SB36: eliminating straight ticket voting.

CHAPTER 1

SB 36 – FINAL VERSION

2007 SESSION

07-0350

03/01

SENATE BILL 36

AN ACT eliminating straight ticket voting.

SPONSORS: Sen. Burling, Dist 5; Sen. Barnes, Dist 17; Sen. Cilley, Dist 6; Sen. Reynolds, Dist 2; Sen. Gottesman, Dist 12; Sen. Foster, Dist 13; Sen. Estabrook, Dist 21; Rep. Clemons, Hills 24; Rep. Weed, Ches 3

COMMITTEE: Election Law and Internal Affairs

ANALYSIS

This bill eliminates straight ticket voting.

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Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.

07-0350

03/01

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Seven

AN ACT eliminating straight ticket voting.

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

1:1 Marking the Ballot; Instructions to Voters. Amend RSA 659:17 to read as follows:

659:17 Marking the Ballot; Instructions to Voters. The secretary of state shall provide on the top of the general election ballot the following voting instructions. The secretary of state is authorized to replace the phrase “Make the appropriate mark” with an appropriate description and example of the mark to be made for the type of ballot in use, such as “Make a cross (X) in the box,” “Completely fill in the oval,” or “Complete the arrow”:

1) To Vote

Make the appropriate mark to the right of your choice. For each office vote for not more than the number of candidates stated in the sentence: “Vote for not more than _.” If you vote for more than the stated number of candidates, your vote for that office will not be counted.

2) [To Vote a Straight Ticket

To vote for all candidates running in the same political party (straight ticket), make the appropriate mark to the right of the party name in the straight ticket section of the ballot. You may vote a straight ticket and also vote for individual candidates from any party. If you vote for an individual candidate, the straight ticket vote for only that office is canceled. If more than one candidate is to be elected for an office, you must mark each of your choices for that office. If you vote a straight ticket and do not make the appropriate mark to the right of any candidate for an office, your straight ticket vote will count for that office.

3)] To Vote by Write-In

To vote for a person whose name is not printed on the ballot, write in the name of the person in the “write-in” space. Make the appropriate mark to the right of your choice.

1:2 Repeal. The following are repealed:

I. RSA 656:10, relative to straight ticket voting.

II. RSA 656:11, relative to party emblem.

III. RSA 659:66, relative to counting straight party votes.

1:3 Effective Date. This act shall take effect 60 days after its passage.

Approved Date: April 16, 2007

Effective Date: June 15, 2007