The New Hampshire Women’s Foundation opposes the SAVE Act which will lead to voter suppression particularly among young people, low income people, and married women. We are grateful for our federal delegation’s opposition to this regressive legislation and encourage all US Senators to oppose the SAVE Act.
New Hampshire has one of the strictest voting laws in the country with requirements similar to the SAVE Act, requiring proof of citizenship with naturalization papers, a passport, or birth certificate to register to vote. And just a few months ago, we saw the real-life impact this restrictive law had on our Town Voting Day when women were turned away because the name on their birth certificate did not match their married name.
Seventy nine percent of women married to men in New Hampshire have taken their spouse’s last name (34% of all women in NH) which does not match their birth certificate. This creates an additional barrier to women with married names who have to now bring a marriage certificate in addition to all other documentation to register to vote.
Before New Hampshire’s newest voting law applied this year, our state had high voter participation and voter fraud was extremely rare. Despite discriminatory barriers that uniquely disenfranchise women with married names, women persisted and returned to the polls multiple times with more documentation on Town Voting Day, to ensure their right to vote. We encourage all legal voters to persist and use their voice at the ballot box while fighting against draconian and sexist laws.
Here are some news stories highlighting individual NH Women’s challenges voting:
