary of State David Scanlan’s directive, which bans student IDs when registering to vote or requesting absentee ballots. He argues this unlawfully extends HB 323, which did not explicitly prohibit student IDs for registration. The case is set for a motion hearing on August 31.
The law particularly affects young voters, many of whom lack driver’s licenses. Alternatives like passports or military IDs are available, yet most young voters rely on driver’s licenses. Horton highlighted the potential long-term impact on youth participation in elections.
“It’s adding this extra layer of bureaucracy with literally no actual difference in the amount of types of documents that are being required; it’s just adding another step. This does nothing to further election security…” Horton commented, noting the potential for creating a lasting pattern of non-voting among first-time voters.
Changes in Voter Identification
Rep. John Sellers, co-sponsor of HB 323, supports the use of more secure government-issued IDs over student IDs, citing potential voter fraud. Meanwhile, House Democratic Leader Alexis Simpson criticized the removal of student IDs, stating, “For over ten years, young Granite Staters have been able to use a student ID to prove their identity when casting their ballots. Without a single case of fraud to point to, Republicans took that option away.”
Durham Town Clerk Rachel Deane explained the new voter registration requirements. Students must now use a driver’s license or other government-issued ID to prove identity and age. A New Hampshire driver’s license can also verify domicile, but out-of-state licenses require additional proof of residence in New Hampshire.
To register to vote, individuals must prove Age, Citizenship, Identity, and Domicile. Acceptable documents include a driver’s license, passport, birth certificate, naturalization papers, or a qualified voter affidavit. The latter was restored earlier this year following a legal challenge.
Changes also include the annual purging of the voter list by the NH Secretary of State, which may affect registered voters. “We’ve got people getting letters saying they’ve been removed from the voter list, so I urge everyone to check,” Zink advised.
For more detailed information, visit InDepthNH.org.
