Sununu Signs Bill to Equip New Hampshire Students with Voting Law Information

New Hampshire high schools, both public and private, will soon be mandated to provide voting information to students following the recent approval of a law by Governor Chris Sununu.

House Bill 1014 stipulates that civics education should now include details regarding election and voting laws specific to New Hampshire. This additional information supplements the existing curriculum requirements for history and civics, which cover aspects such as the structures of the New Hampshire and U.S. Constitutions, as well as the functioning of the government.

Existing regulations mandate the State Board of Education to provide copies of the state constitution and voting laws to middle and high schools for civics instruction. However, with the enactment of HB 1014, schools are now directly instructed to use this information to enhance students’ understanding of civic engagement.

This legislative action is part of a concerted effort to encourage greater civic participation among young people in elections. Recent data revealed that only 15 percent of 18-year-olds were registered to vote in the 2022 midterm elections in New Hampshire.

Representative Mark Paige, a Democrat from Exeter, highlighted that students with disabilities who have individualized education plans already receive guidance on voter registration.

“This will now extend to every student statewide,” he emphasized during a Senate hearing on May 7.

However, some voting advocates have criticized the bill for not going far enough in mandating direct voter registration instruction for high school students. The initial proposal called for schools to “promote student voter registration policies,” but the House amended it to emphasize instruction in election laws instead.

In an additional provision introduced by the Senate, the legislation now requires all public school districts, towns, and cities to use the official names for state holidays – effectively preventing them from referring to “Columbus Day” as “Indigenous Peoples’ Day.” This statute will be enforced starting from September 12.

HB 1014 was just one of several voting-related bills that Governor Sununu signed on July 12. Among them was House Bill 1098, which permits town clerks and assistant clerks to distribute absentee ballots to nursing homes and elder care facilities.

Additionally, Sununu approved House Bill 243, which mandates that election officials in towns and cities allow public observation of voting tabulator usage during election nights and requires the public posting of tabulated results within 60 minutes of machine use.