HB 265 – AS AMENDED BY THE SENATE
13Mar2013… 0437h
04/18/13 1312s
05/02/13 1463s
2013 SESSION
03/01
HOUSE BILL 265
AN ACT relative to procedures by absentee voters.
SPONSORS: Rep. F. Rice, Rock 21; Rep. J. Belanger, Hills 27; Rep. Emerick, Rock 21
This bill allows an absentee voter to have another person deliver his or her marked ballot to the city or town clerk.
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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Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.
13Mar2013… 0437h
04/18/13 1312s
05/02/13 1463s
13-0050
03/01
STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE
In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Thirteen
AN ACT relative to procedures by absentee voters.
Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:
1 Absentee Voting Materials; Return Envelope. Amend RSA 657:7, III to read as follows:
III. Return envelopes of size sufficient to contain the preceding envelope addressed to the town and city clerks of the state in which absentee voters shall return their ballots. On the envelopes shall be printed “Enclosed is the ballot of an absentee voter” and, at the top thereof, 4 blank spaces with the words “Name, Voting Address, Ward, Town or City” appropriately printed thereon. The following statement shall be printed or stamped on the back of the return envelope in substantially the following form:
TO BE FILLED OUT ONLY IF A FAMILY MEMBER (SPOUSE, PARENT, CHILD, STEPCHILD, BROTHER, OR SISTER) IS HAND DELIVERING A BALLOT TO THE CITY OR TOWN CLERK
If you are having a family member deliver this envelope to the city or town clerk, you must complete the following:
I, _____________________, hereby authorize __________________, who is my __________________ (state relationship of voter to person delivering the envelope) to deliver this envelope containing my absentee ballot to the city or town clerk. I understand that I must fully complete this authorization for the delivery of my ballot by such person to be valid and for the ballot so delivered to be counted.
(Signature) _________________________
FOR USE DURING THE SIX DAYS PRIOR TO ELECTION DAY
(DEADLINE – 5:00 P.M. ON THE DAY BEFORE THE ELECTION)
2 Absentee Voting; Procedure by Voter; Procedure by Clerk. Amend RSA 657:17 and RSA?657:18 to read as follows:
657:17 Procedure by Voter. After marking the ballot, the voter or the person assisting a blind voter shall enclose and seal the same in an inner envelope. The voter shall execute the affidavit. The voter or the person assisting the blind voter shall enclose and seal the inner envelope with the affidavit in an outer envelope. The voter shall then endorse on the outer envelope his or her name, address, and voting place and shall mail the envelope, affixing postage, or personally deliver it to the city or town clerk from whom it was sent. Alternatively, the voter may authorize a member of his or her family to deliver the envelope to the city or town clerk by completing the authorization on the back of the return envelope. In this subdivision, “family member” means a spouse, parent, child, stepchild, brother, or sister. The family member shall show his or her photo identification to the city or town clerk upon delivery. Delivery shall only be accepted beginning on the Wednesday prior to the election and shall be received by the city or town clerk prior to 5:00 p.m. on the day preceding the election.
657:18 Procedure by Clerk. Upon receipt of an outer envelope purporting to contain an official absentee voting ballot, the clerk of the city or town shall attach thereto the application for an absentee ballot submitted by said voter and record the information pursuant to RSA 657:15. All such envelopes shall be preserved unopened until election day. If the absentee ballot is delivered by a family member, the clerk shall refuse to accept the ballot unless the delivery authorization on the return envelope is fully completed.
3 Announcement by Moderator; Absentee Voter Signature Comparison. Amend RSA 659:50, III to read as follows:
III. The signature on the back of the return envelope, if the back of the return envelope has been completed, the signature on the affidavit, [appears] and the application all appear to be executed by the same person [who signed the application]; and
4 Effective Date. This act shall take effect 60 days after its passage.