SB 215 - VERSION ADOPTED BY BOTH BODIES
5Jun2025... 2326h
2025 SESSION
25-1062
07/08
SENATE BILL 215
AN ACT establishing voting procedures for electing town officers in unorganized towns or places.
SPONSORS: Sen. McConkey, Dist 3; Sen. Lang, Dist 2; Sen. Birdsell, Dist 19; Rep. J. Smith, Carr. 5; Rep. Hill, Merr. 2
COMMITTEE: Election Law and Municipal Affairs
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AMENDED ANALYSIS
This bill establishes voting procedures for electing town officers in unorganized towns or places.
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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Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.
5Jun2025... 2326h 25-1062
07/08
STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE
In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Twenty Five
AN ACT establishing voting procedures for electing town officers in unorganized towns or places.
Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:
1 Elections; Unincorporated Places; Establishing Procedures for Voting. RSA 668:6 is repealed and reenacted to read as follows:
668:6 Establishing Procedures for Voting.
I. The secretary of state or designee shall issue a warrant, post the warrant in the manner required for towns by RSA 39:5, give other public notice, appoint a pro tem moderator and clerk from among the registered voters, and oversee the first election of officers for an unorganized town or unincorporated place for the purpose of conducting local, county, state, and federal elections, pursuant to RSA 53:1. This initial election shall be conducted using the unofficial ballot process as set forth in RSA 669:54 through RSA 669:60. The secretary of state shall exercise this authority whenever the number of voters domiciled in an unorganized town or unincorporated place which has not organized for voting pursuant to RSA 53:1, as recorded in the statewide voter registration system, reaches 100 or more voters.
II. The following question shall be included in the warrant for the first meeting and shall be voted on at that meeting:
“Shall (insert name of the unorganized town or unincorporated place), when electing the officers who will conduct future elections, use an official ballot voting process in the same manner as a town as specified in RSA 669:19 through RSA 669:29? A “no” vote is a vote to use the unofficial ballot process in the same manner as a town as specified in RSA 669:54 through RSA 669:60 (nominations from the floor and voting at a meeting).”
III. Notwithstanding RSA 53:1, III, if the secretary of state is unable to appoint pro tem election officers and oversee a local election held at least 90 days prior to a state election due to a lack of suitable qualified volunteers, the secretary may designate a town as the polling place for the upcoming state elections in accordance with RSA 668:2.
IV. The secretary of state may exercise the authority authorized by this section if notified that vacancies in local offices for an unorganized town or unincorporated place result in the town or place being unable to organize and conduct their next election without state assistance.
2 Effective Date. This act shall take effect 60 days after its passage.
| Date | Amendment |
|---|---|
| May 28, 2025 | 2025-2326h |
| Date | Body | Type |
|---|---|---|
| March 4, 2025 | Senate | Hearing |
| Senate | Floor Vote | |
| March 13, 2025 | Senate | Floor Vote |
| April 22, 2025 | House | Hearing |
| April 29, 2025 | House | Exec Session |
| May 27, 2025 | House | Exec Session |
| May 27, 2025 | House | Floor Vote |
June 12, 2025: Sen. Gray Moved to Concur with the House Amendment, MA, VV; 06/12/2025; SJ 16
June 5, 2025: Ought to Pass with Amendment 2025-2326h: MA VV 06/05/2025 HJ 16
June 5, 2025: Amendment # 2025-2326h (NT): AA VV 06/05/2025 HJ 16
May 28, 2025: Committee Report: Ought to Pass with Amendment # 2025-2326h (NT) 05/27/2025 (Vote 17-0; CC) HC 27 P. 10
May 14, 2025: Executive Session: 05/27/2025 10:00 am LOB 306-308
April 8, 2025: ==CANCELLED== Executive Session: 04/29/2025 10:00 am LOB 306-308
April 8, 2025: Public Hearing: 04/22/2025 01:40 pm LOB 306-308
March 28, 2025: Introduced (in recess of) 03/27/2025 and referred to Election Law HJ 11 P. 113
March 13, 2025: Ought to Pass: MA, VV; OT3rdg; 03/13/2025; SJ 7
March 7, 2025: Committee Report: Ought to Pass, 03/13/2025; Vote 5-0; CC; SC 12
March 5, 2025: Committee Report: Ought to Pass; Vote 5-0; CC SC 12
Feb. 18, 2025: Hearing: 03/04/2025, Room 103, LOB, 09:30 am; SC 11
Jan. 23, 2025: Introduced 01/09/2025 and Referred to Election Law and Municipal Affairs; SJ 3