Peach Tree Times

In the wake of a 2020 general election that sparked unsubstantiated claims of voter fraud, several states are reforming their election laws, with critics claiming they are suppressing voters’ rights. 

For example, there are plenty of similarities between election laws in Georgia and New Hampshire. However, there also is one key difference. Georgia lawmakers approved reforms that created a tool allowing them to exert influence over local elections by taking over a county board. As election reforms have evolved in Georgia, Texas and elsewhere, lawmakers, including U.S. Rep. Chris Pappas, D-N.H., have targeted GOP-led efforts across the country. Pappas took to Twitter to make his point about those efforts. 

“It says everything you need to know when a political party, using the lies they created about the last election, undertakes a nation-wide effort to restrict voting access,” he tweeted.

While Georgia and New Hampshire are separated by more than 1,000 miles, both states continue to work through concerns about transparency in elections. There are some key differences between the states, with New Hampshire prohibiting no-excuse absentee voting, according to Ballotpedia. Rather, the state requires a valid reason a voter will not cast a ballot in person. Georgia does permit no-excuse absentee voting, according to Ballotpedia. 

Like Georgia, New Hampshire lawmakers have tackled election issues this year, and New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu signed Senate Bill 89, which gives the state control over its own elections should the federal For the People Act become law, WMUR TV 9 reported

“We need to protect our system because it is a New Hampshire system designed by New Hampshire citizens and New Hampshire’s volunteer Legislature,” the governor told the station. “It’s managed at a local level by our friends and neighbors.”

As New Hampshire officials are looking to protect their state rights, their counterparts in Georgia are not backing down. The Valdosta Daily Times reported that Gov. Brian Kemp contends that the state is within its constitutional rights to pass laws related to the time, place and operation of its local elections offices.  

“SB 202 provisions like requiring voter ID on absentee ballots, securing drop boxes around the clock and expanding weekend voting opportunities are commonsense reforms that ensure Georgia elections are secure, accessible, and fair,” according to a statement from Kemp reported in The Daily Times.   

While Georgia does not permit same-day voter registration, according to Ballotpedia, voters in the Granite State can register the same day that they cast a ballot.  

While Georgia is often cast as being restrictive when it comes to voter rights, the two states also have quite a few similarities. According to Ballotpedia, both Georgia and New Hampshire prohibit automatic voter registration. Voters in both Georgia and New Hampshire also are required to present valid photo identification at the polls, according to Ballotpedia. 

When it comes to early voting, New Hampshire proves to be more restrictive than Georgia, not allowing early voting for any reason, according to Ballotpedia. Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger reported recently that the state will have 21 days of early voting during the 2022 election cycle.  

Georgia also permits online voter registration, while New Hampshire does not, according to Ballotpedia.