Press Release
\nContact: Jim Adams, Chairman
\nJune 26, 2012
\nPhone: 603-731-9595 <\/p>\n
Granite State Taxpayers Urges Passage of Voter ID Legislation (SB289)
\nGranite State Taxpayers (GST) strongly recommends that the New Hampshire Legislature override Governor Lynch\u2019s veto of SB289, the Voter ID bill. SB289 requires that persons presenting themselves to vote must provide proof of their identity beginning with the General Election in November 2012. It was passed in both the NH House and the NH Senate by overwhelming veto-proof margins.<\/p>\n
\u201cGranite State Taxpayers protects the rights of New Hampshire taxpayers by advocating for laws and regulations beneficial to taxpayers, for reducing government spending, and for more efficient government services,\u201d said James Adams, Chairman of the Granite State Taxpayers Board of Directors. \u201cUltimately, the security of our legislative system, and with it the results of our efforts on behalf of taxpayers, rests on the integrity of the voting system, which is based on the concept of \u201cone citizen, one vote\u201d. When people who are not legally entitled to do so are allowed to vote, it nullifies the votes of legal voters.\u201d<\/p>\n
Opponents repeatedly assert that because the elderly, the poor, minorities, and college students don\u2019t have equal access to government issued picture ID\u2019s, they will be disenfranchised or frightened away from polling places. But the fact of the matter is New Hampshire residents are currently able to get a Non-Driver Photo Identification Card for a period of five years for a fee of $10.00 through the Division of Motor Vehicles. SB 289 also allows those who qualify to get the Card for free: http:\/\/www.nh.gov\/safety\/divisions\/dmv\/driver-licensing\/non-driver-identification\/index.htm<\/p>\n
“All that Voter ID does is require voters to present photo IDs to prove that they are who they say they are.” said Adams. \u201cHaving a photo ID in your possession and showing it when asked is often necessary in our daily lives, for instance, to cash a check at a bank, to board an airliner, to drive a car or to buy alcohol or cigarettes. We don\u2019t hear opponents of this commonsense legislation insisting that requiring a photo ID denies certain groups the ability to cash a check. It seems obvious that they only care about enabling people to vote without demonstrating that they are entitled to do so\u201d said Jim Adams. <\/p>\n
While Voter ID opponents claim that little or no voter fraud exists in this state, several recent incidents prove clearly that it does. To illustrate this point, activists recently asked for and were offered – twice – ballots in the name of deceased people. In college communities students have been observed voting, even though some are not residents of those communities or this state. After voting in their college community, nothing prevents the same students from voting again in their hometown in this state or some other state.<\/p>\n
\u201cWithout a requirement to present a photo ID, our election system is open to the potential for voter fraud. Codifying SB 289 into law would go a long way toward ensuring that people are allowed to vote once in the municipality in which they are registered to vote, and not in any other. Voter ID will be an effective deterrent to voter fraud. It has broad support by both New Hampshire residents and our legislature. Voter ID (SB289) should have been signed by the Governor, and the Legislature should swiftly over-ride his veto,” Chairman Adams stated.
\n—<\/p>\n
Granite State Taxpayers is New Hampshire’s oldest statewide taxpayer association. Founded in 1990 by former Governor Mel Thomson and former State Senator George Lovejoy, our mission is to inform, educate and motivate New Hampshire taxpayers and to lobby the legislature on their behalf. Visit GST on the web at: https:\/\/granitestatetaxpayers.org\/gst<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Press Release Contact: Jim Adams, Chairman June 26, 2012 Phone: 603-731-9595 Granite State Taxpayers Urges Passage of Voter ID Legislation (SB289) Granite State Taxpayers (GST) strongly recommends that the New Hampshire Legislature override Governor Lynch\u2019s veto of SB289, the Voter ID bill. SB289 requires that persons presenting themselves to vote must provide proof of their […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-379","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-press"],"yoast_head":"\n