CHAPTER 271

HB 154 - FINAL VERSION

05/08/2025 1828s

26Jun2025... 2768CofC

2025 SESSION

25-0558

08/09

HOUSE BILL 154

AN ACT enabling voters to request to have their ballots hand-counted.

SPONSORS: Rep. See, Merr. 26; Rep. Wherry, Hills. 13; Rep. Wood, Merr. 13; Rep. Cambrils, Merr. 4; Rep. Devoid, Merr. 1

COMMITTEE: Election Law

─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

ANALYSIS

This bill enables voters to request to have their ballots hand-counted.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

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Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.

05/08/2025 1828s

26Jun2025... 2768CofC 25-0558

08/09

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Twenty Five

AN ACT enabling voters to request to have their ballots hand-counted.

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

271:1 New Paragraph; Right to Have Ballot Hand-Counted. Amend RSA 656:42 by inserting after paragraph XI the following new paragraph:

XII. Any voter may request to have his or her ballot hand-counted and the voter shall be instructed to hand the ballot to the election official manning the ballot machine, who shall place the ballot in the auxiliary compartment of the ballot counting device to be hand-counted by election officials after the close of the polls.

271:2 Effective Date. This act shall take effect 60 days after its passage.

Approved: August 01, 2025

Effective Date: September 30, 2025