HB140: relative to voter checklist verification.

HB 140-FN-LOCAL - AS INTRODUCED

2003 SESSION

03-0142

03/09

HOUSE BILL 140-FN-LOCAL

AN ACT relative to voter checklist verification.

SPONSORS: Rep. M. Cooney, Graf 15; Rep. Lockwood, Merr 35; Rep. Naro, Graf 15

COMMITTEE: Election Law

ANALYSIS

This bill requires the verification of voter checklists every 4 years. This bill also eliminates the requirement that supervisors of the checklist send notice to persons prior to removing their names during such verification.

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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Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.

03-0142

03/09

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Three

AN ACT relative to voter checklist verification.

Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:

1 Periodic Maintenance and Verification of Checklists; Verification Every 4 Years. Amend RSA 654:39 to read as follows:

654:39 Verification Every [10] 4 Years.

I. In addition to any verification carried out under the provisions of RSA 654:38, the supervisors shall verify the checklist in [1981] 2001 and once every [10] 4 years thereafter.

II. Between April 1 and August 1 of [1981] 2001 and thereafter in each year [ending with a one] following a year in which a presidential election is held, the supervisors shall advertise and post notice of their sessions at least twice in a newspaper of general circulation and at the office of the town or city clerk or at the town hall and hold sufficient sessions for verification of the checklist as in their opinion will enable all eligible voters in said town or ward to appear before them and register or reregister as the case may be. Whenever a person is reregistered, his or her party designation, if any, on the checklist undergoing revision shall not be changed except as provided in RSA 654:34.

III. Beginning June 1 of such year, the supervisors shall review the checklist and shall strike therefrom the names of all persons who have not registered or reregistered under [paragraphs I and] paragraph IV[; provided, that there shall not be stricken from said checklist the name of any person duly qualified to vote unless such person, not less than 30 days prior to such action, shall have been sent notice by the supervisors at his last known address of his failure to reregister stating the procedure to be followed in order to reregister and have his name retained on said checklist nor unless such person shall have been given a reasonable opportunity to follow said procedure].

IV. For the purpose of this section, a person shall be deemed reregistered and need not appear before the supervisors if:

(a) The person voted in either of the 2 previous state general elections immediately preceding a [10-year] 4-year verification; or

(b) The person voted in the annual town election in the year of a [10-year] 4-year verification or, if in a city, the most recent regular city election held prior to the verification.

V. Upon completion of verification of the checklist, but in no event later than September 1, the supervisors shall file with the secretary of state the following certificate: We, the supervisors of the checklist (or registrars of voters) of the town (or ward _) of , do hereby certify that we have verified the checklist of registered voters in the town (or ward _ of the city) of _, pursuant to the provisions of RSA 654:39.

VI. In verifying the checklist in accordance with this section, the provisions of RSA 654:38, IV and V shall apply.

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

LBAO

03-0142

1/3/03

HB 140-FN-LOCAL - FISCAL NOTE

AN ACT relative to voter checklist verifications.

FISCAL IMPACT:

The New Hampshire Municipal Association states this bill will increase local expenditures by an indeterminable amount in FY 2003 and each year thereafter. There will be no fiscal impact on state, county, and local revenue or state and county expenditures.

METHODOLOGY:

The Association states requiring a checklist verification every four years rather than every ten years would likely entail additional costs to municipalities, depending on how many changes would have to be made with a four year verification process. A municipality would also incur reduced costs under this bill as it would not be required to mail notices to those persons proposed to be stricken from the list. There would be more time involved with re-registering people who had been stricken without notice, although most likely these people would discover they were not on the checklist when they went to vote and would register with the supervisors who would be at the polling place anyway.

The Department of State states this bill will have no fiscal impact on their department.