Independent Voters Organize to Defeat Bill
Restricting Rights to Participate in Presidential Primaries


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
March 17, 2007 CONTACT:Sarah Lyons 917-658-9885
Betty Ward 603-496-5511

New Hampshire⎯Independent activists with New Hampshire 's Committee for an Independent Voice ("CIV-NH") declared victory yesterday for a successful lobbying effort they directed at the NH State Legislature to defeat a bill which would have restricted the rights of independent voters.

“Independents throughout the state delivered the message to legislators that they didn’t like the bill and would hold both parties accountable if it passed,” said Betty Ward, a key CIV-NH activist.

HB 196 would have denied independents the right to re-claim their independent status at the polls immediately after voting in a statewide primary.

Ward was aided in her lobbying campaign by independent voters from 13 states who phone banked to get the word out to Granite State independents.

The bill was nearly identical to one introduced in 2005 (HB 154) which CIV-NH also defeated by mobilizing hundreds of independents to call and write legislators about its negative impact.

This year’s bill was introduced by Rep. Pamela Manney (R) at the behest of her constituent Tricia Wynne, an election supervisor from Goffstown. The Election Law Committee of the New Hampshire House of Representatives voted Friday that HB 196 was “inexpedient to legislate,” effectively killing the bill.

Ward and other CIV-NH activists testified at a hearing on the bill held February 16th, 2007 and stated, “I am not ‘undeclared’ as is stipulated in NH but rather perceive myself as an independent. I feel no need to belong to a party. It is my opinion that the political process be inclusive regardless of any party affiliation. That all citizens participate in every aspect of the political process without barriers, or restrictions. That access is open and unconditional.

It is my testimony today that NH-CIV and independents in New Hampshire opposed HB 154 and we oppose HB 196. I have a petition signed by 300 people from 50 towns across New Hampshire in opposition to HB 154; we are in the process of reaching all of them about HB 196.”
CIV-NH hosts a monthly meeting of independents.

The next is scheduled to take place Saturday, March 24 at the Concord Public Library at 2:00 pm.

National support for the New Hampshire lobbying effort spearheaded by Betty Ward was mobilized by CUIP – a national organizing center for independents – and its political director Jacqueline Salit.