SB 346-FN-LOCAL - AS INTRODUCED
2016 SESSION
\t16-2716
\t03/09
SENATE BILL\t346-FN-LOCAL
AN ACT\trelative to hours of polling.
SPONSORS:\tSen. Lasky, Dist 13; Sen. Fuller Clark, Dist 21; Sen. Kelly, Dist 10; Rep. Cote, Hills. 31; Rep. Moody, Rock. 17
COMMITTEE:\tPublic And Municipal Affairs
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ANALYSIS
\tThis bill changes the hours that polls must be open at state elections and limits the ability to close polls early.
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Explanation:\tMatter added to current law appears in bold italics.
\t\tMatter removed from current law appears [in brackets and struckthrough.]
\t\tMatter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.
\t16-2716
\t03/09
STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE
In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Sixteen
AN ACT\trelative to hours of polling.
Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:
\t1 Early Closing of Polls. Amend RSA 659:3 to read as follows:
\t659:3 Early Closing of Polls. Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, the voters present at the polling place in Dixville, Hart's Location, or Millsfield may vote to close the polls at any time that the number of those who have voted plus the number of absentee ballots received at the polls equals the number of names on the checklist.
\t2 Hours of Polling. Amend RSA 659:4 to read as follows:
\t659:4 Hours of Polling in Municipalities. At all state elections in towns and cities the polls shall open not later than [11] 6 o'clock in the morning and shall close not earlier than [7] 8 o'clock in the evening. In cities, the city council shall determine the polling hours no later than 30 days prior to a state election.
\t3 Change of Polling Hours in Towns. Amend RSA 659:4-a, I to read as follows:
\t\t I. At any annual town meeting, any town may vote to place a question on the state election ballot to change the hours at which polls shall open, provided that the polls shall not open later than [11] 6 o'clock in the morning and shall not close earlier than [7] 8 o'clock in the evening. Such vote shall be under an article inserted into the warrant pursuant to RSA 39:3. The wording of the question shall be as follows:
\t"Polling hours in the town of ____________________ (name of town) are now _____ (hour at which polls now open) to __________ (hour at which polls now close). Shall we place a question on the state election ballot to change polling hours so that polls shall open at __________ (proposed hour at which polls would open) and close at _______ (proposed hour at which polls would close) for all regular state elections beginning __________ (next state election)?''
\t4 Change of Polling Hours in Towns. Amend RSA 659:4-a, III to read as follows:
\t\tIII. In a town with a town council as the legislative body, the town council may vote to place a question on the state election ballot to change the hours at which polls shall open, provided that the polls shall not open later than [11] 6 o'clock in the morning and shall not close earlier than [7] 8 o'clock in the evening. The governing body shall notify the secretary of state of the question to be placed on the ballot in accordance with the requirements of paragraph II.
\t5 Effective Date. This act shall take effect 60 days after its passage.
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t16-2716
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t12/4/15
SB 346-FN-LOCAL- FISCAL NOTE
AN ACT\trelative to hours of polling.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The New Hampshire Municipal Association and Department of State state this bill, as introduced, may increase local expenditures by an indeterminable amount in FY 2017 and each year thereafter. There will be no fiscal impact to state and county expenditures or state, county, and local revenue.
METHODOLOGY:
The New Hampshire Municipal Association and Department of State state this bill requires the local polls, during all state elections, to open no later than 6:00 a.m. and remain open until at least 8:00 p.m. This bill increases the minimum number of hours polls must be open from eight hours to fourteen hours. An exemption is granted to Dixville, Hart's Location, and Millsfield which may close any time after all the voters have voted or been accounted for. To the extent municipalities pay election workers by the hour or hire additional election workers, there will be an indeterminable increase in local expenditures