Policy Research Shop

Support for the Policy Research Shop is provided by the Ford Foundation and by the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education, U.S. Department of Education.

Policy Research Shop

Voter Identification Reform in New Hampshire

An Analysis of the Options and Impacts of Reforming Voter ID Requirements

Stephen Prager

Manav RajJoseph Singh

The contents of this report were developed under grant P116B100070 from the U.S. Department of Education. However, these contents do not necessarily represent the policy of the U.S. Department of

Education, and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government.

Policy Research Shop

Context• Question: How many voters in NH have government-

issued photo ID?– What are options for reducing the potential for voter

fraud and what might be the costs and benefits? – To what extent does voter fraud occur?

• Options– Reform Voter Registration– Reform Voter ID Laws

Policy Research Shop

Data• The Literature (Nationwide)

– Roughly 11-12% have no photo ID• Higher for African-Americans, the elderly, and low-

income citizens• 7% lack documentation needed to obtain ID

Policy Research Shop

Data (Cont.)

• Difficult to obtain concrete data in NH• Estimating extent of NH-DMV ID holdings

1,012,839 (total NH-DMV ID holders over age 18, Oct. 2011)

- 3% (proportion of non-citizen residents in NH)

982,454 (eligible voters with NH-DMV IDs)

÷1,011,125 (total eligible voters in NH, 2010)

97% (proportion of eligible voters with NH-DMV ID)

• 767,383 registered voters in NH

Policy Research Shop

Voting Requirements in NH• Registration:

– Show Proof of Age, Citizenship, and Domicile– Can sign an affidavit instead in most towns/cities– Absentee registration an option (no ID required)

• Voting– No ID required– Can request an absentee ballot (no ID required)

Policy Research Shop

Voter Fraud• Dearth of research/investigations• Department of Justice study found minimal

evidence– Simcox’s Response

• Difficult to Track• The extent has not been studied in NH

Policy Research Shop

Changing Voter Registration• Options for Changing Registration

– Remove Registration-by-Mail– Remove Same-Day-Registration– Eliminate Affidavits

Policy Research Shop

What Other States Do

Accepted Forms of ID Include:•Driver’s Licenses•Passports•Concealed Handgun Licenses•Tribal IDs•Naturalization Documents•Student IDs from State Institutions•Military IDs•Other State and Federal Government IDs

Policy Research Shop

Changing Voter ID Alternatives• Options

– Strict Government-Issued Photo ID Requirement– Non-Government-Issued Photo ID Allowed– Photo or Non-Photo ID Requirement– Maintain the Status Quo

Policy Research Shop

Conclusion• Reducing Potential Fraud vs. Ensuring

Accessibility• Uncertainties in this study:

– Extent of voter fraud– Number of individuals with photo ID and ability to

procure IDs– Effect of each reform on NH population