CONCORD, N.H. – Today, Governor Chris Sununu vetoed House Bill 706, which would have created an independent redistricting commission charged with drawing fair districts in state and federal elections after the 2020 U.S. Census. Designed to prevent gerrymandering, the commission would have been made up of democrats, republicans and undeclared voters to draw proposed lines for the state legislature to approve.
“Granite Staters deserve to choose their elected leaders—not the other way around. The veto of this bill means that New Hampshire is putting politics above fair elections,” said Devon Chaffee, Executive Director of the ACLU of New Hampshire. “We must ensure that, as the bedrock of our democracy, elections remain fair and impartial—and so we are disappointed to see that New Hampshire is not making that commitment today. We will continue to do everything we can to support voting rights, fair elections, and stop gerrymandering.”
Henry Klementowicz, Staff Attorney at the ACLU of New Hampshire, said, “Today’s veto signals that politician-made maps and gerrymandering will continue to be the status quo in New Hampshire. This bipartisan legislation was designed to take the power to draw districts out of the hands of politicians and put it in the hands of an independent redistricting commission, as many states have already done. We are thankful to the prime sponsor of the legislation, Rep. Smith (D-Durham), as well as Sen. Gray (R-Rochester), and every legislator who voted for this bill.”