A leading voting rights group said its research uncovered 244 would-be voters who were turned away from the polls this year due to new state election laws that require new registrants to show proof of citizenship and other documentation.

Sarah Chouinard with the New Hampshire Campaign for Voting Rights said it found 123 people were turned away during city municipal elections this fall, including 44 in Manchester, along with another 121 who tried to register to vote for town and school district meetings last March.

Michael Blanchette of Manchester had moved from Concord and confirmed before going to the polls in Ward 7 this month that he was on the statewide registration database.

But after arriving at the polls without a passport or birth certificate, Blanchette said, he waited more t

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