A judge dismissed most arguments in a lawsuit by the American Federation of Teachers that challenged New Hampshire's voting procedures during the coronavirus pandemic, saying there was a lack of evidence.
The union had sued to force New Hampshire to extend its deadline for accepting absentee ballots by mail; to cover absentee ballot postage costs; to allow wider use of absentee ballot dropboxes; and to permit third-party groups to return absentee ballots on voters’ behalf. Similar lawsuits have been filed in other states.
The AFT said the changes are necessary to ensure as many people as possible can safely participate, but state officials said changing the rules so late would only create more problems.
The Republican National Committee and President Donald Trump's re-election campaign, which successfully intervened in the case, agreed with state officials.
Hillsborough County Superior Court Judge Will Delker ruled Friday that the union failed to demonstrate that the current rules actually prevented anyone from voting. Delker, however, did order the state to develop a process to accept requests for absentee voter registration forms.
New England Voting Issues
Secretary of State William Gardner said his office already accepts requests for absentee voter registration forms and provides those forms to applicants when requested. He said his office will seek to clarify the court's order.
Voters seeking an absentee voter registration packet, including the absentee voter registration form itself, may email that request to elections@sos.nh.gov, Gardner said.
