Judge Hears Arguments in Case Challenging New Hampshire Absentee Ballot Law

A federal judge in Concord heard arguments Monday morning in a lawsuit alleging that the state has unconstitutionally thrown out hundreds of absentee ballots because the voters’ signatures did not appear to sufficiently match the handwriting used on other election paperwork.

The American Civil Liberties Union first brought the case against the state in May 2017 on behalf of three voters whose absentee ballots were discarded in the 2016 general election. Among those plaintiffs is a 95-year-old Manchester resident who is legally blind and, as a result, requires assistance completing her absentee ballot paperwork.

New Hampshire election law allows local moderators to reject someone's absentee ballot if the signature does not appear to match the one they used on their absentee ballot application.

After the ACLU filed its lawsuit, the legislature altered the law to more clearly account for instances in which a voter might require assistance completing his or her absentee ballot paperwork.

Read more: http://nhpr.org/post/judge-hears-arguments-case-challenging-nh-absentee-ballot-law