Bill Text - HB1496 (2022)

(New Title) requiring political subdivisions to make voter checklists available in electronic form to any resident.


Revision: Dec. 3, 2021, 2:38 p.m.

HB 1496-FN - AS INTRODUCED

 

 

2022 SESSION

22-2582

11/08

 

HOUSE BILL 1496-FN

 

AN ACT requiring political subdivisions to make voter checklists available in spreadsheet form to any resident.

 

SPONSORS: Rep. Love, Rock. 6

 

COMMITTEE: Election Law

 

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ANALYSIS

 

This bill requires the secretary of state to make checklists available to any resident of New Hampshire in spreadsheet form at no cost.

 

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Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.

22-2582

11/08

 

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

 

In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Twenty Two

 

AN ACT requiring political subdivisions to make voter checklists available in spreadsheet form to any resident.

 

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

 

1  Checklists; Certification of List.  Amend RSA 654:29, II to read as follows:

II. They shall file 2 true copies of the corrected list, attested by them, with the town clerk and shall forward an electronic copy in spreadsheet form to the secretary of state. The checklists so corrected shall be used at the election. Any person who swears falsely in making such certificate shall be guilty of perjury.

2  New Paragraph; Checklists; Availability of Checklist.  Amend RSA 654:31 by inserting after paragraph II the following new paragraph:

II-a.  The secretary of state shall make any checklist as corrected by the supervisors available in spreadsheet form to any New Hampshire resident who requests it.

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

 

LBA

22-2582

11/22/21

 

HB 1496-FN- FISCAL NOTE

AS INTRODUCED

 

AN ACT requiring political subdivisions to make voter checklists available in spreadsheet form to any resident.

 

FISCAL IMPACT:      [ X ] State              [    ] County               [ X ] Local              [    ] None

 

 

 

Estimated Increase / (Decrease)

STATE:

FY 2022

FY 2023

FY 2024

FY 2025

   Appropriation

$0

$0

$0

$0

   Revenue

$0

($100,000)

($100,000)

($100,000)

   Expenditures

$0

$0

$0

$0

Funding Source:

  [ X ] General            [    ] Education            [    ] Highway           [    ] Other

 

 

 

 

 

LOCAL:

 

 

 

 

   Revenue

$0

Indeterminable Decrease

Indeterminable Decrease

Indeterminable Decrease

   Expenditures

$0

Indeterminable Increase

Indeterminable Increase

Indeterminable Increase

 

METHODOLOGY:

This bill requires political subdivisions to send an electronic copy in spreadsheet form of the voter checklist to the Secretary of State and requires the Secretary of State to make the voter checklist available in spreadsheet form to any NH resident who requests it.

 

The Department of State indicates they collect approximately $100,000 per a year through checklist fees, most of which goes back to the cities and towns to cover the cost of maintaining the checklist.  The Department assumes New Hampshire residents will  request the checklist in spreadsheet form and the $100,000 will go away resulting in a revenue loss to General Funds and a portion to local revenues.

 

The New Hampshire Municipal Association states there will be an indeterminable increase on local expenditures as they would need to purchase software to convert the PDF checklist into a spreadsheet.

 

It is assumed the fiscal impact wouldn't occur until FY 2023.

 

AGENCIES CONTACTED:

Department of State and New Hampshire Municipal Association