New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu has been under scrutiny lately for agreeing to turn over New Hampshire voter rolls in order to assess whether or not New Hampshire is part of President Trump’s allegations of widespread ‘electoral fraud.’

Although that’s not the primary contention addressed by this editorial, let’s get one thing straight; I wholeheartedly disagree with Governor Sununu’s decision.

As someone who admittedly voted for Governor Sununu in November, I’m disappointed to see that he would turn his back on New Hampshire’s dearest value: freedom.

More specifically, he has set the precedent that it is okay for the voting public to have their votes monitored, which eliminates the freedom of a free democratic republic.

However, the point of this editorial is not to condemn Governor Sununu’s actions, though I disagree with them.

Rather, it is to continue the point of an editorial to which I contributed last year; namely, the editorial titled Do Your Civic Duty and Vote… At Home. (Issue #2 Date. 9/16/2016) What the voter rolls revealed is that around 5300 voters in New Hampshire did not produce a New Hampshire-issued ID in order to vote.

Although some allege (as I suspect the President will) that this is proof of voter fraud, this statement in itself tells us little. What the statement likely indicates is that these 5300 persons provided identification that proved them to be from out-of-state.

As a New Hampshire resident, this bothers me because it proves that out-of-state college students who spend 8 months of the year in New Hampshire (effectively making it their Winter-Fall-Spring Home, rather than a Summer home) take advantage of vague New Hampshire voter laws and use their votes to influence candidates New Hampshirites don’t want.

Where were the majority of these 5300 votes cast, you ask? Keene, Durham, Plymouth, and Manchester- you may recognize these towns as all being home to large colleges which attract many students from both in and out of state.

Furthermore, an investigation by the New Hampshire Speaker of the House discovered, through the office of the Secretary of State, that approximately 11,000 people were enrolled to vote in more than one state (including New Hampshire) and that at least 196 names on that list could be confirmed to have voted in more than one state.

However, it is not illegal to vote in New Hampshire as a college student, nor is that what I am trying to allege.

I am also not trying to lend credence to allegations of widespread voter fraud (though voter fraud certainly does occur, everywhere, for both parties.)

However, I urge college students, whether they go to school in New Hampshire (Yes, you! The student reading this paper!) or if they dwell in New Hampshire and go to school in another state, to remain out of that state’s elections.

Get an absentee ballot. Despite popular belief, they are typically not difficult to attain, and allow you to not only represent your own town and state with regards to national elections, they allow you to be a proper constituent for the town, county, and state in which you permanently reside. For example, as a friend once told me, “I won’t vote in Manchester city elections because they don’t affect me.”

Whether or not apathy is your root cause, the sentiment is the same; don’t impose your way of life, your politicians and political beliefs on the city and state where you go to school.

As a New Hampshirite who saw the college vote lock out vetted and trustworthy politician, neighbor, and friend Kelly Ayotte from the senate in favor of Maggie Hassan (whose descriptors I will spare,) I ask you to please, make your voice heard… at home.