New Hampshire HB 693: relative to ballot counting procedures and permitting the hand counting of ballots.

Bill Text

HB 693-FN - AS INTRODUCED

2025 SESSION

 25-0532

 05/09

HOUSE BILL 693-FN

AN ACT relative to ballot counting procedures and permitting the hand counting of ballots.

SPONSORS: Rep. Porcelli, Rock. 19; Rep. Bernardy, Rock. 36; Rep. DeVito, Rock. 8; Rep. McGrath, Rock. 40; Rep. Burnham, Straf. 2; Rep. Perez, Rock. 16; Rep. Panek, Hills. 1; Rep. Manohar, Hills. 9

COMMITTEE: Election Law

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ANALYSIS

 This bill provides that a voter may request to have their ballot counted by hand rather than by an electronic ballot counting device. The bill also provides that the selectmen and town clerk are permitted to hand count ballots cast in an election.

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 Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.

 25-0532

 05/09

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Twenty Five

AN ACT relative to ballot counting procedures and permitting the hand counting of ballots.

Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:

 1 Voting Procedure; Casting Ballots; Hand Counts Permitted. Amend RSA 659:23, II to read as follows:

 II.(a) In cities and towns where an electronic ballot counting device is used for the counting of ballots, as provided in RSA 656:40, a voter, after leaving the voting booth or voting privacy screen, shall feed their ballot into the electronic ballot counting device or follow the moderator's instruction for casting the ballot before leaving the guardrail. Privacy folders shall be available at the polling place for voters to use when carrying the marked ballot from the voting booth or voting privacy screen to the ballot counting device. 

 (b) Notwithstanding subparagraph (a), a voter may present their ballot to the moderator for hand counting. Privacy folders shall be available at the polling place for this purpose.

 2 Duties of Moderator and Authority of Selectmen and Town Clerk to Conduct a Hand Count of Ballots Cast. Amend RSA 659:60 to read as follows:

 659:60 Duties of Moderator and Authority of Selectmen and Town Clerk to Conduct a Hand Count of Ballots Cast.

 I. The moderator, or the moderator pro tempore if the moderator is disqualified under RSA 658:24, shall oversee the counting of votes by other election officers, including the selectmen and the town clerk, and may discharge any other duties relating to the counting of votes.

 II. Nothing in this section or any other provision of law shall preclude the selectmen or town clerk from, at their discretion, conducting a supplemental hand count to confirm election results for a specific race, or from conducting a hand count of ballots not processed through a voting machine or counted from a machine that failed during the voting period.

 3 Effective Date. This act shall take effect 60 days after its passage.

 LBA

 25-0532

 1/6/25

HB 693-FN- FISCAL NOTE

AS INTRODUCED

AN ACT relative to ballot counting procedures and permitting the hand counting of ballots.

FISCAL IMPACT: This bill does not provide funding, nor does it authorize new positions.

 Estimated State Impact

FY 2025

FY 2026

FY 2027

FY 2028

 Revenue

$0

$0

$0

$0

 Revenue Fund(s)

None

 Expenditures*

$0

Indeterminable 

Increase

Indeterminable 

Increase

Indeterminable 

Increase

 Funding Source(s)

General Fund

 Appropriations*

$0

$0

$0

$0

 Funding Source(s)

None

 *Expenditure = Cost of bill *Appropriation = Authorized funding to cover cost of bill

 Estimated Political Subdivision Impact

FY 2025

FY 2026

FY 2027

FY 2028

 County Revenue

$0

$0

$0

$0

 County Expenditures

$0

$0

$0

$0

 Local Revenue

$0

$0

$0

$0

 Local Expenditures

$0

Indeterminable 

Increase

Indeterminable 

Increase

Indeterminable 

Increase

METHODOLOGY:

This bill allows a voter to request to have their ballot counted by hand rather than by an electronic ballot counting device. The bill also provides that the selectmen and town clerk are permitted to hand count ballots cast in an election.

The Department of State states this bill could significantly impact town and city expenditures. If a large number of voters request hand counting, it would greatly increase the time required for election workers, leading to additional costs for the extra hours worked. This could range from several hundred to thousands of dollars at each polling location. Additionally, the Department would incur costs for training and privacy folders located at the polling location.

AGENCIES CONTACTED:

Department of State