Bill Text: NH HB474 | 2025 | Regular Session | Introduced

New Hampshire House Bill 474

Introduced

Bill Title: Requiring a second witness at the counting of write-in votes.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 4-0)

Status: (Introduced) 2025-01-22 - Public Hearing: 01/28/2025 01:30 pm Legislative Office Building 306-308 [HB474 Detail]

Download: New_Hampshire-2025-HB474-Introduced.html

HB 474 - AS INTRODUCED

2025 SESSION

25-0736

09/08

HOUSE BILL 474

AN ACT requiring a second witness at the counting of write-in votes.

SPONSORS: Rep. Burnham, Straf. 2; Rep. Wood, Merr. 13; Rep. Bailey, Straf. 2; Rep. Wherry, Hills. 13

COMMITTEE: Election Law

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ANALYSIS

This bill requires a second witness who is registered with an opposing party if a moderator uses a ballot counting device's printed or digitally displayed images to count write-in votes in place of examining each ballot to obtain the name of the person who received a write-in vote.

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Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.

25-0736

09/08

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Twenty Five

AN ACT requiring a second witness at the counting of write-in votes.

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

1 Counting of Votes; Counting Write-In Votes. Amend RSA 659:64-a, I to read as follows:

I. In a town or city that uses a ballot counting device approved by the ballot law commission pursuant to RSA 656:40 and which prints or digitally displays an image of all write-in votes as part of the device's report of votes cast, a moderator may use the printed or digitally displayed images to count write-in votes in place of examining each ballot to obtain the name of the person who received a write-in vote. This counting shall take place in the presence of a second witness who is registered with an opposing party.

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