ACLU lawsuit challenges New Hampshire's voter proof-of-citizenship law

CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — A lawsuit filed Monday challenges a New Hampshire law that would require proof of U.S. citizenship when registering to vote and photo identification when casting a ballot, saying it is one of the most restrictive voting laws in the nation.

The new law was set to take effect after the November elections. Republican Gov. Chris Sununu signed the bill earlier this month.

The lawsuit was filed by the American Civil Liberties Union of New Hampshire in U.S. District Court in Concord on behalf of the Coalition for Open Democracy, the League of Women Voters of New Hampshire, the Forward Foundation, and five voters. It names New Hampshire Attorney General John Formella and Secretary of State David Scanlan as defendants.

Laws like this that "create unconstitutional roadblocks to voting and which could stop thousands of eligible voters from participating in an election, have no place in our state,” Henry Klementowicz, deputy legal director at the ACLU of New Hampshire, said in a statement.

The lawsuit asks a judge to block enforcement, saying federal courts have weighed in on the matter before. A similar law in Kansas, which required proof of citizenship for state and federal elections, was found in 2018 to violate both the U.S. Constitution and the National Voter Registration Act.

In August 2024, the U.S. Supreme Court allowed some parts of a law requiring proof of citizenship to be enforced in Arizona as the legal fight continues in lower courts. The ACLU of New Hampshire said that Arizona does not require proof of citizenship for federal elections.

Under New Hampshire's current law, those who don’t bring photo IDs to the polls can sign an affidavit attesting to their identity and are required to provide documentation within seven days. The new law would...