New Hampshire Monitoring Issues

A New Hampshire judge has ruled in favor of GOP lawyers who filed a lawsuit against the New Hampshire Secretary of State, William Gardner, claiming that Republican election officials are illegally being kept away from new registration tables. New Hampshire allows same-day voter registration, and officials are expecting a record turnout of 750,000 voters, including 40,000 new registrants.

Monitors had been allowed at the check-in area, but not in the registration area. The Secretary of State's office says New Hampshire law doesn't require that -- but the court has sided with the GOP, and is instructing election officials to allow poll watchers to monitor voter registration. New Hampshire's Deputy Secretary of State Dave Scanlan says voting officials are now being told to allow the access. But he says he has concerns for voter privacy as they fill out forms containing confidential information. He is instructing poll workers to be sensitive to privacy issues.

The state Republican party has not alleged any fraudulent registration activity; they are just requesting access.

-- Tovia Smith

5:19 PM ET | 11- 4-2008 | permalink

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