HB 156 – AS INTRODUCED
2007 SESSION
03/01
HOUSE BILL 156
This bill establishes additional restrictions on who may be appointed to the ballot law commission.
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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Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.
07-0858
03/01
STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE
In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Seven
AN ACT relative to the membership of the ballot law commission.
Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:
1 Ballot Law Commission; Organization; Members. Amend RSA 665:1 to read as follows:
665:1 Organization.
I. There shall be a ballot law commission consisting of 5 members. Two members shall be appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives, one from each of the 2 major political parties in the state based on votes cast for governor in the most recent state general election. Two members shall be appointed by the president of the senate, one from each of the 2 major political parties in the state based on votes cast for governor in the most recent state general election. One member shall be appointed by the governor with the advice and consent of the council, and shall be a person particularly qualified by experience in election procedure. No person shall be appointed to the commission who holds an elected office or who is an election official, who is registered as a lobbyist or who has been registered as a lobbyist at any point during the 3 years prior to appointment, or who holds any position appointed or elected by any party or any state, county, or local committee of any party or who has held any such position during the 3 years prior to appointment. The terms of all commissioners shall be for 4 years, except that the first appointments shall be as follows: the members appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives shall be appointed for terms of 2 years, the members appointed by the president of the senate shall be appointed for terms of 3 years, and the member appointed by the governor shall be appointed for a term of 4 years. A member may be re-appointed upon the expiration of his or her term. The members shall elect annually a chairperson from among the members. Members shall be appointed and terms of office shall expire on July 1. Vacancies shall be filled in the same manner for the unexpired term. The secretary of state shall be recording officer and clerk of the commission, but shall have no vote in its decisions.
II. There shall be 5 alternate members for the ballot law commission. Two alternate members shall be appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives, one from each of the 2 major political parties in the state based on votes cast for governor in the most recent state general election. Two alternate members shall be appointed by the president of the senate, one from each of the 2 major political parties in the state based on votes cast for governor in the most recent state general election. One alternate member shall be appointed by the governor with the advice and consent of the council, and shall be a person particularly qualified by experience in election procedure. The alternate members appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives and the president of the senate shall not be members of the general court. No person shall be appointed as an alternate member who is registered as a lobbyist or who has been registered as a lobbyist at any point during the 3 years prior to appointment, or who holds any position appointed or elected by any party or any state, county, or local committee of any party or who has held any such position during the 3 years prior to appointment. The terms of all alternate members shall be for 4 years, except that the first appointments shall be as follows: the alternate members appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives shall be appointed for terms of 2 years, the alternate members appointed by the president of the senate shall be appointed for terms of 3 years, and the alternate member appointed by the governor shall be appointed for a term of 4 years. The term of each new alternate member shall begin on July 1.
2 Effective Date. This act shall take effect 60 days after its passage.