In a move to protect the voting rights of their base and ensure fair elections in the future, the Democratic National Committee (DNC) has filed a lawsuit against New Hampshire officials over a Republican-backed election law. The DNC claims that the law, passed last year, will disenfranchise voters and have a chilling effect on key members of the party's base in the upcoming 2024 election.

The law in question requires individuals who register and vote on Election Day without a photo ID to submit missing documentation within seven days to the state. Failure to do so will result in the invalidation of their votes and referral to the state Attorney General's office.

President Joe Biden's campaign is standing firmly behind the lawsuit, expressing concerns that this legislation could disproportionately impact critical voting blocs in the battleground state, including young people, college students, and low-income voters. Biden's campaign manager, Julie Chavez Rodriguez, stressed the importance of making it easier for all eligible Americans to participate in democracy, labeling New Hampshire's law as an "unacceptable embrace of the election fraud hysteria championed by Donald Trump."

According to Biden campaign officials, approximately 75,000 voters in New Hampshire registered and voted in person on Election Day in 2020. It remains unclear how many of these voters registered without presenting an ID. At the time, voters without ID were still allowed to cast a regular ballot by filling out a form attesting to their identity.

Anticipating the potential impact of the new law, a senior Biden campaign aide, speaking on the condition of anonymity, estimated that "thousands" of voters could be affected. This lawsuit marks the second challenge by the DNC this year against laws they perceive as limiting access to voting, following a similar suit in North Carolina in October.

Biden campaign officials revealed that they intend to prioritize legal battles against restrictive voting laws leading up to the 2024 election, aiming for resolutions before November. Republicans have defended more stringent measures as necessary to combat voter fraud, although rare cases have been cited.

The DNC, accompanied by the New Hampshire Democratic Party, argues in their suit that the law violates the state constitutional provision, which mandates local officials to count and submit votes to the secretary of state within five days after the election. They also contend that the law infringes upon New Hampshire voters' due process rights.

Governor Chris Sununu, who signed the bill into law, downplayed concerns about its impact on voters and potential delays. He assured the public that New Hampshire's elections remain safe, reliable, and accurate.

Previously, there were challenges to this law in state court, citing violations of Americans' right to a private ballot. Interest groups within the state also raised constitutional concerns, but these lawsuits were ultimately combined and dismissed last month due to a lack of standing. The DNC's lawsuit aims to win relief before the general election, focusing specifically on the November election rather than the primary, where Biden faces a challenge from Representative Dean Phillips of Minnesota.