1 Purpose. It is the intent of the legislature to modernize the application processes for new voter registration, requesting absentee ballots, and requesting changes to name, domicile, and party affiliation in the statewide voter database.

2 New Subdivision; Election Information Portal. Amend RSA 652 by inserting after section 27 the following new subdivision:

Election Information Portal

652:28 Election Information Portal.

I. The secretary of state is hereby authorized to develop, in consultation with the department of information technology, the department of safety, division of motor vehicles, and city and town clerks and supervisors of the checklist, an online election information portal which citizens may use to:

(a) Complete a new voter application.

(b) Request an absentee ballot.

(c) Request changes to the statewide centralized voter registration database, such as name, domicile address, mailing address, and party affiliation.

II. A request by the voter placed in the election information portal shall be submitted to the appropriate municipal official for verification and processing per RSA 654:7, RSA 654:8, RSA 654:16 through RSA 654:19, and RSA 654:34, except that the information may be provided in a format the secretary of state deems suitable for electronic submission. Any information submitted to the portal shall be handled in a manner consistent with relevant voter and election laws, including RSA 654, and shall be retrievable and printable at any time including during the processing of the information. In addition, nonpublic data related to individual voter data shall remain confidential.

III. The secretary of state shall not implement any election information portal established pursuant to this section, such that the public can access or otherwise utilize such portal, until January 1, 2024.

3 Election Fund; Grants for Cities and Towns. Amend RSA 5:6-d, III to read as follows:

III. The secretary of state is authorized to accept, budget, and, subject to the limitations of this paragraph, expend monies in the election fund received from any party for the purposes of conducting elections, voter and election official education, the purchase or lease of equipment that complies with the Help America Vote Act of 2002, Public Law 107-252, or with RSA 659:13, V, reimbursing the department of safety for the actual cost of voter identification cards, election law enforcement, enhancing election technology, making election security improvements, and improvements to related information technology, including acquisition and operation of an automated election management system. With the exception of federal and state portions of funds associated with the 2018 Election Reform Program, the secretary of state shall not expend any monies in the election fund unless the balance in the fund following such expenditures shall be at least 12 times the estimated annual cost of maintaining the programs established to comply with the Help America Vote Act of 2002, Public Law 107-252.

4 Help America Vote Act Funding. Any expenditures made for the purpose of establishing the election portal in section 2 of this act or the establishment of the grant system required by section 3 of this act shall be paid for with funding from the Help America Vote Act of 2002, Public Law 107-252.

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

1 Purpose. It is the intent of the legislature to modernize the application processes for new voter registration, requesting absentee ballots, and requesting changes to name, domicile, and party affiliation in the statewide voter database.

2 New Subdivision; Election Information Portal. Amend RSA 652 by inserting after section 27 the following new subdivision:

Election Information Portal

652:28 Election Information Portal.

I. The secretary of state is hereby authorized to develop, in consultation with the department of information technology, the department of safety, division of motor vehicles, and city and town clerks and supervisors of the checklist, an online election information portal which citizens may use to:

(a) Complete a new voter application.

(b) Request an absentee ballot.

(c) Request changes to the statewide centralized voter registration database, such as name, domicile address, mailing address, and party affiliation.

II. A request by the voter placed in the election information portal shall be submitted to the appropriate municipal official for verification and processing per RSA 654:7, RSA 654:8, RSA 654:16 through RSA 654:19, and RSA 654:34, except that the information may be provided in a format the secretary of state deems suitable for electronic submission. Any information submitted to the portal shall be handled in a manner consistent with relevant voter and election laws, including RSA 654, and shall be retrievable and printable at any time including during the processing of the information. In addition, nonpublic data related to individual voter data shall remain confidential.

III. The secretary of state shall not implement any election information portal established pursuant to this section, such that the public can access or otherwise utilize such portal, until January 1, 2024.

3 Election Fund; Grants for Cities and Towns. Amend RSA 5:6-d, III to read as follows:

III. The secretary of state is authorized to accept, budget, and, subject to the limitations of this paragraph, expend monies in the election fund received from any party for the purposes of conducting elections, voter and election official education, the purchase or lease of equipment that complies with the Help America Vote Act of 2002, Public Law 107-252, or with RSA 659:13, V, reimbursing the department of safety for the actual cost of voter identification cards, election law enforcement, enhancing election technology, making election security improvements, and improvements to related information technology, including acquisition and operation of an automated election management system. The secretary of state shall establish a grant system for cities and towns to access monies from Help America Vote Act of 2002, Public Law 107-252 grants for the use of improving election security and technology. The grants shall be used for technology including ballot counting devices, electronic poll books, and secure laptops to be used to access ElectioNet.

4 Help America Vote Act Funding. Any expenditures made for the purpose of establishing the election portal in section 2 of this act or the establishment of the grant system required by section 3 of this act shall be paid for with funding from the Help America Vote Act of 2002, Public Law 107-252.

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