SBSenate 103-FN-LOCALElection -Law ASand INTRODUCEDMunicipal SESSIONAffairs 25-0557March 08/095, SENATE2025 BILL2025-0741s 08/08 Amendment to SB 103-FN-LOCAL ANAmend ACTRSA relative658:11-a toas theinserted numberby section 1 of pollingthe stationsbill thatby arereplacing availableit forwith certainthe towns.following:

SPONSORS:3 658:11-a Additional Polling Places;

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 Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.

SB 103-FN-LOCAL - AS INTRODUCED 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;

AmendI. RSA 658 by inserting after section 11 the following new section:

658:11-aFor Additionalgeneral Pollingelections Places;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 15,000 registered voters appearing on the checklist as of January 1 of the year of the election, unless a plan to accommodate more than 15,000 registered voters with one location has been submitted to and jointly approved by the secretary of state and the attorney general.

PresidentialThe Elections.plan shall specifically address the following issues that could potentially cause a delay to voters:

For(a) generalTraffic electionsflow 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 approvedfrom by the secretarypolling ofplace; state.

2(b) EffectiveThe Date.presence of police officers or third party contractors to assist with traffic flow;

This(c) actThe shallnumber takeof effectparking 60spaces daysadjacent afterto itsthe passage.polling place available to voters;

LBA(d) 25-0557The 1/16/25number SBof 103-FN-LOCAL-poll FISCALbooks NOTEand ASstaff INTRODUCEDmembers ANavailable ACT relative to theassist numberwith ofchecking pollingin stationsvoters; that are available for certain towns.

FISCAL(e) IMPACT:The presence of electronic poll books;

Estimated(f) PoliticalThe Subdivisionnumber Impactof FYballot 2025counting FYmachines; 2026 FY 2027 FY 2028 County Revenue $0 $0 $0 $0 County Expenditures $0 $0 $0 $0 Local Revenue $0 $0 $0 $0 Indeterminable Increase Local Expenditures $0 $0 $0 more than $10,000 to $100,000 less METHODOLOGY:

This(g) billThe requiresnumber townsof stations and citiesstaff tomembers haveavailable 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 fewersame-day locations.registrants;

Accordingand to(h) theAny Newother Hampshirecriteria Municipalspecified Associationby (NHMA), data from the Secretarysecretary of Statestate forand the 2024attorney generalgeneral. election shows that the following communities had more than 20,000 registered voters:

Concord,II. Derry, Dover, Hudson, Keene, Manchester, Merrimack, Nashua, Portsmouth, Rochester, and Salem.

LondonderryThe hadsecretary overof 19,000state registeredand votersattorney general may request additional information when considering whether to approve a submitted plan, and couldsuch exceedapproval 20,000may inbe conditioned upon specific measures that must be met by the future.town or city on election day.

ForAmendment any municipality unable to obtainSB approval103-FN-LOCAL from- thePage Secretary2 of- State2025-0741s forAMENDED fewerANALYSIS pollingThis locations,bill: 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.

TheI. Department of State indicates this bill will have no impact on the Secretary of State.

AGENCIESRequires CONTACTED:towns and cities to have at least one polling place per every 15,000 registered voters unless the town or city has received approval from the secretary of state and attorney general for fewer locations.