CHAPTER 184
HB 244 - FINAL VERSION
22Mar2023... 0957h
05/11/2023 1421s
2023 SESSION
23-0467
08/10
HOUSE BILL 244
AN ACT relative to the delivery of absentee ballots.
SPONSORS: Rep. Kuttab, Rock. 17; Rep. K. Perez, Rock. 16; Rep. Sweeney, Rock. 25; Rep. Prudhomme-O'Brien, Rock. 13; Rep. Popovici-Muller, Rock. 17; Rep. Lynn, Rock. 17
COMMITTEE: Election Law
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AMENDED ANALYSIS
This bill changes the latest time that an absentee ballot may be requested.
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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Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.
22Mar2023... 0957h
05/11/2023 1421s 23-0467
08/10
STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE
In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Twenty Three
AN ACT relative to the delivery of absentee ballots.
Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:
184:1 Sending Absentee Ballots; Time Change. Amend RSA 657:15, I to read as follows:
I. When the verification required by RSA 657:12 or 657:13 has been made, the clerk shall retain the application and, without delay, personally deliver, email, or mail to the applicant the appropriate ballot and materials as described in RSA 657:7 through 657:8 or designate an assistant to deliver such materials to the applicant. The clerk's option to email an absentee ballot to a voter shall apply only to absentee ballot applications from UOCAVA voters. The clerk shall [send] mail absentee ballots in response to verified absentee ballot requests [until 5:00] that have been received by 12:00 p.m. on the day before the election. The clerk shall provide an absentee ballot to any voter requesting an absentee ballot in person at the clerk's office up until 5:00 p.m. on the day before the election or as may be provided elsewhere in Title LXIII. The clerk may not designate as an assistant any person who is a candidate for nomination or office or who is working for such a candidate. Any ballots sent pursuant to the provisions of this section shall be mailed or delivered only by officials from the city or town clerk's office and delivered only to the applicant. If the address to which the absent voter's ballot is sent is outside the United States or Canada, such papers shall be sent by air mail. Said clerks shall keep lists of the names and addresses, arranged by voting places, of all applicants to whom official absentee ballots have been sent, and shall identify those official absentee ballots which have been returned to the clerk and shall record the absentee voter applicant information in the statewide centralized voter registration database. The lists shall not be available for public inspection at any time without a court order.
184:2 Effective Date. This act shall take effect 60 days after its passage.
Approved: August 04, 2023
Effective Date: October 03, 2023
| Date | Amendment |
|---|---|
| March 16, 2023 | 2023-0957h |
| April 18, 2023 | 2023-1421s |
| Date | Body | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Feb. 21, 2023 | House | Hearing |
| Feb. 28, 2023 | House | Hearing |
| Feb. 28, 2023 | House | Exec Session |
| March 14, 2023 | House | Exec Session |
| March 15, 2023 | House | Floor Vote |
| April 11, 2023 | Senate | Hearing |
| May 11, 2023 | Senate | Floor Vote |
Aug. 9, 2023: Signed by Governor Sununu 08/04/2023; Chapter 184; eff: 10/03/2023 HJ 17
July 19, 2023: Enrolled (in recess of) 06/29/2023 HJ 17 P. 18
July 18, 2023: Enrolled Adopted, VV, (In recess 06/29/2023); SJ 20
June 15, 2023: House Concurs with Senate Amendment 2023-1421s (Rep. Berry): MA VV 06/15/2023 HJ 16 P. 2
May 11, 2023: Ought to Pass with Amendment 2023-1421s, MA, VV; OT3rdg; 05/11/2023; SJ 14
May 11, 2023: Committee Amendment # 2023-1421s, AA, VV; 05/11/2023; SJ 14
April 19, 2023: Committee Report: Ought to Pass with Amendment # 2023-1421s, 05/11/2023; Vote 5-0; CC; SC 21
April 5, 2023: Hearing: 04/11/2023, Room 103, LOB, 10:00 am; SC 17
March 24, 2023: Introduced 03/23/2023 and Referred to Election Law and Municipal Affairs; SJ 12
March 22, 2023: Ought to Pass with Amendment 2023-0957h: MA VV 03/22/2023 HJ 10 P. 14
March 22, 2023: Amendment # 2023-0957h: AA VV 03/22/2023 HJ 10 P. 14
March 16, 2023: Committee Report: Ought to Pass with Amendment # 2023-0957h 03/15/2023 (Vote 19-0; CC) HC 16 P. 9
March 8, 2023: ==CONTINUED== Executive Session: 03/15/2023 10:00 am LOB 206-208
Feb. 21, 2023: ==RECESSED== Executive Session: 02/28/2023 02:30 pm LOB 206-208
Feb. 21, 2023: ==CANCELLED== Public Hearing: 02/28/2023 10:00 am LOB 206-208
Feb. 16, 2023: Public Hearing: 02/21/2023 10:30 am LOB 306-308
Jan. 9, 2023: Introduced (in recess of) 01/05/2023 and referred to Election Law HJ 2 P. 8