HB 1381 - AS INTRODUCED
2026 SESSION
26-3164
08/09
HOUSE BILL 1381
AN ACT extending the time of the party filing period.
SPONSORS: Rep. Wilhelm, Hills. 21; Rep. Berry, Hills. 44
COMMITTEE: Election Law
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ANALYSIS
This bill allows political organizations to file on behalf of candidates for 10 days following the deadline for filing for an election.
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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Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.
26-3164
08/09
STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE
In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Twenty-Six
AN ACT extending the time of the party filing period.
Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:
1 Candidate Filing. Amend RSA 655:14 to read as follows:
655:14 Filing: General Provisions.
I. The name of any person shall not be printed upon the ballot of any party for a primary unless he or she is a registered member of that party, he or she shall have met the age and domicile qualifications for the office he or she seeks at the time of the general election, he or she meets all the other qualifications at the time of filing, and he or she shall file with the appropriate official between the first Wednesday in June and the Friday of the following week a declaration of candidacy as provided in RSA 655:17.
II. Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, the filing period for political organizations to nominate candidates for state offices shall be extended to include the 10 full business days immediately following the close of the candidate filing period established under paragraph I. During this period, the chairperson of the political organization may file nominations for any office for which no candidate filed during the regular filing period. All filings shall be made with the secretary of state.
2 Effective Date. This act shall take effect 60 days after its passage.
| Date | Body | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Feb. 3, 2026 | House | Hearing |
Jan. 29, 2026: Public Hearing: 02/03/2026 11:20 am GP 158
Dec. 4, 2025: Introduced 01/07/2026 and referred to Election Law