The decade-long battle over voting rules, such as ID requirements and registration procedures, continues again this year, Peter Wallsten report in the Washington Post. But this year, some states are focusing on college students.
The toughest proposed restriction on student voting is being debated in New Hampshire, where Republicans–back in charge of the legislature after a brief period of Democratic control–that would effectively prohibit many students from voting where they go to school.
“Voting as a liberal. That’s what kids do,” House Speaker William O’Brien said in a recent speech to a tea party group. “They just vote their feelings.”
One bill being considered would permit students to vote in their college towns only if they or their parents had previously established permanent residency there. Another would end Election Day registration, which O’Brien said unleashes swarms of students on polling places, creating opportunities for fraud.
Wisconsin also is considering new voter rules, incuding a photo ID requirement. But the law excludes college-issued identification cards, effectively barring many students who don’t have state driver’s licenses or other approved ID.