Bill Text: NH CACR2 | 2025 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to the drawing of district boundaries. Providing that no district boundaries shall be drawn in a way that favors or disfavors any political party or candidate.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 6-0)
Status: (Introduced) 2025-01-17 - Introduced 01/08/2025 and referred to Election Law House Journal 2 P. 18 [CACR2 Detail]
Download: New_Hampshire-2025-CACR2-Introduced.html
CACR 2 - AS INTRODUCED
2025 SESSION
25-0288
05/02
CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 2
RELATING TO: the drawing of district boundaries.
PROVIDING THAT: no district boundaries shall be drawn in a way that favors or disfavors any political party or candidate.
SPONSORS: Rep. H. Howard, Straf. 4; Rep. Lane, Merr. 16; Rep. Muirhead, Graf. 12; Rep. Wilhelm, Hills. 21; Rep. Read, Rock. 10; Sen. Watters, Dist 4
COMMITTEE: Election Law
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ANALYSIS
This CACR will prohibit district boundaries from being drawn in a way that favors or disfavors any political party or candidate.
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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Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type
25-0288
05/02
STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE
In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Twenty Five
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION PROPOSING CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT
RELATING TO: the drawing of district boundaries.
PROVIDING THAT: no district boundaries shall be drawn in a way that favors or disfavors any political party or candidate.
Be it Resolved by the House of Representatives, the Senate concurring, that the
Constitution of New Hampshire be amended as follows:
I. That article 11 of the second part of the constitution be amended to read as follows:
[Art.] 11. [Small Towns; Representation by Districts.] When the population of any town or ward, according to the last federal census, is within a reasonable deviation from the ideal population for one or more representative seats, the town or ward shall have its own district of one or more representative seats. The apportionment shall not deny any other town or ward membership in one non-floterial representative district. When any town, ward, or unincorporated place has fewer than the number of inhabitants necessary to entitle it to one representative, the legislature shall form those towns, wards, or unincorporated places into representative districts which contain a sufficient number of inhabitants to entitle each district so formed to one or more representatives for the entire district. In forming the districts, the boundaries of towns, wards, and unincorporated places shall be preserved and contiguous. The excess number of inhabitants of district may be added to the excess number of inhabitants of other districts to form at-large or floterial districts conforming to acceptable deviations. The legislature shall form the representative districts at the regular session following every decennial federal census. No redistricting plan or individual district boundary shall be drawn in a way that favors or disfavors any political party or candidate. Voting records and information on party affiliation of voters, candidates or residency of incumbents, and any proxy measures of this data, shall not be used in creating redistricting plans or drawing individual district boundaries.
II. That the above amendment proposed to the constitution be submitted to the qualified voters of the state at the state general election to be held in November, 2026.
III. That the selectmen of all towns, cities, wards and places in the state are directed to insert in their warrants for the said 2026 election an article to the following effect: To decide whether the amendments of the constitution proposed by the 2025 session of the general court shall be approved.
IV. That the wording of the question put to the qualified voters shall be:
“Are you in favor of amending article 11 of the second part of the constitution to read as follows:
[Art.] 11. [Small Towns; Representation by Districts.] When the population of any town or ward, according to the last federal census, is within a reasonable deviation from the ideal population for one or more representative seats, the town or ward shall have its own district of one or more representative seats. The apportionment shall not deny any other town or ward membership in one non-floterial representative district. When any town, ward, or unincorporated place has fewer than the number of inhabitants necessary to entitle it to one representative, the legislature shall form those towns, wards, or unincorporated places into representative districts which contain a sufficient number of inhabitants to entitle each district so formed to one or more representatives for the entire district. In forming the districts, the boundaries of towns, wards, and unincorporated places shall be preserved and contiguous. The excess number of inhabitants of district may be added to the excess number of inhabitants of other districts to form at-large or floterial districts conforming to acceptable deviations. The legislature shall form the representative districts at the regular session following every decennial federal census. No redistricting plan or individual district boundary shall be drawn in a way that favors or disfavors any political party or candidate. Voting records and information on party affiliation of voters, candidates or residency of incumbents, and any proxy measures of this data, shall not be used in creating redistricting plans or drawing individual district boundaries.”
V. That the secretary of state shall print the question to be submitted on a separate ballot with other constitutional questions or on the official ballot. The ballot containing the question shall include 2 ovals next to the question allowing the voter to vote “Yes” or “No.” If no oval is marked, the ballot shall not be counted on the question. The outside of the ballot shall be the same as the regular official ballot except that the words “Questions Relating to Constitutional Amendments proposed by the 2025 General Court” shall be printed in bold type at the top of the ballot.
VI. That if the proposed amendment is approved by 2/3 of those voting on the amendment, it becomes effective when the governor proclaims its adoption.
VII. Voters' Guide.
AT THE PRESENT TIME, the constitution does not address the redistricting process.
IF THE AMENDMENT IS ADOPTED, the constitution will prohibit a redistricting plan or individual district boundary from being drawn in a way that favors or disfavors any political party or candidate.
