Bill Text: NH SB103 | 2025 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Relative to the number of polling stations that are available for certain towns.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 6-0)
Status: (Introduced) 2025-01-22 - Introduced 01/09/2025 and Referred to Election Law and Municipal Affairs; Senate Journal 3 [SB103 Detail]
Download: New_Hampshire-2025-SB103-Introduced.html
SB 103-FN-LOCAL - AS INTRODUCED
2025 SESSION
25-0557
08/09
SENATE BILL 103-FN-LOCAL
AN ACT relative to the number of polling stations that are available for certain towns.
SPONSORS: Sen. Murphy, Dist 16; Sen. Lang, Dist 2; Sen. Gray, Dist 6; Rep. Osborne, Rock. 2; Rep. Berry, Hills. 44; Rep. Pauer, Hills. 36
COMMITTEE: Election Law and Municipal Affairs
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ANALYSIS
This bill requires towns and cities to have at least one polling place per every 20,000 registered voters unless the town or city has received approval from the secretary of state for fewer locations.
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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Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.
25-0557
08/09
STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE
In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Twenty Five
AN ACT relative to the number of polling stations that are available for certain towns.
Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:
1 New Section; Presidential Elections. Amend RSA 658 by inserting after section 11 the following new section:
658:11-a Additional Polling Places; Presidential Elections. For general elections in which the office of president of the United States is decided, a town or city shall have a minimum of one polling place for every 20,000 registered voters appearing on the checklist as of January 1, 2026, unless a plan to accommodate more than 20,000 registered voters with one location has been submitted to and approved by the secretary of state.
2 Effective Date. This act shall take effect 60 days after its passage.
25-0557
1/16/25
SB 103-FN-LOCAL- FISCAL NOTE
AS INTRODUCED
AN ACT relative to the number of polling stations that are available for certain towns.
FISCAL IMPACT:
| ||||
Estimated Political Subdivision Impact | ||||
| FY 2025 | FY 2026 | FY 2027 | FY 2028 |
County Revenue | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
County Expenditures | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Local Revenue | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Local Expenditures | $0 | $0 | $0 | Indeterminable Increase more than $10,000 to $100,000 less |
METHODOLOGY:
This bill requires towns and cities to have at least one polling place per every 20,000 registered voters unless the town or city has received approval from the Secretary of State for fewer locations.
According to the New Hampshire Municipal Association (NHMA), data from the Secretary of State for the 2024 general election shows that the following communities had more than 20,000 registered voters: Concord, Derry, Dover, Hudson, Keene, Manchester, Merrimack, Nashua, Portsmouth, Rochester, and Salem. Londonderry had over 19,000 registered voters and could exceed 20,000 in the future. For any municipality unable to obtain approval from the Secretary of State for fewer polling locations, local expenditures are anticipated to range from $10,000 to $100,000 less, depending on the costs associated with setting up and staffing additional locations.
The Department of State indicates this bill will have no impact on the Secretary of State.
AGENCIES CONTACTED:
Department of State and New Hampshire Municipal Association
