Bill Text: NH HB463 | 2024 | Regular Session | Amended
Bill Title: Relative to the establishment of an election information portal and makes an appropriation therefor.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 5-0)
Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2024-06-07 - Conference Committee Report: Not Filed House Journal 15 [HB463 Detail]
Download: New_Hampshire-2024-HB463-Amended.html
HB 463-FN - AS AMENDED BY THE SENATE
3Jan2024... 2385h
05/16/2024 1920s
2023 SESSION
23-0484
06/08
HOUSE BILL 463-FN
AN ACT relative to the establishment of an election information portal.
SPONSORS: Rep. M. Paige, Rock. 11; Rep. Telerski, Hills. 11; Rep. Lane, Merr. 16; Rep. Shurtleff, Merr. 15; Rep. Muirhead, Graf. 12
COMMITTEE: Election Law
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ANALYSIS
This bill authorizes the secretary of state to develop an election information portal.
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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Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.
3Jan2024... 2385h
05/16/2024 1920s 23-0484
06/08
STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE
In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Twenty Three
AN ACT relative to the establishment of an election information portal.
Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:
1 Statement of Intent. It is the intent of the general court to modernize the application processes for new voter registration, requesting absentee ballots, and requesting changes to name, domicile, and party affiliation in the statewide voter database.
2 New Subdivision; Election Information Portal. Amend RSA 652 by inserting after section 27 the following new subdivision:
Election Information Portal
652:28 Election Information Portal.
I. The secretary of state shall develop, in consultation with the city and town clerks and supervisors of the checklist, an online election information portal that all persons, including those with disabilities and active-duty members of the armed forces, may use to:
(a) Request a new voter application.
(b) Request an absentee ballot.
(c) Request changes to the statewide centralized voter registration database, such as name, domicile address, mailing address, and party affiliation.
II. All requests for changes to the statewide centralized voter registration database shall include the applicant's:
(a) Full name;
(b) Address;
(c) Last 4 digits of the applicant's social security number;
(d) Driver license number or non-driver identification card number;
(e) Date and place of birth;
(f) Phone number; and
(g) Email address.
III. Any requests placed in the election information portal shall be presented to the appropriate municipal official for verification and processing pursuant to and in a manner consistent with relevant election laws, including RSA 654, except that the format of the information shall be determined by the secretary of state suitable for electronic submission. Any information presented to the portal shall be retrievable and printable at any time including during the processing of the information. In addition, nonpublic data related to individual voter data shall remain confidential.
IV. The online election information portal authorized herein shall be operational by May 1, 2026.
V. The election portal shall include security features the secretary of state deems appropriate, such as 2-factor authentication.
3 Absentee Voting; Forms. Amend RSA 657:4, I to read as follows:
I. Prior to any state election, the secretary of state shall prepare the appropriate application forms for absentee ballots worded in substantially the following form. The secretary of state shall insert the names of all parties qualified as set forth in RSA 652:11 in the list of parties on the application form. The secretary of state shall prepare the application forms in such quantity as he or she deems necessary:
Absence (Excluding Absence Due to Residence Outside the United States), Religious Observance, and Disability:
I hereby declare that (check one):
_____ I am a duly qualified voter who is currently registered to vote in this town/ward.
_____ I am absent from the town/city where I am domiciled and will be until after the next election, or I am unable to register in person due to a disability, and request that the forms necessary for absentee voter registration be sent to me with the absentee ballot.
I will be entitled to vote by absentee ballot because (check one):
_____ I plan to be absent on the day of the election from the city, town, or unincorporated place where I am domiciled.
_____ I am confined in a penal institution for a misdemeanor or while awaiting trial.
_____ I am requesting a ballot for the presidential primary election, and I may be absent on the day of the election from the city, town, or unincorporated place where I am domiciled, but the date of the election has not been announced. I understand that I may only make such a request 14 days after the filing period for candidates has closed, and that if I will not be absent on the date of the election, I am not eligible to vote by absentee ballot.
_____ I cannot appear in public on election day because of observance of a religious commitment.
_____ I am unable to vote in person due to a disability.
_____ I cannot appear at any time during polling hours at my polling place because of an employment obligation. For the purposes of this application, the term "employment" shall include the care of children and infirm adults, with or without compensation.
For use only on the Monday immediately prior to the election: I cannot appear at my polling place on election day because the National Weather Service has issued a winter storm warning, blizzard warning, or ice storm warning for election day applicable to my city, town, or unincorporated place and either (check one):
_____ I am elderly or infirm or I have a physical disability, and would otherwise vote in person, but I have concerns for my safety traveling in the storm.
_____ I anticipate that school, child care, or adult care will be canceled, and would otherwise vote in person, but will need to care for children or infirm adults.
Any person who votes or attempts to vote using an absentee ballot who is not entitled to vote by absentee ballot shall be guilty of a misdemeanor. RSA 657:24.
I am requesting an official absentee ballot for the following election (check one):
_____ Presidential Primary to be held on ____________________
(MM/DD/YYYY)
(The date may appear as blank when the date is not known.)
_____ State Primary to be held on ____________________
(MM/DD/YYYY)
_____ General Election
For primary elections, I am a member of or I am now declaring my affiliation with the (check one):
_____ Republican Party
_____ Democratic Party
_____ (name of any party determined by the secretary of state to have achieved official status under RSA 652:11)
and am requesting a ballot for that party's primary.
Please print:
Applicant's Name:
____________________
(Last) (First) (Middle) (Sr., Jr., II., III)
Applicant's Voting Domicile (home address):
____________________
(Street Number) (Street Name) (Apt/Unit) (City/Town) (Ward) (Zip Code)
Mail the ballot to me at this address (if different than the home address):
____________________
(Street Number) (Street Name) (Apt/Unit) (City/Town) (Ward) (Zip Code)
Applicant's Phone Number: ____________________
Applicant's Email Address: ____________________
Last 4 Digits of the Applicant's Social Security Number: _______
Driver License Number or Non-Driver Identification Card Number:_____
(Check here if you do not have a driver license or non -driver identification card): ______
Date and Place of Birth: _____________
Applicant's Signature: ____________________
Date Signed: ____________________
(MM/DD/YYYY)
I attest that I assisted the applicant in executing this form because he or she has a disability.
Signature ____________________ Print Name ____________________
If your absentee ballot application or affidavit envelope has the printed name and signature of a person who assisted you with voting, your signature will not be compared to your signature on the absentee ballot affidavit to verify your identity. Otherwise, if your signatures do not appear to be made by the same person, your absentee ballot may not be counted.
The applicant must sign this form to receive an absentee ballot. Any person who witnesses and assists a voter with a disability in executing this form shall print and sign his or her name in the space provided on the application form. The moderator will not compare the voter's signature on the application with the signature on the absentee ballot affidavit when a person assisting the voter has signed the statement on the absentee ballot application or affidavit envelope that assistance was provided.
4 Effective Date. This act shall take effect 60 days after its passage.
23-0484
Amended 1/22/24
HB 463-FN- FISCAL NOTE
AS AMENDED BY THE HOUSE (AMENDMENT #2023-2385h)
AN ACT relative to the establishment of an election information portal.
FISCAL IMPACT: [ X ] State [ ] County [ ] Local [ ] None
|
| |||||
Estimated State Impact - Increase / (Decrease) | ||||||
| FY 2024 | FY 2025 | FY 2026 | FY 2027 | ||
Revenue | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | ||
Revenue Fund(s) | None | |||||
Expenditures | $0 | $555,000 | $174,000 | $177,000 | ||
Funding Source(s) | General Fund | |||||
Appropriations | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | ||
Funding Source(s) | None | |||||
• Does this bill provide sufficient funding to cover estimated expenditures? [X] No • Does this bill authorize new positions to implement this bill? [X] No | ||||||
METHODOLOGY:
This bill authorizes the Secretary of State to develop an election information portal allowing voters to access new voter application, request an absentee ballot or request changes to the statewide centralized voter registration database, such as name, domicile address, mailing address, and party affiliation.
The Department of State indicates the estimated cost for designing, building, and testing the portal is $426,000. Additionally, the Department anticipates annual maintenance fees of approximately $84,000 and the need for a new ongoing position, specifically a Program Assistant III, labor grade 23, to help get the portal project up and running and then transition to handle the increase call volume to assist voters and election officials with the new portal.
Costs | FY 2025 | FY 2026 | FY 2027 |
New Portal Design and Construction | $426,000 | $0 | $0 |
Maintenance Fees | $42,000 (6 months) | $84,000 | $84,000 |
Program Assistant III Position | $87,000 | $90,000 | $93,000 |
Total | $555,000 | $174,000 | $177,000 |
It is assumed the fiscal impact from this bill will not occur until FY 2025. Additionally, this bill does not establish or provide an appropriation for the new position. Nor does it provide an appropriation for the new portal.
AGENCIES CONTACTED:
Department of State
