New Hampshire Students Ask Gov. Sununu For Poll Tax Bill Veto

CONCORD, N.H. - Dozens of New Hampshire students delivered more than 2,000 petitions asking Governor Chris Sununu to veto legislation that would establish a post-election poll tax for eligible voters.

According to the NH Campaign for Voting Rights, HB 1264 and HB 372 would act as a post-election poll tax where, if a person decides to exercise her constitutional right to vote, that person would now have 60 days to pay the State various motor vehicle fees.

Following months of requesting a meeting with the governor, students today held a sit-in in an effort to meet with Governor Sununu.

Concord student Sam Tardiff is a member of New Hampshire Youth Movement, a network of young people in New Hampshire "working collectively to further a united political platform." He said he joined the group today to make a statement about the power of the youth vote.

"All of us have different issues that we feel strongly about, but as many of us in New Hampshire Youth Movement have realized, we can’t fight for the issues we care about if are voices are not being heard," he said. "Young people in New Hampshire wield a tremendous amount of political power and the State Legislature now recognizes that we can swing key elections."

Instead of supporting policies that make New Hampshire more attractive to young people, he said, there has been a deliberate attempt to suppress votes.

"Instead of making it harder for young people to participate in our democracy, why not reach out to us and listen to what we have to say?," he said.

In January, Gov. Sununu said he did not support HB 372 as it is currently written.

“Governor Sununu vowed to never make it harder for students to vote in New Hampshire, and today, thousands of young Granite Staters are calling on him to veto HB 372 and HB 1264 — bills that would stifle the voices of Granite State students and dangerously restrict our democracy," said NextGen New Hampshire State Director Teddy Smyth. "Young people across New Hampshire demand Governor Sununu listen to them, keep his promise and protect students' right to vote."

Courtesy Photo / NextGen America