1 Procedure by Voter; Delivery of Absentee Ballots. Amend RSA 657:17, III to read as follows:

III. The city or town clerk, or ward clerk on election day at the polls, shall not accept an absentee ballot from a delivery agent unless the delivery agent completes a form provided by the secretary of state, which shall be maintained by the city or town clerk, and the delivery agent presents a government-issued photo identification or has his or her identity verified by the city or town clerk. Absentee ballots delivered through the mail or by the voter's delivery agent shall be received by the town, city, or ward clerk no later than 5:00 p.m. on the day of the election. A delivery agent who is assisting a voter who is blind or who has a disability pursuant to this section may not personally deliver more than 4 absentee ballots in any election, unless the delivery agent is a nursing home or residential care facility administrator, an administrator designee, or a family member, each as authorized by this section.

2 Cutoff. Amend RSA 657:22 to read as follows:

657:22 Cutoff. In any state election, a town or city clerk shall not accept any completed absentee ballots delivered to the clerk after 5:00 p.m. on election day except as provided in RSA 657:21-a, V and RSA 659:20-a. The clerk shall record absentee ballots received after such time in the statewide centralized voter registration database with the return date and shall mark the ballot as rejected due to absentee ballot receipt after election day. The clerk shall retain the unopened ballot until the time set for the destruction of other state election ballots as provided in RSA 659:100 at which time the envelopes shall likewise be destroyed, unopened and unexamined.

3 Voters Confined in Penal Institutions. Amend RSA 654:2-a, II(a) to read as follows:

(a) The person complies with all other applicable requirements and qualifications of the state of New Hampshire, including, but not limited to, the requirement that an absentee voter take the steps necessary to have his or her name placed on the voter checklist no later than 10 days before an election and the requirement that the absentee voter take the steps necessary to make sure that his or her ballot is received by the town or city clerk from whom it was sent by 5:00 p.m. on election day. A person confined in a penal institution shall use the mail to comply with all applicable requirements and qualifications.

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

1 Procedure by Voter; Delivery of Absentee Ballots. Amend RSA 657:17, III to read as follows:

III. The city or town clerk, or ward clerk on election day at the polls, shall not accept an absentee ballot from a delivery agent unless the delivery agent completes a form provided by the secretary of state, which shall be maintained by the city or town clerk, and the delivery agent presents a government-issued photo identification or has his or her identity verified by the city or town clerk. Absentee ballots delivered through the mail or by the voter's delivery agent shall be received by the town, city, or ward clerk no later than the close of the polling place on the day of the election. A delivery agent who is assisting a voter who is blind or who has a disability pursuant to this section may not personally deliver more than 4 absentee ballots in any election, unless the delivery agent is a nursing home or residential care facility administrator, an administrator designee, or a family member, each as authorized by this section.

2 Cutoff. Amend RSA 657:22 to read as follows:

657:22 Cutoff. In any state election, a town or city clerk shall not accept any completed absentee ballots delivered to the clerk after the close of the polling place on election day except as provided in RSA 657:21-a, V and RSA 659:20-a. The clerk shall record absentee ballots received after such time in the statewide centralized voter registration database with the return date and shall mark the ballot as rejected due to absentee ballot receipt after election day. The clerk shall retain the unopened ballot until the time set for the destruction of other state election ballots as provided in RSA 659:100 at which time the envelopes shall likewise be destroyed, unopened and unexamined.

3 Voters Confined in Penal Institutions. Amend RSA 654:2-a, II(a) to read as follows:

(a) The person complies with all other applicable requirements and qualifications of the state of New Hampshire, including, but not limited to, the requirement that an absentee voter take the steps necessary to have his or her name placed on the voter checklist no later than 10 days before an election and the requirement that the absentee voter take the steps necessary to make sure that his or her ballot is received by the town or city clerk from whom it was sent by the close of the polling place on election day. A person confined in a penal institution shall use the mail to comply with all applicable requirements and qualifications.

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