Text to be removed highlighted in red.
I. That the second part of the constitution shall be amended by inserting after article 32 the following new article:
Art. 32-a. Ballot Reconciliation. New Hampshire will adopt the following provisions and penalties for all elections held in this state, regarding ballots, statewide election policies and procedures; polling location limits, poll workers, allowance of registered voters' for post-election ballot viewing, ballot lot and voting documentation viewing, and scanning and recording photographically during citizen audits, and compliance of certain provisions of Presidential Executive Order 14248 (March 25, 2025) "Preserving and Protecting the Integrity of American Elections":
(a) All ballots shall be hand counted;
(b) All ballots shall be serial-numbered;
(c) All ballots shall have a dated, and matching, serial numbered perforated tab, the perforated serial number tab matching the ballot serial number, and including the poll location number, to be retained by and for the voter's receipt of her/his casted ballot;
(d) All ballots, including absentee ballots, shall be reconciled by the moderator
pre-election, during the hand count, and be held in the same fashion during post-election, until the ballot lot retention time has expired;
(e) Municipalities shall not print or copy serial-numbered ballots, the secretary of state shall by this law, be authorized to provide perforated, serial numbered ballots for all registered voters of each municipality;
(f) The secretary of the state shall track all serial-numbered absentee ballots, and paper ballots, pre-election and post-election, and publicly publish his or her findings once per year in non-voting years;
(g) The moderator or clerk shall complete a chain of custody log for all ballots pre-election and post-election; this log will require a dual signature sign off to be kept with the ballots for the required retention period;
(h) All election day sign off signatures shall not be redacted for any reason;
(i) Any unused or voided ballots of each printed, serial numbered and designated lot shall be properly labeled and kept with all other ballots of the same printed, serial numbered and designated lot;
(j) All ballots shall be stored in a twenty-four hour, continuously electronically surveilled, secured, and locked, ballot storage area, accessed by only authorized election officials, or by registered voters accompanied by such authorized officials, beginning the day ending one week after the ballots are counted and declared, and thereafter, but by appointment, post-election;
(k) The election shall end at midnight on election day;
(l) When each poll is closed, ballot counting shall begin, and end only when completely finished, and with immediacy be declared, in the most precise, but speedy manner possible;
(m) All ballots and any election records shall be retained in a secured specified location of the respective city or town for a period of sixty months, including times of recounts, and shall be accessible by appointment upon one week's notice, to registered voters during the retention period while accompanied by a local election official for viewing and /or recording of said records;
(n) All original ballots of each printed, serial numbered and designated lot shall be retained with its printed lot, in whole, pre-election and post-election, and no original copy shall be separated or removed from the room or vault holding its printed, serial numbered and designated lot after counting and being stored, nor shall any original copy be removed from the ballot storage area, room or vault unless publicly memorialized and printed, first by the local government, and then by the secretary of state, during the sixty month retention period;
(o) Any new ballot storage room, vault or facility in any town, city or municipality, and deemed secure and approved by the same, may only be filled with election ballots, ballot lots, documents, or pertaining materials, but shall only be deemed for usage of the next election's ballots, documentation or pertaining materials, after the next subsequent election. And any movement of prior stored election ballot lots, documentation or pertaining materials to a new ballot storage facility shall be memorialized and publicly printed by the local government, and the projected move shall beforehand, be memorialized and publicly printed by the secretary of state;
(p) Any original ballots of each printed, serial numbered and designated lot needed for judicial reasons, shall be done by copying original ballots and other retained election documentation; no originals shall for judicial reasons, be removed from said ballot storage room, vault or ballot storage facility until the sixty month retention date has expired;
(q) All New Hampshire towns and cities, through their moderators and clerks, shall administer any and all elections held in this state with complete honesty and transparency. All moderators and clerks shall attend annual specific training to ensure complete compliance with the statewide election process policies and procedures regarding ballot reconciliations;
(r) Polling locations are limited to 5,000 lawful voters;
(s) Lawful voters from the current checklist shall be chosen at random to be poll workers; and
(t) At least two municipalities from each county, chosen at random by the secretary of state shall be audited after each election by state citizens domiciled from that, or a different intra-state county; or be granted egress from out of state as voter integrity experts, but upon request by a non-refusable notice to the secretary of state by any citizen or citizens of the state of New Hampshire.
II. That the above amendment proposed to the constitution be submitted to the qualified voters of the state at the state general election to be held in November, 2026.
III. That the selectmen of all towns, cities, wards and places in the state are directed to insert in their warrants for the said 2026 election an article to the following effect: To decide whether the amendments of the constitution proposed by the 2026 session of the general court shall be approved.
IV. That the wording of the question put to the qualified voters shall be:
"Are you in favor of amending the second part of the constitution by inserting after article 32 a new article to read as follows:
Art. 32-a. Ballot Reconciliation. New Hampshire will adopt the following provisions and penalties for all elections held in this state, regarding ballots, statewide election policies and procedures; polling location limits, poll workers, allowance of registered voters' for post-election ballot viewing, ballot lot and voting documentation viewing, and scanning and recording photographically during citizen audits, and compliance of certain provisions of Presidential Executive Order 14248 (March 25, 2025) "Preserving and Protecting the Integrity of American Elections":
(a) All ballots shall be hand counted;
(b) All ballots shall be serial-numbered;
(c) All ballots shall have a dated, and matching, serial numbered perforated tab, the perforated serial number tab matching the ballot serial number, and including the poll location number, to be retained by and for the voter's receipt of her/his casted ballot;
(d) All ballots, including absentee ballots, shall be reconciled by the moderator pre-election, during the hand count, and be held in the same fashion during post-election, until the ballot lot retention time has expired;
(e) Municipalities shall not print or copy serial-numbered ballots, the secretary of state shall by this law, be authorized to provide perforated, serial numbered ballots for all registered voters of each municipality;
(f) The secretary of the state shall track all serial-numbered absentee ballots, and paper ballots, pre-election and post-election, and publicly publish his or her findings once per year in non-voting years;
(g) The moderator or clerk shall complete a chain of custody log for all ballots pre-election and post-election; this log will require a dual signature sign off to be kept with the ballots for the required retention period;
(h) All election day sign off signatures shall not be redacted for any reason;
(i) Any unused or voided ballots of each printed, serial numbered and designated lot shall be properly labeled and kept with all other ballots of the same printed, serial numbered and designated lot;
(j) All ballots shall be stored in a twenty-four hour, continuously electronically surveilled, secured, and locked, ballot storage area, accessed by only authorized election officials, or by registered voters accompanied by such authorized officials, beginning the day ending one week after the ballots are counted and declared, and thereafter, but by appointment, post-election;
(k) The election shall end at midnight on election day;
(l) When each poll is closed, ballot counting shall begin, and end only when completely finished, and with immediacy be declared, in the most precise, but speedy manner possible;
(m) All ballots and any election records shall be retained in a secured specified location of the respective city or town for a period of sixty months, including times of recounts, and shall be accessible by appointment upon one week's notice, to registered voters during the retention period while accompanied by a local election official for viewing and /or recording of said records;
(n) All original ballots of each printed, serial numbered and designated lot shall be retained with its printed lot, in whole, pre-election and post-election, and no original copy shall be separated or removed from the room or vault holding its printed, serial numbered and designated lot after counting and being stored, nor shall any original copy be removed from the ballot storage area, room or vault unless publicly memorialized and printed, first by the local government, and then by the secretary of state, during the sixty month retention period;
(o) Any new ballot storage room, vault or facility in any town, city or municipality, and deemed secure and approved by the same, may only be filled with election ballots, ballot lots, documents, or pertaining materials, but shall only be deemed for usage of the next election's ballots, documentation or pertaining materials, after the next subsequent election. And any movement of prior stored election ballot lots, documentation or pertaining materials to a new ballot storage facility shall be memorialized and publicly printed by the local government, and the projected move shall beforehand, be memorialized and publicly printed by the secretary of state;
(p) Any original ballots of each printed, serial numbered and designated lot needed for judicial reasons, shall be done by copying original ballots and other retained election documentation; no originals shall for judicial reasons, be removed from said ballot storage room, vault or ballot storage facility until the sixty month retention date has expired;
(q) All New Hampshire towns and cities, through their moderators and clerks, shall administer any and all elections held in this state with complete honesty and transparency. All moderators and clerks shall attend annual specific training to ensure complete compliance with the statewide election process policies and procedures regarding ballot reconciliations;
(r) Polling locations are limited to 5,000 lawful voters;
(s) Lawful voters from the current checklist shall be chosen at random to be poll
workers; and
(t) At least two municipalities from each county, chosen at random by the secretary of state shall be audited after each election by state citizens domiciled from that, or a different intra-state county; or be granted egress from out of state as voter integrity experts, but upon request by a non-refusable notice to the secretary of state by any citizen or citizens of the state of New Hampshire."
V. That the secretary of state shall print the question to be submitted on a separate ballot with other constitutional questions or on the official ballot. The ballot containing the question shall include 2 ovals next to the question allowing the voter to vote "Yes" or "No." If no oval is marked, the ballot shall not be counted on the question. The outside of the ballot shall be the same as the regular official ballot except that the words "Questions Relating to Constitutional Amendments proposed by the 2026 General Court" shall be printed in bold type at the top of the ballot.
VI. That if the proposed amendment is approved by 2/3 of those voting on the amendment, it becomes effective when the governor proclaims its adoption.
VII. Voters' Guide.
AT THE PRESENT TIME, the provisions governing ballot reconciliation, ballot access, ballot retention, polling location limits, selection of poll workers, allowance of registered voters for post-election ballot viewing, allowance for recording ballot lot and voting documentation during citizen audits and compliance with Presidential Executive Order 14248 (March 25, 2025) are not adopted in the New Hampshire constitution.
IF THE AMENDMENT IS ADOPTED, the provisions governing ballot reconciliation, ballot access, ballot retention, polling location limits, selection of poll workers, allowance of registered voters for post-election ballot viewing, allowance for recording ballot lot and voting documentation during citizen audits and compliance with Presidential Executive Order 14248 (March 25, 2025) will be adopted in the New Hampshire constitution.
Text to be added highlighted in green.
I. That the second part of the constitution shall be amended by inserting after article 32 the following new article:
32-a. New Hampshire will adopt the following provisions and penalties for all elections held in this state, regarding ballots, statewide election policies and procedures; polling location limits, poll workers, allowance of registered voters' for post-election ballot viewing, ballot lot and voting documentation viewing, and scanning and recording photographically during citizen audits, and compliance of certain provisions of Presidential Executive Order 14248 (March 25, 2025) "Preserving and Protecting the Integrity of American Elections":
(a) All ballots shall be hand counted;
(b) All ballots shall be serial-numbered;
(c) All ballots shall have a dated, and matching, serial numbered perforated tab, the perforated serial number tab matching the ballot serial number, and including the poll location number, to be retained by and for the voter's receipt of her/his casted ballot;
(d) All ballots, including absentee ballots, shall be reconciled by the moderator
pre-election, during the hand count, and be held in the same fashion during post-election, until the ballot lot retention time has expired;
(e) Municipalities shall not print or copy serial-numbered ballots, the secretary of state shall by this law, be authorized to provide perforated, serial numbered ballots for all registered voters of each municipality;
(f) The secretary of the state shall track all serial-numbered absentee ballots, and paper ballots, pre-election and post-election, and publicly publish his or her findings once per year in non-voting years;
(g) The moderator or clerk shall complete a chain of custody log for all ballots pre-election and post-election; this log will require a dual signature sign off to be kept with the ballots for the required retention period;
(h) All election day sign off signatures shall not be redacted for any reason;
(i) Any unused or voided ballots of each printed, serial numbered and designated lot shall be properly labeled and kept with all other ballots of the same printed, serial numbered and designated lot;
(j) All ballots shall be stored in a twenty-four hour, continuously electronically surveilled, secured, and locked, ballot storage area, accessed by only authorized election officials, or by registered voters accompanied by such authorized officials, beginning the day ending one week after the ballots are counted and declared, and thereafter, but by appointment, post-election;
(k) The election shall end at midnight on election day;
(l) When each poll is closed, ballot counting shall begin, and end only when completely finished, and with immediacy be declared, in the most precise, but speedy manner possible;
(m) All ballots and any election records shall be retained in a secured specified location of the respective city or town for a period of sixty months, including times of recounts, and shall be accessible by appointment upon one week's notice, to registered voters during the retention period while accompanied by a local election official for viewing and /or recording of said records;
(n) All original ballots of each printed, serial numbered and designated lot shall be retained with its printed lot, in whole, pre-election and post-election, and no original copy shall be separated or removed from the room or vault holding its printed, serial numbered and designated lot after counting and being stored, nor shall any original copy be removed from the ballot storage area, room or vault unless publicly memorialized and printed, first by the local government, and then by the secretary of state, during the sixty month retention period;
(o) Any new ballot storage room, vault or facility in any town, city or municipality, and deemed secure and approved by the same, may only be filled with election ballots, ballot lots, documents, or pertaining materials, but shall only be deemed for usage of the next election's ballots, documentation or pertaining materials, after the next subsequent election. And any movement of prior stored election ballot lots, documentation or pertaining materials to a new ballot storage facility shall be memorialized and publicly printed by the local government, and the projected move shall beforehand, be memorialized and publicly printed by the secretary of state;
(p) Any original ballots of each printed, serial numbered and designated lot needed for judicial reasons, shall be done by copying original ballots and other retained election documentation; no originals shall for judicial reasons, be removed from said ballot storage room, vault or ballot storage facility until the sixty month retention date has expired;
(q) All New Hampshire towns and cities, through their moderators and clerks, shall administer any and all elections held in this state with complete honesty and transparency. All moderators and clerks shall attend annual specific training to ensure complete compliance with the statewide election process policies and procedures regarding ballot reconciliations;
(r) Polling locations are limited to 5,000 lawful voters;
(s) Lawful voters from the current checklist shall be chosen at random to be poll workers; and
(t) At least two municipalities from each county, chosen at random by the secretary of state shall be audited after each election by state citizens domiciled from that, or a different intra-state county; or be granted egress from out of state as voter integrity experts, but upon request by a non-refusable notice to the secretary of state by any citizen or citizens of the state of New Hampshire.
II. That the above amendment proposed to the constitution be submitted to the qualified voters of the state at the state general election to be held in November, 2026.
III. That the selectmen of all towns, cities, wards and places in the state are directed to insert in their warrants for the said 2026 election an article to the following effect: To decide whether the amendments of the constitution proposed by the 2026 session of the general court shall be approved.
IV. That the wording of the question put to the qualified voters shall be:
"Are you in favor of amending the second part of the constitution by inserting after article 32 a new article to read as follows:
32-a. New Hampshire will adopt the following provisions and penalties for all elections held in this state, regarding ballots, statewide election policies and procedures; polling location limits, poll workers, allowance of registered voters' for post-election ballot viewing, ballot lot and voting documentation viewing, and scanning and recording photographically during citizen audits, and compliance of certain provisions of Presidential Executive Order 14248 (March 25, 2025) "Preserving and Protecting the Integrity of American Elections":
(a) All ballots shall be hand counted;
(b) All ballots shall be serial-numbered;
(c) All ballots shall have a dated, and matching, serial numbered perforated tab, the perforated serial number tab matching the ballot serial number, and including the poll location number, to be retained by and for the voter's receipt of her/his casted ballot;
(d) All ballots, including absentee ballots, shall be reconciled by the moderator pre-election, during the hand count, and be held in the same fashion during post-election, until the ballot lot retention time has expired;
(e) Municipalities shall not print or copy serial-numbered ballots, the secretary of state shall by this law, be authorized to provide perforated, serial numbered ballots for all registered voters of each municipality;
(f) The secretary of the state shall track all serial-numbered absentee ballots, and paper ballots, pre-election and post-election, and publicly publish his or her findings once per year in non-voting years;
(g) The moderator or clerk shall complete a chain of custody log for all ballots pre-election and post-election; this log will require a dual signature sign off to be kept with the ballots for the required retention period;
(h) All election day sign off signatures shall not be redacted for any reason;
(i) Any unused or voided ballots of each printed, serial numbered and designated lot shall be properly labeled and kept with all other ballots of the same printed, serial numbered and designated lot;
(j) All ballots shall be stored in a twenty-four hour, continuously electronically surveilled, secured, and locked, ballot storage area, accessed by only authorized election officials, or by registered voters accompanied by such authorized officials, beginning the day ending one week after the ballots are counted and declared, and thereafter, but by appointment, post-election;
(k) The election shall end at midnight on election day;
(l) When each poll is closed, ballot counting shall begin, and end only when completely finished, and with immediacy be declared, in the most precise, but speedy manner possible;
(m) All ballots and any election records shall be retained in a secured specified location of the respective city or town for a period of sixty months, including times of recounts, and shall be accessible by appointment upon one week's notice, to registered voters during the retention period while accompanied by a local election official for viewing and /or recording of said records;
(n) All original ballots of each printed, serial numbered and designated lot shall be retained with its printed lot, in whole, pre-election and post-election, and no original copy shall be separated or removed from the room or vault holding its printed, serial numbered and designated lot after counting and being stored, nor shall any original copy be removed from the ballot storage area, room or vault unless publicly memorialized and printed, first by the local government, and then by the secretary of state, during the sixty month retention period;
(o) Any new ballot storage room, vault or facility in any town, city or municipality, and deemed secure and approved by the same, may only be filled with election ballots, ballot lots, documents, or pertaining materials, but shall only be deemed for usage of the next election's ballots, documentation or pertaining materials, after the next subsequent election. And any movement of prior stored election ballot lots, documentation or pertaining materials to a new ballot storage facility shall be memorialized and publicly printed by the local government, and the projected move shall beforehand, be memorialized and publicly printed by the secretary of state;
(p) Any original ballots of each printed, serial numbered and designated lot needed for judicial reasons, shall be done by copying original ballots and other retained election documentation; no originals shall for judicial reasons, be removed from said ballot storage room, vault or ballot storage facility until the sixty month retention date has expired;
(q) All New Hampshire towns and cities, through their moderators and clerks, shall administer any and all elections held in this state with complete honesty and transparency. All moderators and clerks shall attend annual specific training to ensure complete compliance with the statewide election process policies and procedures regarding ballot reconciliations;
(r) Polling locations are limited to 5,000 lawful voters;
(s) Lawful voters from the current checklist shall be chosen at random to be poll
workers; and
(t) At least two municipalities from each county, chosen at random by the secretary of state shall be audited after each election by state citizens domiciled from that, or a different intra-state county; or be granted egress from out of state as voter integrity experts, but upon request by a non-refusable notice to the secretary of state by any citizen or citizens of the state of New Hampshire."
V. That the secretary of state shall print the question to be submitted on a separate ballot with other constitutional questions or on the official ballot. The ballot containing the question shall include 2 ovals next to the question allowing the voter to vote "Yes" or "No." If no oval is marked, the ballot shall not be counted on the question. The outside of the ballot shall be the same as the regular official ballot except that the words "Questions Relating to Constitutional Amendments proposed by the 2026 General Court" shall be printed in bold type at the top of the ballot.
VI. That if the proposed amendment is approved by 2/3 of those voting on the amendment, it becomes effective when the governor proclaims its adoption.
VII. Voters' Guide.
AT THE PRESENT TIME, the provisions governing ballot reconciliation, ballot access, ballot retention, polling location limits, selection of poll workers, allowance of registered voters for post-election ballot viewing, allowance for recording ballot lot and voting documentation during citizen audits and compliance with Presidential Executive Order 14248 (March 25, 2025) are not adopted in the New Hampshire constitution.
IF THE AMENDMENT IS ADOPTED, the provisions governing ballot reconciliation, ballot access, ballot retention, polling location limits, selection of poll workers, allowance of registered voters for post-election ballot viewing, allowance for recording ballot lot and voting documentation during citizen audits and compliance with Presidential Executive Order 14248 (March 25, 2025) will be adopted in the New Hampshire constitution.