Out-of-state college students in New Hampshire may lose the ability to vote in their college towns as a result of a recently-introduced bill.
Presented by State Rep. Gregory Sorg, R-Grafton, House Bill 176 seeks to strip students of their right to vote as residents in their college towns if they had not resided there prior to enrollment at their universities.
Former New Hampshire Representative Susan Ford said one of the main concerns of the proponents of the bill is college students are young and voting foolishly as liberals.
“The fact that (supporters of the bill) are taking away the students’ right to vote in their college towns because they’re liberals is appalling,” Ford said. “You just don’t deprive someone of their right to vote. It’s an effort to disenfranchise the students.”
The bill states a new definition of domicile as it applies to voter eligibility for voters attending universities. Under the new definition, a student voter’s domicile is the state, town, city, ward or unincorporated place in which the student had his or her domicile before attending the university, regardless of whether the student has plans to return.
“The domicile for voting purposes of a person attending an institution of learning shall not be the place where the institution is located unless the person was domiciled in that place prior to matriculation,” the bill continued.
Aside from standing in contention with the 14th Amendment and the 26th Amendment of the Constitution, Missouri Rep. Mary Still, D-Columbia, said the bill represents an irrational fear.
“This is a group of people threatened by intelligent voters,” Still said. “College students add good perspective in any town.”
Still went on to say she did not believe New Hampshire residents should be concerned.
“This is not something to worry about,” Still said. “I think the representatives in New Hampshire have too much time on their hands and are afraid of voters who might be well-educated and intellectual.”
MU College Republicans Vice Chairwoman Malorie Howe said although students voting liberally is not reason enough to constitute the bill, its main point is logical.
“I don’t believe the bill would be a violation of our constitutional rights,” Howe said. “It’s just trying to get voters voting in areas where they have vested interests.”
Howe said many out-of-town college students aren’t adequately educated on important issues within their college towns and therefore never see possible repercussions for the city or town they’re voting in.
“Say there’s an issue pertaining to small businesses in Columbia and every resident is asked to vote,” Howe said. “College students don’t always fully understand the background of such issues or who (the results of the vote) will affect in the community.”
Ford said the average 18-year-old is apt to take voting seriously.
“(College voters) recognize the responsibility of citizenship, and I don’t believe they’re voting frivolously,” Ford said.
Supporters of the bill note though that if college students are such serious voters, they should use absentee ballots to vote in their hometown. Problems arise when students from out of town vote on issues and for representatives in a community they’re not originally from, Howe said.
“Towns want a fair representation of people who are actually living there, not seasonal students who aren’t voting for full representation of the area,” Howe said. “Students should go back to the area they’re from and gain representation there.”
The representatives in New Hampshire are worrying needlessly, Still said.
“In our community, students play an important role,” Still said. “New Hampshire political figures should be happy they have college students in their town.”
