Bill Text: NH HB1527 | 2022 | Regular Session | Amended
Bill Title: Relative to vote returns.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 3-0)
Status: (Passed) 2022-05-24 - Signed by Governor Sununu 05/20/2022; Chapter 78; Eff. 07/19/2022 [HB1527 Detail]
Download: New_Hampshire-2022-HB1527-Amended.html
HB 1527-FN - AS AMENDED BY THE HOUSE
15Mar2022... 0222h
2022 SESSION
22-2120
11/10
HOUSE BILL 1527-FN
AN ACT relative to vote returns.
SPONSORS: Rep. Yakubovich, Merr. 24; Rep. Ankarberg, Straf. 10; Rep. Verville, Rock. 2
COMMITTEE: Election Law
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AMENDED ANALYSIS
This bill requires cities and towns that use AccuVote devices to send a paper copy of the long report tape to the secretary of state with the return of votes form.
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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Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.
15Mar2022... 0222h 22-2120
11/10
STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE
In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Twenty Two
AN ACT relative to vote returns.
Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:
1 Forwarding; Retaining Copies of Return. Amend RSA 659:75 to read as follows:
659:75 Forwarding; Retaining Copies of Return.
I. One copy of the election return shall be forwarded by the town or ward clerk to the secretary of state in both paper and electronic form no later than 8:00 a.m. on the day following a state election unless the secretary of state orders them at a different time and date. The other shall be kept by the town or city clerk in accordance with RSA 33-A:3-a and shall be open to public inspection at reasonable times. If an official state election return is sealed along with the ballots, the clerk having custody of the sealed ballots shall, at the request of the secretary of state, and in the presence of a state election official, unseal the ballots and retrieve the election return. The ballots shall be immediately resealed and the election return shall be delivered to the secretary of state by the election official.
II. For a city or town that uses the AccuVote electronic ballot counting device in a state election, the town or ward clerk shall print and forward a paper copy of the long report tape to the secretary of state with the return of votes form and shall keep a paper copy of the long report tape with the paper return of votes form that is retained by the town or city clerk in accordance with paragraph I.
2 Effective Date. This act shall take effect 60 days after its passage.
22-2120
Redraft 12/6/21
HB 1527-FN- FISCAL NOTE
AS INTRODUCED
AN ACT relative to the storage of total vote counts produced by electronic ballot counting devices.
FISCAL IMPACT: [ X ] State [ ] County [ X ] Local [ ] None
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| Estimated Increase / (Decrease) | |||
STATE: | FY 2022 | FY 2023 | FY 2024 | FY 2025 |
Appropriation | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Revenue | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Expenditures | $0 | Indeterminable Increase | Indeterminable Increase | Indeterminable Increase |
Funding Source: | [ X ] General [ ] Education [ ] Highway [ ] Other | |||
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LOCAL: |
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Revenue | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Expenditures | $0 | Indeterminable Increase | Indeterminable Increase | Indeterminable Increase |
METHODOLOGY:
This bill would require local election officials to photograph or scan the receipts of total vote counts produced by electronic ballot counting devices after any election and forward the images to the Secretary of State for posting in a database on the Department of State's website. The Department of State would also be required to publish a public spreadsheet on their website containing all digital data received from towns.
The Department of State indicates there would be an indeterminable increase in General Fund expenditures as the Department would need additional software enhancements to transfer data from scanned images to digital images on their websites as well as ensuring these postings are ADA compliant. Lastly, the Department states that to the extent towns do not yet have the technology to comply with this bill the State would have to provide the equipment.
The New Hampshire Municipal Association states there will be an indeterminable increase to local expenditures as the additional requirements in the bill for localities will require additional time by election officials on election nights resulting in increase personnel costs. The amount of increase in expenditures will vary by town
It is assumed the fiscal impact would not occur until FY 2023.
AGENCIES CONTACTED:
Department of State and New Hampshire Municipal Association
