City of Dover files superior court complaint over House redistricting law

posted on 7/29/2022

This week, the City of Dover, along with Rochester and individual voters from various municipalities, including Ward 4 Councilor Debra Hackett, filed a complaint against the Secretary of State and the State of New Hampshire, arguing the recent redistricting law violated New Hampshire Constitution's Part II, Article 11. Hackett is included in the complaint in her personal capacity only and not as a city councilor.

State legislators drew redistricting maps following the release of the 2020 Census data in 2021. House Bill 50, signed into law on March 23, 2022, groups Dover's Ward 4 residents into two districts combined with other towns. The complaint alleges that other municipalities, including Barrington, Hooksett, Lee, New Ipswich, Rochester and Wilton, had combined representation with neighboring municipalities, despite New Hampshire Constitution requirements requiring a dedicated district for political wards and towns with sufficient population.

The complaint seeks the court to either redraw or order the state to redraw the house representation maps for the affected towns and wards in compliance with the state constitution.

The complaint follows the New Hampshire Supreme Court's May 17 denial of the City of Dover's petition for the court to take original jurisdiction of the city's request for the Supreme Court to directly review the constitutionality of the redistricting legislation. The city had sought the Supreme Court to address the matter directly to obtain a ruling on the merits in advance of the 2022 elections related to the New Hampshire House of Representatives.

Find Strafford County Superior Court and New Hampshire Supreme Court filings on the City Attorney's Current Litigation webpage https://www.dover.nh.gov/government/cityoperations/executive/city-attorney/current-litigation/.