New Hampshire's GOP Wants To Make Voting Nearly Impossible For Thousands Of College Students

A certain partisan bill could make voting much more expensive for New Hampshire college students who come from out-of-state. And seeing as nearly three quarters of 2016 college grads in New Hampshire accumulated over $36,000 of debt on average, that's not something to just shrug off. For lots of college students, every expense counts.

The Republican bill creates a system that allows state locals with New Hampshire drivers' licenses to have much more political say than out-of-state people who have IDs from a different state. The demand for this system appears in an amendment to the bill HB 372, which was originally introduced in January to eliminate out-of-state voters from the local elections. Above all, this could severely harm out-of-state college students' right to political representation in the state.

The bill's amendment demands that only "residents" be allowed to vote in New Hampshire. In order to become a "resident," an out-of-state person will have to register their car in the state and obtain a local driver's license. And if you've ever done that, you know it can get pricey.

With fees surrounding registration processes, plate prices, and other administrative costs, the simple task of registering to vote could amount to hundreds of dollars. For many out-of-state students who may come from lower income backgrounds, such expenses could force them to pick between covering costs for college or the right to political representation in New Hampshire.

Read more: https://www.bustle.com/p/new-hampshires-gop-wants-to-make-voting-nearly-impossible-for-thousands-of-college-students-6776215