NHYD Statement on Renewed GOP Efforts to Disenfranchise Student Voters

CONCORD, NH - Today, following a Senate Election Law Committee 3-2 party line vote to pass the student voter disenfranchisement bill HB 372, University of New Hampshire sophomore Isabella Arms, issued the following statement: "HB 372 serves one purpose: to drastically decrease student turnout on campuses across New Hampshire. Thousands of students, like me, move to New Hampshire every year to learn and contribute to our communities, with the hope of staying here to start our careers. However every year, Republicans in Concord make it their priority to disenfranchise the exact group of people they need to attract and retain in order for our state to grow and thrive. The state benefits from students like us when it means getting more federal money or electoral clout, but they don't think we count when it comes to voting for local issues that affect us, including preventing tuition hikes or investing in workforce training. When Governor Sununu and Republican leadership raise our tuitions and make it more difficult for us to vote and take part in the democratic process, it's hard to take them seriously as champions for my generation like they so often claim to be. I speak on behalf of many concerned Granite State students when I say we hope this bill is rejected when it comes to a full Senate vote."

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