HB735: (New Title) relative to the form of the presidential primary election ballot, relative to administration of official oaths, and relative to assistant election officials.

CHAPTER 331

HB 735 – FINAL VERSION

05/24/07 1673s

27Jun2007… 2163cofc

2007 SESSION

07-1036

03/05

HOUSE BILL 735

AN ACT relative to the form of the presidential primary election ballot, relative to administration of official oaths, and relative to assistant election officials.

SPONSORS: Rep. Harvey, Hills 21

COMMITTEE: Election Law

AMENDED ANALYSIS

This bill:

I. Clarifies the form of the presidential primary election ballot.

II. Modifies who may administer official oaths.

III. Authorizes the appointment of assistant supervisors of the checklist to register voters on election day.

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Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.

05/24/07 1673s

27Jun2007… 2163cofc

07-1036

03/05

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Seven

AN ACT relative to the form of the presidential primary election ballot, relative to administration of official oaths, and relative to assistant election officials.

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

331:1 Presidential Primary Election Ballot; Form of Ballot. Amend RSA 656:31 to read as follows:

656:31 Form. On the presidential primary election ballot of each political party, there shall be one column for the office of president and one for the office of vice-president. The columns shall be headed “Candidate of the (insert name of party) Party for President (or Vice-President) of the United States.” Underneath this heading there shall appear the words: “I hereby declare my preference for candidate for the office of President (or Vice-President) of the United States to be as follows.” Below these words, there shall be printed “(VOTE FOR NOT MORE THAN ONE)” followed by the name, town or city, and state of each candidate with boxes directly to the right. There shall always be one blank space on the ballot below the candidates' names to allow for writing in the name of a candidate. If no one files for the office of vice-president, that office shall not be listed on the ballot.

331:2 Tenure and Oath of Office in Certain Cases; Who May Administer. Amend RSA 92:5 to read as follows:

92:5 Who May Administer. Official oaths may be administered as follows: To the clerk of any court, by any 2 justices thereof, or by any 2 justices of the peace [one of whom shall be of the quorum]; to all military officers above the rank of field officers, and to all other officers appointed by the governor and council, by any 2 members of the council, or by any member of the council with a justice of the peace, or by any 2 justices of the peace [one of whom shall be of the quorum] or by any justice of the peace with any notary public; to all other officers, by any justice of the peace within his or her county; to town officers in town meeting, by the moderator, or at any time by the town clerk, one of the selectmen, or a justice of the peace; to officers of school districts, in school meeting, by the moderator, or at any time by the clerk, one of the school board of the district, or a justice of the peace; and to the moderator of the district, by any legal voter of the district.

331:3 Assistant Election Officials; Appointment. Amend RSA 658:7 to read as follows:

658:7 Appointment. For all state elections, the moderator is authorized to appoint an assistant moderator who shall take the oath of office in the same manner as the moderator. The moderator may also appoint such other election officials as he or she deems necessary and request the town clerk to appoint an assistant town clerk. The assistant moderator, assistant town clerk, and said other election officials shall take the oath of office and perform such duties and have such powers as the moderator may delegate to them, except that the power of making the declaration of the vote cast shall not be delegated to them. The supervisors of the checklist are authorized to appoint assistant supervisors of the checklist who shall be assistant election officials and have the powers of supervisors for the purpose of registering voters on election day. The provisions of this section shall apply only to the appointment of assistant election officials to serve at the central polling place. Appointment of officers to act at additional polling places shall be accomplished as provided in RSA 658:14.

331:4 Gender Neutral. Amend RSA 658:8 to read as follows:

658:8 Term. The term of office of each of the assistant election officials appointed as provided in RSA 658:7 shall expire at the termination of the proceedings at the election for which he or she was appointed.

331:5 Effective Date. This act shall take effect upon its passage.

Approved: July 16, 2007

Effective: July 16, 2007