New Hampshire residents will need to show proof of citizenship before voting in future elections

New Hampshire's Republican Gov. Chris Sununu on Thursday made the Granite State the first in the country to require voters to provide proof of United States citizenship in order to participate in elections.

The bill mirrors the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act that has been proposed by House Republicans, which would force voters to show proof of citizenship in the U.S. in order to vote in federal elections. The SAVE Act previously passed the House, but did not advance in the Senate.

The new state law, which was passed by New Hampshire's legislation in May, will go into effect in 60 days, which puts it past the November election. 

"We have a proud tradition and proven track record of conducting elections that are trusted and true," Sununu said in a statement reported by WMUR. "Looking forward to the next decade or two, this legislation will instill even more integrity and trust in the voting process."

Democrats have warned the outgoing governor to expect "expensive" lawsuits to stop the new legislation from taking effect. McKenzie Taylor, the campaign director for the New Hampshire Campaign for Voting Rights, also warned that the legislation would hurt the voting rights of "all eligible Granite Staters."

“Once this law goes into effect later this year, any voter may be turned away from the polls if they did not have the correct documents, creating massive new changes to New Hampshire’s registration system, burdening our election officials, and disenfranchising eligible voters," Taylor told The Hill.

Registered voters in New Hampshire are currently asked to show a photo ID in order to vote in person, such as a passport, driver's license, New Hampshire student ID card, or military ID card.

Misty Severi is an evening news reporter for Just the News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.