Court Strikes Down New Hampshire’s Voter Suppression Law, Restoring Rights for Tens of Thousands of Granite State Voters
Federal judge rules GOP law eliminating affidavit option unconstitutional ahead of 2026 midterms
WASHINGTON, D.C. — A federal court on Friday struck down key provisions of New Hampshire’s HB 1569, ruling that the State’s attempt to strip voters of their ability to use sworn affidavits to prove citizenship when registering to vote is unconstitutional. The ruling is a major victory for New Hampshire voters, and for New Hampshire Youth Movement, whose lawsuit was sponsored by Priorities USA in September 2024.
HB 1569, signed into law by Governor Chris Sununu in 2024, eliminated the state’s Qualified Voter Affidavit (QVA) and required voters to produce documentary proof of citizenship – a passport, birth certificate, or similar document – in order to register. U.S. District Judge Samantha Elliott found the law placed an unjustifiable burden on voters, writing that “the burden on New Hampshire voters from HB 1569’s elimination of the QVA is significant and greatly outweighs the state’s interests in this case.”
The disenfranchising impact of HB 1569 was already playing out before the midterms. In low-turnout 2025 municipal elections alone, hundreds of eligible New Hampshire voters were turned away at the polls – among them an 89-year-old former ward clerk who had voted in New Hampshire for over 70 years.
“New Hampshire Republicans didn’t just make voting harder – they took the right to vote away from people who had been casting ballots in this state for decades,” said Danielle Butterfield, President of Priorities USA. “This ruling is a win for every eligible voter in New Hampshire who shouldn’t have to dig through filing cabinets to prove they’re an American citizen. We supported this case because voter suppression is a choice, and so is fighting it. We’ll keep fighting.”
HB 1569 is part of a broader Republican effort to impose documentary proof of citizenship requirements on voters nationwide. The SAVE America Act – which President Trump has called the GOP’s top national priority – would mandate similar burdensome requirements at the federal level.
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