Committee Summary for Senate Election Law and Municipal Affairs (04/29/2025)

Gray, James(Chairman)(R)[B-]2025	Lang, Timothy(V Chairman)(R)[B-]2025	Perkins Kwoka, Rebecca(D)[F]2025
Rochefort, David(R)[B-]2025	Long, Pat(D)[F]2025

Bill/Time	Type	Title	Sponsor
HB151 00:05:24.759 - 8:19:05 AM	Public Hearing	relative to the term for supervisors of the checklist.	Berezhny, Lex(R)[A+]2025
HB138 00:10:18.640 - 8:23:59 AM	Executive Session	relative to tax impact notation on warrant articles with multi-year tax impacts.	Pauer, Diane(R)[A]2025
HB284 00:12:55.800 - 8:26:36 AM	Executive Session	requiring tax impact statements on municipal warrant articles.	Bernardy, JD(R)[B+]2025
HB200 2024-1453h 00:14:38.079 - 8:28:19 AM	Executive Session	relative to the procedure for overriding a local tax cap.	Pauer, Diane(R)[A]2025
HB154 00:18:46.240 - 8:32:27 AM	Public Hearing	enabling voters to request to have their ballots hand-counted.	See, Alvin(R)[A-]2025
HB154 00:25:38.720 - 8:39:19 AM	Executive Session	enabling voters to request to have their ballots hand-counted.	See, Alvin(R)[A-]2025
HB217 00:32:53.640 - 8:46:34 AM	Public Hearing	relative to absentee ballots.	Lynn, Bob(R)[B]2025
HB270 00:52:10.200 - 9:05:51 AM	Public Hearing	(New Title) requiring the preservation of electronic ballot counting device external storage devices.	Burnham, Claudine(R)[A-]2025
HB270 2024-1781s 01:00:46.839 - 9:14:27 AM	Executive Session	(New Title) requiring the preservation of electronic ballot counting device external storage devices.	Burnham, Claudine(R)[A-]2025
HB274 01:02:50.640 - 9:16:31 AM	Public Hearing	relative to the verification of voter rolls annually.	Wherry, Robert(R)[A-]2025
HB41 01:19:41.199 - 9:33:22 AM	Public Hearing	relative to moving the state primary date	Likely Text to Speech Error on Bill #
HB270 1781s 01:23:02.320 - 9:36:43 AM	Executive Session	(New Title) requiring the preservation of electronic ballot counting device external storage devices.	Burnham, Claudine(R)[A-]2025
HB374 01:26:16.159 - 9:39:57 AM	Executive Session	(New Title) relative to local tax cap and budget laws.	Pauer, Diane(R)[A]2025
HB340 01:30:58.520 - 9:44:39 AM	Executive Session	relative to electioneering by public employees.	Berry, Ross(R)[A+]2025
HB421 01:32:01.280 - 9:45:42 AM	Executive Session	relative to notice of tax exempt-status filing procedures by town officials or offices.	Pearson, Mark(R)[B]2025
HB464 01:33:07.520 - 9:46:48 AM	Executive Session	(New Title) prohibiting certain candidates for political office from participating in counting ballots.	de Vries, Erica(D)[CT]2025

HB151: Lex Besny, Grafton District 11 (Grafton, Alexandria, Hebron, Groton) Support00:05:24.759 - 8:19:05 AM; Representative Besny introduced HB151, which aims to reduce the term of the supervisor of the checklist from 6 years to 3 years. He mentioned that this change was requested by a former selectwoman from Grafton, Sidi Klick, to encourage more people to run for the position due to the feedback that a six-year term is too long of a commitment.
HB151: Cindy Cudlick, Grafton Support00:07:20.680 - 8:21:01 AM; Cindy Cudlick, a former select person and ballot clerk from Grafton, supported HB151. She explained that two out of three supervisors of the checklist resigned in Grafton last year, and it was challenging to find replacements due to the long term commitment. She believes that reducing the term to three years would encourage more civic involvement and align the position with other elected town positions.
HB138: Committee Members Vote00:10:18.640 - 8:23:59 AM; The committee discussed HB138, which requires towns to include an estimated tax impact statement for multi-year contracts or situations with budgetary impact. There was a debate on the accuracy of such statements, with some members expressing caution about the potential for inaccurate information. The bill was recommended to pass with a vote of 3-2.
HB284: Committee Members Vote00:12:55.800 - 8:26:36 AM; HB284 was discussed as similar to HB138 but was deemed unnecessary by the committee. The motion to recommend it as inexpedient to legislate (ITL) passed unanimously.
HB200 2024-1453h: Committee Members Vote00:14:38.079 - 8:28:19 AM; HB200 was discussed, which aims to amend RSA 325B:3 to set the same standard for overriding a cap as for establishing one. An amendment was proposed to remove a sentence that would prevent the question from being placed on the official ballot used for electing offices. There was debate over local control, but the amendment and the bill as amended were recommended to pass with a vote of 3-2.
HB154: Alvin C, Laconia, Representative Alvin See, Merrimack County District 26 Support00:18:46.240 - 8:32:27 AM; Representative Alvin C from Laconia introduced HB154, which allows voters to request their ballots be hand counted without causing an overvote. He clarified that this bill addresses confusion from a previous election where voters' names were recorded for requesting hand counts. The bill adds a new rule to RSA 656:42 for use with electronic ballot counting devices.
HB154: El Brandano, Kensington Support00:23:27.600 - 8:37:08 AM; El Brandano spoke in support of HB154, emphasizing its importance for transparency, voter confidence, and adherence to the New Hampshire Constitution. He highlighted that the bill corrects previous errors in HB154 and is crucial for ensuring votes are counted correctly, specifically allowing for hand counting of ballots. He mentioned that the current system does not follow the Constitution as moderators and selectmen are not present as eyewitnesses during the count, which he believes is necessary for voter confidence.
HB154: Committee Vote00:25:38.720 - 8:39:19 AM; The committee moved into an executive session to discuss HB154. They considered an amendment to clarify the process of handing ballots to an election official at a ballot machine, ensuring the ballot goes into an auxiliary compartment. The amendment was approved, and the bill as amended was passed with a vote in favor. The session then concluded to move on to the next bill.
HB217: Representative Bob Lynn, Windham Support00:32:53.640 - 8:46:34 AM; Representative Bob Lynn from Windham supported HB217, describing it as a cleanup bill to align the absentee ballot process with the requirements of HB1569, which necessitates proof of citizenship. He raised concerns about the clarity of the current law after receiving an email questioning whether proof of citizenship was required for absentee ballot registration. He advocated for consistency in voter registration requirements, whether in-person or absentee, and responded to questions about the security of mailed citizenship documents, admitting there are no specific security measures added by this bill. He also acknowledged the lack of data on non-citizen voting but emphasized the importance of requiring documentation to prevent potential fraud.
HB217: Representative Connie Lane, Concord Ward 2 Oppose00:43:29.359 - 8:57:10 AM; Representative Connie Lane from Concord Ward 2 opposed HB217, arguing there is no evidence of fraud by non-citizens and highlighting the severe penalties for such actions, including deportation. She suggested waiting for the outcome of a federal lawsuit related to HB1569 before making changes. Lane expressed concerns about the bill creating barriers to voting, particularly affecting women, those unable to afford documentation, the disabled, and seniors. She proposed that the government should provide necessary documents at no cost and facilitate data sharing between agencies to ease the burden on voters.
HB270: Representative Ross Berry, Hillsborough Support00:52:10.200 - 9:05:51 AM; Representative Ross Berry from Hillsborough introduced HB270, which aims to comply with federal law by requiring the preservation of electronic ballot counting device memory devices for 22 months post-election. He noted the challenge of acquiring these devices due to the depreciation of AccuVote machines and the transition to new voting machines. The bill addresses concerns from the voter integrity community about preserving these devices for potential investigations into tampering. Berry also mentioned a proposed change in terminology from 'memory chips' to 'electronic ballot counting device external storage devices' suggested by the Secretary of State.
HB270: Voting Integrity Citizen Group Support00:54:53.839 - 9:08:34 AM; The Voting Integrity Citizen Group expressed strong support for HB270. They emphasized the importance of the algorithm on the memory card used in electronic voting systems, suggesting an amendment to include a reference to federal law concerning electronic records for federal elections. This would allow for automatic updates if federal laws change. They also advocated for maintaining public access to counting device activity logs under RSA 91A, expressing concern that the current bill does not explicitly ensure this access. Lastly, they highlighted a discrepancy in the retention period of local election records (60 days) versus federal election records (22 months), and noted that an 'exact copy' of the memory card does not include the algorithm, which could pose issues in legal challenges.
HB270 2024-1781s: Committee Information Only01:00:46.839 - 9:14:27 AM; During the executive session, the committee discussed an amendment proposed by the Secretary of State to change references from 'electronic' to 'ballot counting device' in several places within HB270. The amendment number is 2024-1781s. Further details were to be reviewed on page three, lines 25 to 28 of the amendment. The committee made the amendment available for review.
HB274: Robert Wary, Representative, Hillsborough 13, Hudson, New Hampshire Support01:02:50.640 - 9:16:31 AM; Representative Robert Wary from Hudson, New Hampshire, introduced HB274, which proposes annual verification of voter roles. He argued that annual verification is necessary due to high population mobility, particularly in southern New Hampshire, citing an example where nearly a thousand people were found ineligible since the last purge in 2021. He suggested that regular verification would be more cost-effective and less burdensome on workload compared to less frequent purges.
HB274: Connie Lane, Representative, Merrimack, District 16, Concord, New Hampshire Oppose01:06:03.920 - 9:19:44 AM; Representative Connie Lane from Concord, New Hampshire, opposed HB274, arguing that annual purges of voter lists are unnecessary and burdensome, particularly for small towns and cities. She noted that clerks and supervisors already check against postal service records and death certificates twice a year, and many do not wait the full 10 years for purges. Lane suggested a 4-5 year verification cycle that includes two presidential elections to ensure voters who miss one election are not unfairly purged. She also mentioned the option of joining ERIC as a more efficient and less costly alternative for voter list maintenance.
HB274: Sarah Burke Cohen, New Hampshire Municipal Association Oppose01:12:02.520 - 9:25:43 AM; Sarah Burke Cohen from the New Hampshire Municipal Association expressed opposition to HB274. She argued that the bill would impose a burden on cities and towns, particularly because the verification of voter rolls annually would be problematic for volunteer supervisors of the checklist. These volunteers already struggle to integrate this task into their daily routines. She emphasized that while efforts are made to update the voter rolls continuously, an annual verification would be costly and burdensome.
HB274: Representative Ross Barry, Wear, Gosstown, Hillsboro 44 Support01:13:33.520 - 9:27:14 AM; Representative Ross Barry supported HB274, arguing that the costs associated with the bill would actually decrease. He explained that the current system involves a 10-year purge, which is more expensive due to higher postage costs over time. He suggested that the new system proposed by the Secretary of State could handle the annual verification easily, and it would be less burdensome than a 10-year purge. He also noted that missing 9 to 11 elections is required for removal, ensuring that only inactive voters are purged. He dismissed concerns about the financial and administrative burden, stating that the process could be managed efficiently with modern technology.
HB41: Representative Ross Barry, Wear, Gosstown, Hillsboro 44 Support01:19:41.199 - 9:33:22 AM; Representative Ross Barry introduced HB41, which aims to move the state primary date to the second Tuesday in June, with a 2028 implementation. He highlighted the need for this change, criticizing the current September date. He was open to discussions on the timing but felt that moving the primary date to June was a prudent decision. He also acknowledged the need to adjust the appointment of election inspectors accordingly, which had not yet been addressed in committee.
HB270 1781s: Committee Vote01:23:02.320 - 9:36:43 AM; During the executive session, the committee discussed and voted on HB270. An amendment, 1781s, was proposed to change the terminology from 'chip' to 'electronic ballot counting device, external storage device' throughout the bill to avoid confusion with internal computer chips. The amendment also rearranged some wording in the bill for clarity. The committee voted in favor of the amendment and then passed the bill as amended with unanimous consent.
HB374: Committee Vote01:26:16.159 - 9:39:57 AM; In the executive session on HB374, a committee amendment was proposed to strike sentences on pages two and four that restricted amendments to legislative questions. This change was in response to concerns raised by the New Hampshire Municipal Association. The amendment passed, and the bill was then passed as amended with a vote of four to one. The committee clarified that HB374 deals with the process of establishing a cap, distinct from HB200, which addresses overriding a cap.
HB340: Committee Information Only01:30:58.520 - 9:44:39 AM; The committee decided to hold HB340 for another week, indicating that further discussion or review was needed before taking action.
HB421: Committee Information Only01:32:01.280 - 9:45:42 AM; The committee reviewed an amendment to HB421, which proposed that towns should provide a 60-day notice before a form is due and send reminders a week after the due date to those who did not file. The amendment aimed to streamline the process by limiting notifications to only those who missed filing, rather than sending notices to everyone.
HB464: Committee Information Only01:33:07.520 - 9:46:48 AM; The committee discussed HB464, with plans to introduce a non-germane amendment that was sent to the committee. This amendment would require the Secretary of State to provide copies of election data and allow for the use of DMV data and vital records at polling places. A germane amendment was also mentioned to clarify that election officials on the ballot can still perform certain duties before polls open. The committee planned to schedule a public hearing for the non-germane amendment.