Timing questions face voting rules bill headed to New Hampshire governor's desk

The calendar is coming into play on a much-debated voting rights bill headed to the New Hampshire governor's desk.The timing of the bill means that voting could happen under one set of laws for the state primary and then change in November.In a contentious year at the State House, House Bill 1569 was among the most contested pieces of legislation. Brought forward by state Rep. Robert Lynn, R-Windham, it would eliminate all exceptions to the voter ID law, meaning anyone who shows up to register to vote on Election Day would have to prove their citizenship, with documents such as a birth certificate."Let's assume there are at least 10 million illegal aliens in the country," Lynn said. "Twenty years from now, somebody who is just turning 18 or whatever and says, 'You know, I'm a citizen.' If there's no way to really make them prove it, if they can simply sign an affidavit, how do we know?">> Download the free WMUR app to get updates on the go: Apple | Google Play <<Voting rights activists said the bill would disenfranchise actual citizens who are qualified voters."We know passports can cost upwards of over $100 and take multiple weeks or months to be able to get. Same with birth certificates," said McKenzie St. Germain, of the New Hampshire Campaign for Voting Rights.On top of that months-long debate, there is now a new twist in timing. The bill is supposed to take effect 60 days after passage, and the state primary is just 63 days away.If the governor signs the bill this week, election officials would have the minimum amount of time to prepare. If the bill is signed later, it would mean a primary under one law and a change for the general election."Not only could that be confusing to voters who are trying to understand what they need to register to vote, but also to our election officials who go through months and months and weeks of training," St. Germain said.Gov. Chris Sununu hasn't said how he will act on the bill, but implementation has been one of his top concerns."I think that that that there is enough time," Lynn said. "The secretary of state, as I understand it, has said that he can implement it. So, I'm confident that it can be done."