House approves random-audit authority for affidavit registrants amid privacy and civil-rights warnings

The New Hampshire House on May 22 adopted the committee conference report on House Bill 1062, which authorizes the Secretary of State to conduct random audits of voters who registered using affidavit-based registration and to match records against governmental and private databases.

Opponents repeatedly warned that the audits create an open-ended surveillance power with inadequate notice, due-process protections and transparency about which databases would be used. "This is an open-ended surveillance power," Representative Bay said on the floor, adding the measure "risks violating privacy rights and constitutional protections and will disproportionately affect students, low-income residents, recent movers, naturalized citizens and people with non-anglicized names." He cited out-of-state examples where similar programs wrongly flagged lawful voters.

Supporters argued audits are a necessary check that help preserve public confidence in elections. Representative Barry cited a recent local prosecution of a noncitizen who voted and urged members to protect the integrity of elections through audits.

The transcript records broad public testimony in committee—more than 1,000 online submissions and many in-person opponents—and local election officials testified that supervisors of the checklist already verify citizenship and that the bill duplicates existing safeguards.

After debate and parliamentary inquiries, the House recorded a roll-call vote and adopted the committee conference report. The transcript shows the clerk announcing the result (recorded in the transcript as 196 yes, 156 no). The adoption is likely to prompt follow-up litigation or administrative rulemaking given the constitutional concerns raised on the floor.