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New Hampshire Superior Court Presiding Justice Charles Temple granted a temporary restraining order Tuesday against part of the law signed into law by Republican Gov. Chris Sununu in July. | Mary Schwalm/AP Court blocks penalties in new New Hampshire voting law

MANCHESTER, N.H. — A New Hampshire judge has blocked recent changes to the state's voting laws that would have exposed some first-time voters to a fine or jail time if they failed to submit residence paperwork within 10 days of registering.

Hillsborough County Superior Court Presiding Justice Charles Temple granted a temporary restraining order Tuesday against part of the law signed into law by Republican Gov. Chris Sununu in July and known as State Bill 3.

Under the new legislation, individuals registering in the 30 days before an election or on the same day as an election — as New Hampshire allows — can register by promising to bring documents proving their residence to local officials within 10 days or 30 days in smaller towns.

The law provides potential jail sentences of up to a year and a fine of up to $5,000 for failing to submit the paperwork. State officials said prosecutors would use their discretion to pursue such cases only in limited circumstances, but Temple said the threat of criminal penalties posed too much burden on the right to vote.

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"The average voter seeking to register for the first time very well may decide that casting a vote is not worth a possible $5,000 fine, a year in jail, or throwing himself/herself at the mercy of the prosecutor’s 'discretion,'" Temple wrote in his 13-page order. "To the Court, these provisions of SB 3 act as a very serious deterrent on the right to vote, and if there is indeed a “compelling” need for them, the Court has yet to see it."

The order, which came in a lawsuit brought by the League of Women Voters, the New Hampshire Democratic Party and local residents, is a temporary one pending full consideration of the case by the New Hampshire courts. The court's action means no criminal penalties can be sought in connection with registration for a local election to take place in the state Tuesday, but the move could also signal legal trouble for the law in future, statewide elections.

"We consider the decision by the court to be ... very significant," said Devon Chaffee of the American Civil Liberties Union's New Hampshire chapter.

“This order is a victory for voting rights in New Hampshire,” party Chair Ray Buckley said in a statement. “The court's decision to strip the law of its penalties shows exactly how burdensome and intimidating they are. It proves the state cannot threaten people with criminal prosecution for merely registering to vote. This order offers no good news for the state, who will now have to argue the entirety of this law on the merits. We know the state's fight is a losing one.”

New Hampshire Associate Attorney General Anne Edwards said lawyers for the state received the decision just before polls opened for the local election at 7 a.m. and “immediately” relayed it to polling places. “We understand the narrow court order and have implemented it accordingly,” she said.

CORRECTION: An earlier version of this post misidentified the New Hampshire court handling the case.