Point of View
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Voting Laws ChangingLetter to the Editor from Bob Perry published in the Concord Monitor in April 2026:
To focus on voting rights seems quaint so many days into Trump’s multiple preemptive attacks in the Middle East and threats to annex Cuba, but there is a parallel track here – Trump’s war on our elections. Elections are the responsibility of the states. Trump is not deterred from ignoring the Constitution, the courts, our laws or precedents. He threatens to cancel the November elections, usurp states’ authority by federalizing elections, demand and receive possession of state’s voter rolls containing your personal information for potential manipulation, or flat out unilaterally announce victory in November or in 2028. This is not mere government overreach; it’s election fraud on a massive scale perpetrated by our duly elected president. There is no evidence proving that the miniscule incidence of intentional voter fraud is committed by one party more than others. It’s a wash of miniscule proportion. Nothing constructive can be accomplished by making voting laws so punitive or devoted to strict compliance that voting becomes a system of show me your papers or you don’t get to vote, as is the current law under HB 1569, or strict compliance and bills yet to be considered by the legislature, including bills related to new demands for voting absentee. No appropriation for voter education accompanies these bills/laws. Know your rights. Prepare well in advance for upcoming elections. Contact your municipal election clerk to determine you remain on the voter rolls; ask what additional documents you might need; how to vote absentee. Don’t wait. For too many, additional documents may take time to access, are unattainable, or will cost money. |
Bob Perry, a frequent contributor to this page, is a former State Representative who chaired the Strafford Town Democrats for more than 16 years. He is a longtime board member of Open Democracy New Hampshire.
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