New Hampshire HB 1437: ballot reconciliation.

Bill Text

CACR 31 - AS INTRODUCED

2026 SESSION

 26-2544

 08/09

CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 31

RELATING TO: ballot reconciliation.

PROVIDING THAT: the state adopt certain provisions and penalties relative to the ballot reconciliation process.

SPONSORS: Rep. Sabourin dit Choiniere, Rock. 30; Rep. Burnham, Straf. 2; Rep. McGrath, Rock. 40; Rep. Wherry, Hills. 13; Rep. Wood, Merr. 13; Rep. Bernardy, Rock. 36; Rep. Belcher, Carr. 4; Rep. Tom Mannion, Hills. 1

COMMITTEE: Election Law

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ANALYSIS

 This resolution adopts provisions governing ballot reconciliation, ballot access, ballot retention, polling location limits, selection of poll workers, allowance of registered voters for post-election ballot viewing, allowance for recording ballot lot and voting documentation during citizen audits and compliance with Presidential Executive Order 14248 (March 25, 2025) in the New Hampshire constitution.

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Explanation: Matter added to current law appears in bold italics.

 Matter removed from current law appears [in brackets and struckthrough.]

 Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type

 26-2544

 08/09

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Twenty-Six

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION PROPOSING CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT

RELATING TO: ballot reconciliation.

PROVIDING THAT: the state adopt certain provisions and penalties relative to the ballot reconciliation process.

Be it Resolved by the House of Representatives, the Senate concurring, that the

Constitution of New Hampshire be amended as follows:

 I. That the second part of the constitution shall be amended by inserting after article 32 the following new article:

 [Art.] 32-a. [Ballot Reconciliation.] New Hampshire will adopt the following provisions and penalties for all elections held in this state, regarding ballots, statewide election policies and procedures; polling location limits, poll workers, allowance of registered voters' for post-election ballot viewing, ballot lot and voting documentation viewing, and scanning and recording photographically during citizen audits, and compliance of certain provisions of Presidential Executive Order 14248 (March 25, 2025) “Preserving and Protecting the Integrity of American Elections”: 

 (a) All ballots shall be hand counted;

 (b) All ballots shall be serial-numbered;

 (c) All ballots shall have a dated, and matching, serial numbered perforated tab, the perforated serial number tab matching the ballot serial number, and including the poll location number, to be retained by and for the voter's receipt of her/his casted ballot;

 (d) All ballots, including absentee ballots, shall be reconciled by the moderator

pre-election, during the hand count, and be held in the same fashion during post-election, until the ballot lot retention time has expired;

 (e) Municipalities shall not print or copy serial-numbered ballots, the secretary of state shall by this law, be authorized to provide perforated, serial numbered ballots for all registered voters of each municipality; 

 (f) The secretary of the state shall track all serial-numbered absentee ballots, and paper ballots, pre-election and post-election, and publicly publish his or her findings once per year in non-voting years;

 (g) The moderator or clerk shall complete a chain of custody log for all ballots pre-election and post-election; this log will require a dual signature sign off to be kept with the ballots for the required retention period;

 (h) All election day sign off signatures shall not be redacted for any reason;

 (i) Any unused or voided ballots of each printed, serial numbered and designated lot shall be properly labeled and kept with all other ballots of the same printed, serial numbered and designated lot;

 (j) All ballots shall be stored in a twenty-four hour, continuously electronically surveilled, secured, and locked, ballot storage area, accessed by only authorized election officials, or by registered voters accompanied by such authorized officials, beginning the day ending one week after the ballots are counted and declared, and thereafter, but by appointment, post-election;

 (k) The election shall end at midnight on election day;

 (l) When each poll is closed, ballot counting shall begin, and end only when completely finished, and with immediacy be declared, in the most precise, but speedy manner possible;

 (m) All ballots and any election records shall be retained in a secured specified location of the respective city or town for a period of sixty months, including times of recounts, and shall be accessible by appointment upon one week’s notice, to registered voters during the retention period while accompanied by a local election official