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MANCHESTER – A judge ruled today that political party observers of same-day voter registration tables at polling places should be allowed to stand close enough “to see and hear” the process.
Judge Gillian Abramson did not set a specific distance, saying it is up to local officials to make that decision.
Her ruling came this afternoon in response to an emergency petition filed by the New Hampshire Republican Party alleging that its observers have been denied “reasonable access” to same-day registration tables.
“The problem is that our observers in the polling places have been denied reasonable access to the same-day registration tables,” said GOP attorney James Merrill.
“Manchester has been a problem, and it’s been statewide, and we’re trying to work through the confusion as to what’s permissible,” Merrill said. “We’re asking the court to grant us reasonable access to observe the process.”
Merrill said that polling is “public under the Right-to-Know Law and we need to be in a position to observe the process, and we’re trying to ge the court to acknowledge that.”
Merrill said that reasonable access means “an ability to stand in a place to observe the registration process occurring. I’ve gotten feedback where we had people stationed 40 feet away from the registration table,” which he said is too far away to adequately observe the process.
Merrill said Judge Gillian Abramson presided at the hearing. He said Charles Douglas represented the GOP, Andru Volinsky the Democratic Party and Anne Edwards of the Attorney General’s Office appeared for the state.
In an emergency petition filed at midday, the Republicans asked the court to direct the secretary of state “to provide designated polling challengers meaningful access to same day registration tables at polling places throughout New Hampshire. Such access is presently being denied and depriving citizens of New Hampshire” of their right under the state constitution and state law “to challenge voter registration.”
The suit alleges that the state Attorney General’s Office “has refused to intervene to remedy the situation,” and the party requests an emergency order.
In an affidavit, Nancy DeAngelis said she was stationed at Manchester’s Ward 11 early this morning but was told by a registration table worker that “no one was allowed to see or hear the same day registration because it would ‘violate privacy.’ ”
She said she was eventually allowed to stand “in a location modestly closer to the same day registration area.” But she said the vantage point did not allow her “sufficient access” to the area.
“As a result of the restrictions placed on me at Ward 11, I am left to guess as to whether or not registrants are qualified to vote as New Hampshire citizens. My ability to challenge registrations is, and has been, unduly undermined as a result of this hindrance.”
DeAngelis said that in 2004, she was allowed to stand behind the same-day registration table in a different ward and was able to see and hear the process.
State Democratic Chairman Raymond Buckley said before the ruling that his party “really is not taking this terribly seriously. It doesn’t have an impact on people’s ability to register and vote, which is what our concerns are.”
“It seems to be kind of a silly thing,” Buckley said. “But what else have (the Republicans) got to do today?”
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Note: If you look at who Ray Buckley is you will see we have reason to worry. Caution: Strong Language