Revision: May 16, 2025, 12:52 p.m.
HB 67-FN-A - AS AMENDED BY THE SENATE
10Apr2025... 0781h
05/15/2025 1962s
05/15/2025 2068s
2025 SESSION
25-0051
07/08
HOUSE BILL 67-FN-A
AN ACT relative to agreements with the secretary of state for the use of accessible voting systems.
SPONSORS: Rep. M. Paige, Rock. 11; Rep. Wherry, Hills. 13
COMMITTEE: Election Law
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ANALYSIS
This bill directs cities and towns to enable access to voting for individuals with disabilities during elections.
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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Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.
10Apr2025... 0781h
05/15/2025 1962s
05/15/2025 2068s 25-0051
07/08
STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE
In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Twenty Five
AN ACT relative to agreements with the secretary of state for the use of accessible voting systems.
Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:
1 Elections; Voting Procedure; Accessible Voting Systems. RSA 659:20-b is repealed and reenacted to read as follows:
659:20-b Accessible Voting Systems.
I. Every city, every town, and every school district which has adopted an official ballot system shall:
(a) Ensure that each polling place has at least one accessible voting system.
(b) Bear the cost of programming for the city, town, or school district election with the vendor chosen and contracted with by the secretary of state.
(c) Follow guidance from the secretary of state to upload programmed files to the accessible voting system, test the programming, and set up the accessible voting system for each election.
II. The city or town clerk shall:
(a) Enter into an agreement with the secretary of state for the use of the state's provided accessible voting systems in local elections.
(b) Store and maintain the state's accessible voting system in a secure manner following election security guidance issued by the secretary of state.
(c) For school elections held in the clerk's city or town, share the state's accessible voting system with the school clerk for use in the school district's elections.
III. ?The secretary of state shall:
(a) ?Enter into an agreement with city and town clerks to provide accessible voting systems for use in city, town, and school elections.
(b) ?Provide guidance to city, town, and school clerks on uploading programmed files to the accessible voting systems.
(c) ?Provide security guidance for the local storage and maintenance of the accessible voting system or systems used for city, town, and school district elections.
(d) Bear the cost of programming for state and federal elections.
2 Change to Effective Date of Prospective Repeal. Amend 2024, 123:5, I to read as follows:
I. Section 4 of this act shall take effect [June 30] December 31, 2025.
I. Section 2 of this act shall take effect June 29, 2025.
II. The remainder of this act shall take effect January 1, 2026.
25-0051
5/5/25
HB 67-FN-A- FISCAL NOTE
AS AMENDED BY THE HOUSE (AMENDMENT #2025-0781h)
AN ACT relative to agreements with the secretary of state for the use of accessible voting systems.
FISCAL IMPACT: This bill does not provide funding, nor does it authorize new positions.
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Estimated State Impact | ||||||
| FY 2025 | FY 2026 | FY 2027 | FY 2028 | ||
Revenue | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | ||
Revenue Fund(s) | None | |||||
Expenditures* | $0 | $1,000,000 to $1,500,000 | $75,000 to $250,000 | $75,000 to $250,000 | ||
Funding Source(s) | Election Fund | |||||
Appropriations* | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | ||
Funding Source(s) | None | |||||
*Expenditure = Cost of bill *Appropriation = Authorized funding to cover cost of bill | ||||||
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Estimated Political Subdivision Impact | ||||||
| FY 2025 | FY 2026 | FY 2027 | FY 2028 | ||
Local Revenue | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | ||
Local Expenditures | $0 | $600 to $2,400 | $600 to $2,400 | $600 to $2,400 | ||
METHODOLOGY:
The Secretary of State indicates this bill would make permanent the sharing of the State’s accessible voting systems (AVS) for use in town, city, or school district elections. RSA 659:20-b requires that any city, town, or school district which has adopted an official ballot system to use an AVS in local elections. The statute includes a pilot program for the State to share AVS with cities, towns, and school districts. This pilot program of sharing AVS is set to expire on June 30, 2025. This bill would change the pilot program end date to December 31, 2025 and make the AVS sharing program permanent thereafter.
The Secretary of State indicates the current AVS system is 10 years old, is difficult to program, and some parts are hard find replacements for. The Department is currently in the process of drafting a Request for Proposals to replace the existing AVS. The new AVS will be easier to program and easier for the voter to use. The Secretary of State estimates the replacement cost will be between $1.2 million and $1.5 million. It is anticipated that the vendor to charge annual maintenance fees and programming fees for state and federal elections. These annual costs are estimated to be $75,000-$250,000.
The Department expects the vendor will charge local election programming fees that the town, city, or school district will pay. In the March 2025 elections, the current AVS vendor charged $600-$800 per ballot design based on the number of pages. If a town had one town election and 2 school elections, the fee would be $600-$800 to the town and another $600-$800 to each school districts for a total local cost of $1800-$2400.
AGENCIES CONTACTED:
Secretary of State