[{"_1":2,"_124":-5,"_125":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100,112],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6579411,"mediaKeyId","3086621-0871d15af4d09f0688642b0d89a2532f","parentId",3086621,"title","Bill Would Require Additional Polling Places in Large Municipalities; Clerks, Municipal Association Oppose Mandatory Rule","audioSeconds",2640,"startMs",4920000,"endMs",7560000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3086621-0871d15af4d09f0688642b0d89a2532f&start=4920&end=7560","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3086621-0871d15af4d09f0688642b0d89a2532f/thumbnail_4920000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6579411/New-Hampshire/Bill-Would-Require-Additional-Polling-Places-in-Large-Municipalities-Clerks-Municipal-Association-Oppose-Mandatory-Rule","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6579411-dd94812b137a085cdbae37d9efba99dd/orig.mp4?Expires=1771141224&Signature=LAxM1DjKN5BP9e69CGxG1z1YKfO7BsgpT4CAvU5ZCUagFt8p~vtV35D5wKqiHM3foQxB1PXq2DzKWu2BVx1ekWDWdJHv4G3fgH0TtyThiWZ2mUJT4s5nt7bKUyJQT1AZHKUHpYStCd9uzTWkkWB0doMe1BgJ27FIcE6D5HxxxSVNWhLqzlT4eeDm91sr8GSG4N5mFdGXz8uK3AACkAk7DRniksEwbebEkpmGLu5U-59FwxzHz2UiMhOA0pBrUh1NV1NOxIHpkrS36TpSnidm4O4qaKu~-kwbcxBMrgSBNWAgQmyIoCnPZjkwn3fHrBl1lg4sw~LDtf4zzT5tQPUwrw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","New Hampshire Legislature","date","2025-04-22T19:36:41.263Z","article","Senate Bill 103, as amended in the Senate, would require one polling place for every 15,000 registered voters in presidential-election years unless the secretary of state grants an exemption. The House Election Law Committee heard competing testimony on whether that kind of state-mandated minimum would improve voter access or create impractical burdens for towns and counties.

Senator Murphy, sponsor of SB 103, said the proposal responded to last year's long lines in at least one municipality. \"More polling places would equal less of a wait, and the last thing we want to do is deter people from voting,\" Murphy said. The bill applies only to presidential-election years and includes an exemption process and criteria for the secretary of state.

Town officials and the New Hampshire Municipal Association (NHMA) urged the committee to preserve local control. Dan Healy of Derry said multiple polling locations in his town still funnel traffic to the same congested corridors and that schools and community facilities that could be used as polling places lack parking. Tina Guilford, Derry town clerk, said the town's move to a single large polling site at Pinkerton Academy gave staff more room and parking and that additional polling places are not always a workable solution.

The NHMA and municipal witnesses warned of extra staffing, rental and logistics costs. Sarah Burke Cohen of NHMA told the panel the association's fiscal estimate placed additional costs in a broad bucket and that impacts vary widely by community; she said municipalities understand local traffic, parking and polling needs.

Deputy Secretary Erin Hennessy said the secretary's office receives complaints about long waits and works with moderators and clerks to reallocate resources and set up contingency ballot boxes when lines are excessive. She urged that any statutory changes be coordinated with the election procedure manual and that notice provisions be considered for voters when polling places change.

Committee members discussed possible amendments to provide transition time and plan requirements for communities that would fall under the threshold. The committee closed the public hearing after receiving extensive written input and will consider amendments and fiscal information before acting.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","House Election Law (04/22/2025)","oneSentenceSummary","Senate Bill 103, as amended in the Senate, would require one polling place for every 15,000 registered voters in presidential-election years unless the secretary of state grants an exemption.","taxTitle","Public Works and Highways, House of Representatives, Committees\t, Legislative, New Hampshire","taxId",17759,"location","New Hampshire","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6579416,"Committee Hears Support for Allowing Preprocessing of Absentee Ballots and Removing Outer Envelope for Hand-Delivered Ballots",910,2520000,3430000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3086621-0871d15af4d09f0688642b0d89a2532f&start=2520&end=3430","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3086621-0871d15af4d09f0688642b0d89a2532f/thumbnail_2520000.jpg","/articles/6579416/New-Hampshire/Committee-Hears-Support-for-Allowing-Preprocessing-of-Absentee-Ballots-and-Removing-Outer-Envelope-for-Hand-Delivered-Ballots","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6579416-7ee968c8541143d22c84b9fcf778edc2/orig.mp4?Expires=1771141224&Signature=bwLapJOsct29~57J6RR1DXAO8Rbo3nvobG0cfZPfYB6VHf-uYuT14yg2l2PhKwOuhCdbSnUvSLqtcuB~pwtQM5~EpVs7aum3tSGRWvG16srr6JXa75PYozW-aXGfAxtR0gMgKL3-V0veV4zEwrBvYcF0kVn7QFXEOQ2d8nHxLMkheeT65GZT6YPJvpMIfehPxSk-4IuYrBTbgNBmo7btos4R4fHQHlKATuNlRIZgc~Z0ctrOrCJZ-OYppkoVLO73rdwuB1e9ae1sPtcgQnWz3UBoa9rGJsVyFeE-k2iMtjtLH6pCXfVI~xn4NFf1ltsh18irESXFHOGY-jSNn7QCWA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Supporters of Senate Bill 218 told the House Election Law Committee that allowing municipalities to pre-process absentee ballots — opening outer envelopes to verify signatures in the days before Election Day — would speed election day operations and allow clerks to notify voters of defects so ballots could be cured.

Kaylee Estradio of Open Democracy told the committee that pre-processing ‘‘saved time on election day and allowed voters time to cure their ballots’’ when it was done in 2020. She said clerks and moderators supported the change in prior elections.

Senator James Gray, sponsor of SB 218, said the bill would allow moderators or their designee to open absentee ballot outer envelopes during the four days before an election with public notice of time and place. He said the stated purpose was to allow signature or envelope errors to be corrected before election day and to reduce delays on Election Day.

Moderators and municipal clerks who testified, including Tina Guilford (Derry town clerk), described the logistical benefits and concerns. Guilford said Derry had tried several polling configurations over successive elections; removing the outer envelope for ballots hand-delivered to clerks would make it easier to cure envelope problems for those voters.

Opponents were few at the hearing; the New Hampshire Municipal Association and town clerks provided operational details. Deputy Secretary Hennessy told the committee the secretary’s office supported measures that aid clerks and reduce long lines but urged coordination so that statutory and manual procedures were clear.

The committee closed the public hearing on SB 218 after receiving written and online comments and recessed. No formal committee vote was taken at the session.","Supporters including town clerks and voting-rights groups told the committee Senate Bill 218 would let clerks open absentee outer envelopes before Election Day to verify signatures and give voters a chance to cure mistakes, and remove outer envelopes for ballots hand-delivered to clerks.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6579421,"Committee Hears Broad Opposition to Proposal Requiring ID and Notarization for Absentee Ballots",3600,14520000,18120000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3086621-0871d15af4d09f0688642b0d89a2532f&start=14520&end=18120","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3086621-0871d15af4d09f0688642b0d89a2532f/thumbnail_14520000.jpg","/articles/6579421/New-Hampshire/Committee-Hears-Broad-Opposition-to-Proposal-Requiring-ID-and-Notarization-for-Absentee-Ballots","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6579421-7661fe0636d5d106d764907a273b0d03/orig.mp4?Expires=1771141224&Signature=kfIaBfDnEosgdRE3gXzvIORJ88949Imnt7OMeMktyEgaSK8WcVgLBZj9ewUKNZ0dYcQ8aV4zk2GB2IP2cUor7R~PafArzT0iVKT9~2HGrs~cOxv6oz9yo0UzxLoJg5hbTyph48t0~9kx30tZ29EtA34~30oJ7ML7xbht0R0uUlg-TwJBJk7VHs7r7TgJdRifpAIN~DP7WvF4Hd7~ObCJS6wCHrrcA1MiSdi3QxugK7~swAZ0WjVViGxz5CffqmgMlgGYeg0CrobxtHZWfeltN34KA4UU3eVB~lBez8uCZRQX8zU6bhibOwA7e4mVkaImbJnBLZgwKuhL1L959slTIA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The House Election Law Committee heard more than three hours of testimony on Senate Bill 213 on Tuesday, with dozens of witnesses urging the panel to oppose the measure that would require extra documentation and notarization for voters who register or request absentee ballots.

Deputy Secretary of State Erin Hennessy told the committee the secretary’s office and municipal clerks already manage verification and that many of the bill’s new requirements would be difficult to implement for voters who cannot easily leave home.

\"The requirement to scan, print and send documents creates serious barriers, particularly for voters with disabilities or limited access to technology,\" said Sarah Chouinard, voting rights program manager for the New Hampshire Campaign for Voting Rights. \"Requiring notarization is simply not feasible for many voters who are homebound.\"

Representatives of the Disability Rights Center and ABLE New Hampshire testified that the bill would conflict with federal accessibility obligations created after litigation in 2020 that produced accessible absentee procedures. James Ziegra, an attorney with Disability Rights Center, said the existing digital-access process for voters with print disabilities would be undermined if notarization were required.

AARP New Hampshire and county leaders told the committee that nursing-home residents and people in county correctional facilities often lack ready access to birth certificates, passports or photo IDs and that county budgets would pick up the cost if staff had to obtain documents or pay notaries. Kate Horgan of the New Hampshire Association of Counties said county facilities often help facilitate absentee voting now and that additional costs would fall on counties.

Open Democracy’s Kaylee Estradio said the proposal would disproportionately affect younger voters, voters of color and the many people who change names after marriage. \"Requiring a notarized signature is unduly burdensome,\" she said. \"It will work to impose burdens on the most vulnerable in our communities, whom mail voting is intended to aid the most.\"

Several witnesses cited past litigation. Attorneys pointed the committee to the U.S. District Court litigation that struck down routine signature-matching practices in New Hampshire because untrained election workers can misapply signature-comparison standards.

Curtis Register, a Durham resident and military veteran, urged lawmakers not to add obstacles he said he would have faced while voting overseas. \"I did not have to produce any additional proof of citizenship to buy a firearm,\" he said, contrasting other identity checks with the additional burdens in the bill.

Supporters of tighter documentation did not have a large presence at the hearing. The committee closed the public hearing after receiving hundreds of written and online submissions. Several members indicated to staff they wanted further study before taking any vote.

The committee did not take a vote on SB 213 at the hearing and recessed for additional work. Committee members said they would consider fiscal impacts, compliance with federal disability agreements and the operational burden on municipal clerks when deciding how to proceed.","Witnesses including disability advocates, county officials and voting-rights groups told the House Election Law Committee that Senate Bill 213 would create burdensome, unnecessary hurdles for absentee and first-time registrants and risk disenfranchising older, rural and disabled voters.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6579402,"Committee Adopts Amendment and Votes Unanimously to Advance Technical Fix Replacing \"votes\" with \"ballots\" in Recount Laws",11653,1307000,12960000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3086621-0871d15af4d09f0688642b0d89a2532f&start=1307&end=12960","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3086621-0871d15af4d09f0688642b0d89a2532f/thumbnail_1307000.jpg","/articles/6579402/New-Hampshire/Committee-Adopts-Amendment-and-Votes-Unanimously-to-Advance-Technical-Fix-Replacing-votes-with-ballots-in-Recount-Laws","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6579402-af5beb3172da9a2616d5b25129b48000/orig.mp4?Expires=1771141224&Signature=FSCpFR752osYC9Szph81WbW85kuKaz2Of7vceHknYwB15nnGttUBuhm372Wxo8rJkX7CQlP9-gaZPXYls7k0MARD6lqHQgqF7ZBwhl7h5facDhYH2yf8nFjLQgS5lYwNdEwjEvRhCRsCDgANLPtB2AbF9XJbuHqG0GAhK0afefPXlDCyWnfm5bXM~G3TtGP52kT6ILULhpU5qTWbjaCtdYrKPie4vZyBqZRG1IEXGZlsFpVigUEH0QM-pzrcGFHQFT9NuEIj3bNBz0DYqVSE3vJq8CHJsP70XViTbV37Cko0XCcxLC5t5NVTGzQQ9mxTksLVU2uNeaiSqP7Gj0NY5Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The committee advanced Senate Bill 212, a technical fix that replaces ambiguous references to \"votes\" with the clearer term \"ballots cast\" in several election statutes, after adopting a clarifying amendment and recording a unanimous committee vote.

Senator David Rochefort introduced the bill on behalf of the secretary of state's office. \"This was requested by the secretary of state's office,\" he said during the hearing. Deputy Secretary Erin Hennessy explained that \"ballots cast\" — the number of physical ballots — provides a consistent denominator for recount eligibility and fee calculations, particularly in multi-seat races where the term \"votes\" can be ambiguous.

Hennessy told the committee she had identified about 15 sections in need of revised language and offered to work with the committee if members found additional places to update. During executive session the committee adopted a drafting amendment that tightened an awkward phrasing and then moved the bill to the next stage. The motion that the bill \"ought to pass as amended\" carried on a recorded vote of 15 to 0, and the chair placed the bill on the consent calendar.

No policy dispute arose in the hearing; members noted the change was technical and recommended coordination with the secretary's office and the Office of Legislative Services for any further edits.","Deputy Secretary of State Erin Hennessy told the committee SB 212 aligns statutory language with the secretary of state's usage by changing references from 'votes' to 'ballots cast' in recount- and selection-related statutes. The committee adopted a clarifying amendment and voted 15-0 to report the bill ought to pass as amended.",{"_33":113,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":114,"_41":115,"_43":116,"_45":117,"_47":118,"_49":119,"_51":120,"_53":121,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":122,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":123,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6579407,"Committee Approves Bill Requiring Municipalities to Post Election Return Forms; Motion Passes Unanimously",360,11520000,11880000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3086621-0871d15af4d09f0688642b0d89a2532f&start=11520&end=11880","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3086621-0871d15af4d09f0688642b0d89a2532f/thumbnail_11520000.jpg","/articles/6579407/New-Hampshire/Committee-Approves-Bill-Requiring-Municipalities-to-Post-Election-Return-Forms-Motion-Passes-Unanimously","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6579407-77ae63da82a85888c0b6ee1beae45c4b/orig.mp4?Expires=1771141224&Signature=lGcMX316UHyWmTi4woa1WxbXc71PfZChCBn8wvRYlaxQrx2lDfNmHMyyx4e3oJ0WPOH3cNPhTvAEPHA6kPEq1ZO8a~Je1gSIGs1RSC2T2EPUCcdNwME0ZsqMrXnNqnQg70MxGFNsedDeNbwacwlGDc06a8K3G--6r4yv9ZdO91weX8v1bhYX43m3AZaGyDUSX4RDjAEwB5pCtNeZutrgiUgIEedAcP~pAcKeOBPrGLGwrKZ7QksaU6HOGp6Kpos6Ioip1hHf1AEeBLPy7yKpy1z46Ad6gEucaUmgd4zYFUdSCkohuwA2jpF7jtMKb~~Qw~4ky6PZgBKhiMXi~DcclQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The House Election Law Committee moved Senate Bill 16 to the next stage by unanimous roll-call vote following executive session.

Sponsor Senator James Gray told the committee SB 16 responded to municipal backlogs in getting final vote totals posted online. \"One of the towns in my district had difficulty getting final votes up on the website because of workload,\" Gray said during the public hearing. The bill would require municipalities to post copies of election-return forms on their websites and in public locations.

After public testimony and written submissions, the committee reconvened and entered executive session. A motion that SB 16 \"ought to pass\" was moved and seconded, and the committee recorded a vote of 14 to 0 in favor. Committee members then placed the bill on the consent calendar.

The committee did not debate amendments on the floor; the sponsor and members said they would circulate the committee report per routine practice.","In executive session the Election Law Committee voted unanimously to report Senate Bill 16 as \"ought to pass.\" The bill would require municipalities to post copies of election-return forms on municipal websites and in public locations, according to the sponsor's introduction and online testimony tallies.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Bill Would Require Additional Polling Places in Large Municipalities; Clerks, Municipal Association Oppose Mandatory Rule

Committee Hears Support for Allowing Preprocessing of Absentee Ballots and Removing Outer Envelope for Hand-Delivered Ballots

Committee Hears Broad Opposition to Proposal Requiring ID and Notarization for Absentee Ballots

Committee Adopts Amendment and Votes Unanimously to Advance Technical Fix Replacing "votes" with "ballots" in Recount Laws

Committee Approves Bill Requiring Municipalities to Post Election Return Forms; Motion Passes Unanimously