SB232: relative to the date for the state primary election.

SB 232 – AS AMENDED BY THE SENATE

01/25/12 0321s

2012 SESSION

12-2879

03/09

SENATE BILL 232

AN ACT relative to the date for the state primary election.

SPONSORS: Sen. Bradley, Dist 3; Sen. Barnes, Jr., Dist 17; Sen. Lambert, Dist 13; Sen. Boutin, Dist 16; Sen. Stiles, Dist 24; Sen. De Blois, Dist 18; Sen. Luther, Dist 12; Rep. E Smith, Ches 4

COMMITTEE: Public and Municipal Affairs

ANALYSIS

This bill changes the date for the state primary election to the last Tuesday in August.

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Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.

01/25/12 0321s

12-2879

03/09

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Twelve

AN ACT relative to the date for the state primary election.

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

1 State Primary Election. Amend RSA 654:8 to read as follows:

653:8 State Primary Election. The state primary election shall be held on the [second] last Tuesday in [September] August of every even-numbered year.

2 Primary Petitions; Form. Amend RSA 655:21 to read as follows:

655:21 Form. Primary petitions shall be made in the following form:

State of New Hampshire

County of ss.

City (Town) of

I do hereby join in a petition for the printing on the primary ballot of the name of _ whose domicile is in the city (town) of (ward, street, and number, if in a city), in the county of , for the office of _ to be voted for on Tuesday, the _ day of [September] August, _ (year), and certify that I am qualified to vote for a candidate for said office, that I am a registered member of the party, and am not at this time a signer of any other similar petition for any other candidate for the above office; that my domicile is in the city (town) of (ward, street, and number, if in a city), in the county of . I certify that to my knowledge the above-named candidate is not a candidate for incompatible offices as defined in RSA 655:10, and that he or she is not a federal employee which makes him or her ineligible to file as a candidate for this office. I further certify that I believe the above-named person is especially qualified to fill said office.

I hereby swear, under the penalties for voting fraud set forth below, that the information above is true and correct to the best of my knowledge and belief.

Print Voter’s name

Voter’s Signature

In accordance with RSA 659:34, the penalty for knowingly or purposefully providing false information when registering to vote or voting is a class A misdemeanor with a maximum sentence of imprisonment not to exceed one year and a fine not to exceed $2,000. Fraudulently registering to vote or voting is subject to a civil penalty not to exceed $5,000.

3 Nominations; Filing Deadline. Amend RSA 655:14 to read as follows:

655:14 Filing: General Provisions. 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] third Wednesday in [June] May and the Friday of the following week a declaration of candidacy as provided in RSA 655:17.

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