HB1064: requiring the use of hand-marked, durable paper ballots in elections.

HB 1064-FN - AS INTRODUCED

2022 SESSION

22-2018

11/08

HOUSE BILL 1064-FN

AN ACT requiring the use of hand-marked, durable paper ballots in elections.

SPONSORS: Rep. Alliegro, Graf. 7; Rep. Silber, Belk. 2; Rep. Kofalt, Hills. 4; Rep. Weyler, Rock. 13; Rep. Hough, Belk. 3; Rep. Bernardy, Rock. 16; Rep. Littlefield, Belk. 3; Rep. Greeson, Graf. 16; Sen. Giuda, Dist 2; Sen. Reagan, Dist 17

COMMITTEE: Election Law

ANALYSIS

This bill requires the use of hand-marked, durable paper ballots in all elections, and prohibits the use of computers, scanners, or other electronic devices to count and tally such ballots.

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Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.

22-2018

11/08

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Twenty Two

AN ACT requiring the use of hand-marked, durable paper ballots in elections.

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

1 Voting Materials; General Provisions; Paper Ballots. Amend RSA 656:1-a to read as follows:

656:1-a Paper Ballots. [For purposes of facilitating the examination and recounting of votes cast, all elections shall be conducted using paper ballots in accordance with this title.] Notwithstanding any existing statutes, regulations, or practices, all elections in New Hampshire shall be conducted using hand-marked, durable paper ballots, and said ballots shall be hand-counted and tallied without use of electronic ballot counting devices.

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

LBA

22-2018

Revised 11/9/21

HB 1064-FN- FISCAL NOTE

AS INTRODUCED

AN ACT requiring the use of hand-marked, durable paper ballots in elections.

FISCAL IMPACT: [ ] State [ ] County [ X ] Local [ ] None

Estimated Increase / (Decrease)

LOCAL:

FY 2022

FY 2023

FY 2024

FY 2025

Revenue

$0

$0

$0

$0

Expenditures

Indeterminable

Indeterminable

Indeterminable

Indeterminable

METHODOLOGY:

This bill would require all ballots used in state and local elections to be counted by and tallied without the use of electronic ballot-counting devices. Under this bill towns and wards that are using ballot-counting devices would be required to count all ballots by hand. This requirement would have an increase in the number of election-day workers and in the number of hours they must work and a decrease in maintenance cost of ballot-counting devices for municipalities.

The New Hampshire Municipal Association does not have detailed information on how municipalities compensate their election-day workers, but believe most are compensated in some manner, either on an hourly basis or by a stipend. The increase in the number of workers and the hours worked coupled with municipalities no longer having to pay for memory card programming for each election and the potential to avoid maintenance costs for or the purchase of the ballot-counting devices would result in an indeterminable fiscal impact to local expenditures.

The Department of State indicates there would be no impact to State revenues or expenditures.

AGENCIES CONTACTED:

Department of State and New Hampshire Municipal Association