College Students Learning Remotely Can Vote in NH

College students can now vote in New Hampshire even if they are working remotely from elsewhere, reports the Associated Press.

According to the attorney general’s office, college students who would be attending college in NH but are currently working remotely from home due to the COVID-19 pandemic will be able to vote in the state, provided that they have previously established residency in NH.

The NH Republican Party had been arguing against this decision, stating that these students should not be able to vote in their college towns if they don’t have a current address in these communities.

In a letter Wednesday, Assistant Attorney General Nicholas Chong Yen stated that once a student has lawfully established domicile in NH, the student cannot lose this status due to temporary absence.

Chong Yen wrote, “Any person – including a student – who has established a domicile in New Hampshire consistent with (state law) but who is temporarily absent from the state by virtue of the COVID-19 pandemic or any other reason, remains domiciled within the state unless he or she establishes domicile elsewhere.”

However, a student who has never established a physical presence in the state cannot be domiciled in NH for voting purposes, meaning college freshmen who have been unable to arrive on campus would not be allowed to vote in their college towns.