HB151 (2021) Detail

Relative to changes of registration of certain voters after a primary election.


HB 151  - AS INTRODUCED

 

 

2021 SESSION

21-0111

11/08

 

HOUSE BILL 151

 

AN ACT relative to changes of registration of certain voters after a primary election.

 

SPONSORS: Rep. Maggiore, Rock. 22

 

COMMITTEE: Election Law

 

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ANALYSIS

 

This bill provides that the registration of undeclared voters who register as members of a party at any primary shall be returned to undeclared registrations by the supervisors of the checklist after the close of the polls on election day.

 

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Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.

21-0111

11/08

 

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

 

In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Twenty One

 

AN ACT relative to changes of registration of certain voters after a primary election.

 

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

 

1  Voters and Checklists; Change of Registration.  Amend RSA 654:34 to read as follows:

654:34 Change of Registration.  

I. Change of registration of a voter whose party membership has been previously registered.

(a) Any legal voter whose party membership has been registered may change such registration by appearing in person before the supervisors of the checklist for his or her town or ward any time they meet, except as prohibited by paragraph IV, and stating to them under oath or affirmation, if required, that:

(1) He or she intends to affiliate with and generally supports the candidates of the party with which he or she offers to register, in which case he or she shall be registered as a member of such party; or

(2) He or she does not wish to be registered as a member of any party, in which case his or her party designation shall be removed from the checklist.

(b) He or she may also change such registration at any primary, upon making oath or affirmation to the same effect, but he or she shall not be permitted in such case to vote the ballot of any party at such primary.

II.  Change of registration of a voter who has been registered as an undeclared voter.

(a) Any legal voter who has been registered as an undeclared voter may register as a member of the party of the voter's choice by appearing before the supervisors of the checklist for the voter's town or ward any time they meet, except as prohibited by paragraph IV, and stating to them, under oath or affirmation, if required, that the voter intends to affiliate with and generally supports the candidates of the party with which the voter offers to register, in which case the voter shall be registered as a member of such party.

(b) A voter may also register as a member of a party at any primary by requesting to be registered as a member and voting the ballot of the party of the voter's choice. [A voter may also register once again as an undeclared voter after voting in a primary as a registered member of a party by returning the card or signing the list of undeclared voters from the statewide centralized voter registration database provided for in paragraph V. If cards are used, the voter shall return the card to the person at the polls designated by the town or city clerk to accept the card. All such cards and lists shall be in the possession of the supervisors of the checklist at the close of the polls on election day.] Supervisors of the checklist will return the voter's registration to undeclared after the close of the polls on election day.

III. Notwithstanding any provision of paragraphs I and II to the contrary, no person who has voted in a primary may thereafter on the day of said primary change the person's party registration[, unless, prior to voting in the primary, the person was registered as an undeclared voter, in which case the person may once again register as an undeclared voter, as provided in subparagraph II(b)].

IV. No person, who is already registered to vote, whether his or her party membership has been previously registered or not, shall affiliate with a party or disaffiliate from a party between the first Wednesday in June and the day before the state primary election.

[V.(a) At any primary, the supervisors of the checklist shall make available within the polling place a card or list of undeclared voters from the statewide centralized voter registration database to enable a voter who was registered as an undeclared voter but who changed registration on the day of the primary in order to vote as a registered member of a party to change registration so that the voter is registered once again as an undeclared voter. The card or list shall be in substantially the following form:

Name ____________________________

(Print)

Address __________________________

__________________________________

__________________________________

I hereby request that my political party registration be changed as follows:

  From: Democrat [ ], or Republican [ ], or (name of any party determined by the secretary of state to have achieved official status under RSA 652:11) [ ]

  To: Undeclared [ ]

Signed under the pains and penalties of perjury.

  ______________________________________________

  Date______________

(b)  The supervisors of the checklist, upon receipt of such a card or list, shall keep it in accordance with RSA 33-A:3-a and at the public session of supervisors of the checklist on election day shall change the party of the voter as indicated on the card or list.]

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

Links


Date Body Type
Feb. 17, 2021 House Hearing
March 5, 2021 House Exec Session
March 10, 2021 House Exec Session
House Floor Vote
March 10, 2021 House Exec Session

Bill Text Revisions

HB151 Revision: 31455 Date: Jan. 4, 2021, 2:15 p.m.

Docket


April 7, 2021: Reconsider (Rep. Osborne): MF VV 04/07/2021 HJ 5 P. 50


April 7, 2021: Reconsider (Rep. Osborne): MF VV 04/07/2021 HJ 5 P. 50


April 7, 2021: Inexpedient to Legislate: MA VV 04/07/2021 HJ 5 P. 11


April 7, 2021: Inexpedient to Legislate: MA VV 04/07/2021 HJ 5 P. 11


: Committee Report: Inexpedient to Legislate (Vote 19-1; CC) HC 18 P. 8


March 29, 2021: Committee Report: Inexpedient to Legislate (Vote 19-1; CC) HC 18 P. 8


March 10, 2021: ==CONTINUED== Executive Session: 03/10/2021 10:10 am Members of the public may attend using the following link: To join the webinar: https://zoom.us/j/95087806399 (if necessary)


March 3, 2021: ==CONTINUED== Executive Session: 03/10/2021 10:10 am Members of the public may attend using the following link: To join the webinar: https://zoom.us/j/95087806399 (if necessary)


March 5, 2021: Executive Session: 03/05/2021 12:00 pm Please click the link below to join the webinar: https://zoom.us/j/99327579520


Feb. 17, 2021: Public Hearing: 02/17/2021 09:45 am Please click the link below to join the webinar: https://zoom.us/j/95842759377 Executive session on pending legislation may be held throughout the day (time permitting) from the time the committee is initially convened.


Jan. 6, 2020: To Be Introduced 01/06/2020 and referred to Election Law


Jan. 4, 2021: Introduced (in recess of) 01/06/2021 and referred to Election Law HJ 2 P. 37


Jan. 6, 2021: Introduced (in recess of) 01/06/2021 and referred to Election Law HJ 2 P. 37