New Hampshire election officials are preparing for the cost of rolling out the next phase of the state’s voter ID law.
Starting with elections this fall, voters without identification must have their pictures taken by a poll worker before casting a ballot.
Deputy Secretary of State David Scanlan says his department estimates purchasing a digital camera and printer for each of the state’s 330 polling sites, plus backups, will cost roughly $85,000.
He says the department will also have to hire someone to oversee the new requirements.
“I would expect the cost of that staff person to be somewhere in the neighborhood of $45,000 per year for salary and benefits.”
Those costs have been factored into the department’s proposed two-year budget.
Last year, those without ID only had to sign an affidavit before voting. The state is required to investigate those cases for potential voter fraud.
Scanlan says just more than half of the mailers that went out earlier this month have come back. A small number have come back undeliverable.
“Most of them are coming back with just the signatures on them. Some of them do contain statements and in some cases the statements are pretty colorful.”
A group of Democratic lawmakers have filed legislation to repeal the state’s voter ID law.
