The ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union) filed a lawsuit on Monday challenging New Hampshire’s new voter ID law that requires proof of U.S. citizenship to register to vote and photo identification at the polls.

The lawsuit, filed by the ACLU of New Hampshire on behalf of the Coalition for Open Democracy, the League of Women Voters of New Hampshire, the Forward Foundation and five voters, aims to block the state law claiming that the law imposes some of the most restrictive voting measures in the country and threatens to disenfranchise thousands of eligible voters.

The lawsuit was submitted to the U.S. District Court in Concord just weeks after Republican Governor Chris Sununu signed the bill, which is set to take effect following the November elections. The legal action names New Hampshire Attorney General John Formella and Secretary of State David Scanlan as defendants, and the suit argues that such laws are unconstitutional.

Laws like this that “create unconstitutional roadblocks to voting and which could stop thousands of eligible voters from participating in an election, have no place in our state,” Henry Klementowicz, deputy legal director at the ACLU of New Hampshire, said in a statement.

Currently, New Hampshire voters without photo identification can sign an affidavit affirming their identity and are required to provide documentation within seven days. However, the new law eliminates these exceptions and mandates citizenship proof, such as a passport or birth certificate, at the time of voter registration.

Newsweek reached out to ACLU of New Hampshire and Sununu’s office via email on Monday evening for comment.

Liz Tentarelli, president of the League of Women Voters New Hampshire, condemned the law, stating that it “creates confusion, raises doubts for voters, and leaves them feeling hampered by the process.”

“Instead of creating unnecessary barriers to voters, we need our elected officials to advance meaningful legislation that ensures New Hampshire voters can make their voices heard,” Tentarelli added.

The lawsuit seeks to block the law’s enforcement, saying federal courts have weighed in on the matter before.

The legal action follows a similar case in Kansas, where a law mandating proof of citizenship for state and federal elections was struck down in 2018 for violating the U.S. Constitution and the National Voter Registration Act.

Despite the Kansas ruling, the U.S. Supreme Court in August 2024 allowed some parts of a law requiring proof of citizenship to be enforced in Arizona as the legal fight continues in lower courts.

According to The Associated Press, the New Hampshire Attorney General’s office acknowledged the ACLU lawsuit but did not provide further comment, stating: “We will review the complaint and respond as appropriate.”

Sununu, a vocal supporter of the law, defended the legislation as a step toward preserving the integrity of the state’s election process, claiming it would enhance trust in future elections.

“We have a proud tradition and proven track record of condition elections that are trusted and true,” Sununu said when he signed the bill on September 12. “Looking forward to the next decade or two, this legislation will instill even more integrity and trust in the voting process.”

Meanwhile, Republican efforts at the federal level continue to push for similar measures, with the proposed SAVE Act, a nationwide proof-of-citizenship mandate, also under discussion.

This article includes reporting from The Associated Press.

A fall weekend in New Hampshire led to rescues of injured hikers and crashes involving ATV drivers from Massachusetts and Rhode Island, officials said.

Conservation officers responded Sunday to Edmands Path in the White Mountain National Forest for an injured hiker who was about two miles from the trailhead, the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department said.

Kyleigh Burns, 25, of Somerville, was heading up the trail when she slipped, fell, and injured her lower leg, officials said. Her fellow hikers tried to treat her leg but Burns couldn’t put any weight on it.

She called 911 around 12:15 p.m. and while waiting for rescuers to arrive, she was able “to descend by assistance from her hiking companions and by scooting herself down the trail approximately 1,000 feet,” officials said.

Burns was placed in a rescue litter and carried to the parking lot, arriving around 4:30 p.m. She declined an ambulance ride and was taken by her friends to an medical facility, officials said.

Conservation officers and 22 volunteers from Androscoggin Valley Search and Rescue (AVSAR) and Pemigewassett Valley Search and Rescue took part in the rescue.

On Friday night, a Bellingham woman needed help while hiking Mount Chocorua, officials said. Calie Bridges, 25, injured her ankle but tried to continue her hike with her three companions, officials said.

“She did continue hiking with the injury but her progress was slowed. The group called for help when they realized that their phones were running low and that their lights were failing,” the agency said. “Calie was nearly 2.5 miles from the trailhead when darkness forced her to stop walking.”

Two conservation officers arrived to splint Bridges ankle and provid the hikers with lights.

“Calie was then able to hike slowly out to the trailhead,” officials said. “She arrived back at the trailhead shortly after 3:30 a.m. and was driven from the scene by her friends.”

Conservation officers also responded to ATV crashes over the weekend. On Sunday around 5 p.m., officers were alerted that Nicholas Arsenis of North Reading had crashed the ATV he was driving on private land in Raymond.

Arsenis “lost control of his ATV and rolled the machine” and was taken to Elliot Hospital in Manchester. His injuries were not life-threatening, officials said.

“Based on the preliminary investigation the primary causation of the crash was operator error,” officials said. Arsenis was not wearing a helmet and was cited for driving an off-road vehicle without written permission from the landowner.

On Saturday around 5:30 p.m., conservation officers responded to an ATV crash on the Presidential Rail Trail in Gorham where emergency personnel were providing first aid to John Allen, 39, of North Kingston, R.I.

“Allen was traveling first in a group of three machines on his way back to the parking lot in Gorham,” officials said. “While riding down the trail, he failed to see the reflective gate across the Presidential Rail Trail designed to keep motor vehicles off the trail.”

To avoid hitting the fence, “Allen locked up his brakes and steered his machine to the side just before running into the gate. His machine did not collide with the gate, however, Allen was thrown over the gate, striking his lower body against it.”

His companions made an emergency call. Allen was taken to the Androscoggin Valley Hospital in Berlin, the agency said.

“Investigators believe that inattention and speed for the combined conditions are the primary factors in this crash. Alcohol and drug intoxication are not considered factors,” officials said.

John R. Ellement can be reached at john.ellement@globe.com. Follow him @JREbosglobe.

A 25-year-old woman from Somerville, Massachusetts, had to be rescued Sunday after she slipped and fell while hiking Edmands Path in Sargent’s Purchase in New Hampshire’s White Mountains.

The New Hampshire Fish and Game Department says it was notified about 12:15 p.m. that Kyleigh Burns was injured about two miles from the Edmands Path trailhead parking lot.

According to officials, Burns had been hiking up the trail when she fell and suffered a lower leg injury. People she was hiking with attempted to treat the injury and continue on, but Burns could not bear any weight, so they called 911.

Conservation officers and 22 volunteers from Androscoggin Valley Search and Rescue and Pemigewassett Valley Search and Rescue responded to the call.

While waiting for her rescuers to hike up Edmands Path, Burns was able to descend by assistance from her hiking companions and by scooting herself down the trail approximately 1000 feet before rescuers arrived, officials said.

Once rescuers reached Burns, they placed her into a rescue litter and carried her down the trail to the parking lot arriving at 4:30 p.m. According to the fish and game department, Burns declined an ambulance and instead chose to seek medical treatment by having her hiking companions drive her to a medical facility.