Revision: Jan. 12, 2021, 1:03 p.m.
HB 551-FN - AS INTRODUCED
2021 SESSION
21-0734
11/05
HOUSE BILL 551-FN
AN ACT relative to the statewide voter database.
SPONSORS: Rep. Kofalt, Hills. 4; Rep. Ammon, Hills. 40
COMMITTEE: Election Law
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ANALYSIS
This bill requires that the statewide centralized voter registration database be made publicly available in electronic format free of charge, provided that the secretary of state may allow for limited exceptions where a compelling reason exists for doing so.
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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Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.
21-0734
11/05
STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE
In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Twenty One
AN ACT relative to the statewide voter database.
Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:
1 Statewide Centralized Voter Registration Database. Amend RSA 654:45, V-VI to read as follows:
V. The secretary of state shall:
(a) Specify the employees of the department of state authorized to access records contained in the voter database[, subject to the limitations of paragraph VI].
(b) Provide adequate technological security measures to deter unauthorized access to the records contained in the voter database.
(c) Issue guidelines to implement the voter database.
VI. [The voter database shall be private and confidential and shall not be subject to RSA 91-A and RSA 654:31, nor shall it or any of the information contained therein be disclosed pursuant to a subpoena or civil litigation discovery request. The secretary of state is authorized to provide voter database record data to the administrative office of the courts to assist in the preparation of master jury lists pursuant to RSA 500-A and to the clerk of the District Court of the United States for the District of New Hampshire to assist in the preparation of federal court jury lists. The voter checklist for a town or city shall be available pursuant to RSA 654:31. Any person who discloses information from the voter database in any manner not authorized by this section shall be guilty of a misdemeanor.
VII. The city and town clerk shall enter, maintain, and keep up to date election official contact information and polling place information as determined by the secretary of state in the statewide centralized voter registration database for use by the secretary of state in effecting election laws.] The voter database shall be made electronically available to members of the public free of charge, provided that the secretary of state may restrict access to certain information contained in the database where a compelling interest exists for doing so.
2 Effective Date. This act shall take effect 60 days after its passage.
21-0734
12/16/20
HB 551-FN- FISCAL NOTE
AS INTRODUCED
AN ACT relative to the statewide voter database.
FISCAL IMPACT: [ X ] State [ ] County [ X ] Local [ ] None
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| Estimated Increase / (Decrease) | |||
STATE: | FY 2021 | FY 2022 | FY 2023 | FY 2024 |
Appropriation | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Revenue | $0 | ($10,000) | ($10,000) | ($10,000) |
Expenditures | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Funding Source: | [ ] General [ ] Education [ ] Highway [ X ] Other - Election Fund (RSA 5:6-d) | |||
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LOCAL: |
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Revenue | $0 | ($90,000) | ($90,000) | ($90,000) |
Expenditures | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
METHODOLOGY:
This bill would allow free access to the statewide voter database and eliminate the fees currently collected by the Department of State. The Department deposits approximately 10% of these current fees into the state Election Fund and remits 90% of these fees to the towns and cities to help defray the cost of maintaining the database. On average, $100,000 in revenue is generated from the sale of public checklist information from the statewide voter database every fiscal year. The bill would result in an annual reduction in revenues of approximately $10,000 for the state and $90,000 for cities and towns. The Department of State indicates there would be no fiscal impact on the Department's expenditures.
It is assumed this bill would take effect in FY 2022.
AGENCIES CONTACTED:
Department of State