ICYMI: Local Election Officials, Former Senior Military Leaders Urge Gov. Sununu To Veto Provisional Ballots Bill
Contact: McKenzie St. Germain
(603) 491 6975
mstgermain@americavotes.org
Concord, NH – Last week, Governor Sununu received letters from over two dozen New Hampshire election officials and former senior military leaders urging him to veto SB 418, which would create a provisional ballot system and jeopardize overseas military ballots.
In the first letter, 26 local election officials warned Gov. Sununu of the major flaws in SB 418 that would impose new burdens on election administrators and voters in the Granite State and urged him to veto the bill.
“SB 418 also endangers a longstanding process that has worked in our state for years, establishing a new system of "provisional ballots" that could see vote totals and winners changed days after an election occurs,” the election officials state in the letter to Gov. Sununu.
“Under SB 418, provisional ballots could be cast and counted only to be rejected and subtracted from the results a week after Election Day. NewHampshire voters deserve firm and accurate results on election night. Especially when the eyes of the nation turn to New Hampshire during high-profile presidential primaries, we deserve to trust in a process we know to work for our state.”
Ten former senior military leaders also urged Gov. Sununu to veto SB 418, warning that provisions in the bill may prevent ballots for members of the military serving overseas from being delivered in a timeframe compliant with federal law.
In the letter the former senior officials state, “SB-418 as currently written establishes a complicated process that may restrict voting access guaranteed to our military service members by federal law and make it impossible for local election officials to certify the primary election and send general election ballots to active duty military voters in time to comply with the 45 day requirement mandated by UOCAVA.”
These letters come as widespread concerns regarding SB 418 spread throughout the state, including from veterans, constitutional scholars, and voting rights advocates.
To read the full letter 26 New Hampshire election officials sent to Gov. Sununu, click here, and read the full letter from former senior military leaders here.
You can also see more coverage of the letters in the Union Leader here.
The New Hampshire Campaign for Voting Rights is a coalition of state and national advocacy organizations, voters, attorneys and watchdog organizations working to ensure and preserve the right to vote for every Granite Stater, and is a project of America Votes New Hampshire.
###