New Hampshire 2026 Session Status: Passed House Bipartisan · 6 R · 1 D cosponsors

HB 1604 — requiring suitable public facilities such as schools and town halls be made available as polling places upon request by local election officials.

Last action — Refer to Interim Study, MA, VV; 05/07/2026; SJ 11

  1. ✓
    Introduced
  2. ✓
    In Committee
  3. 3
    Passed House
  4. 4
    Passed Senate
  5. 5
    To Executive
  6. 6
    Enacted

This bill has passed the House. Introduced December 10, 2025. It now moves to the second chamber.

Next likely step: consideration and a floor vote in the Senate.

Odds of enactment

Moderate chance

Based on the sponsor, cosponsors, and committee posture, this bill has a moderate chance of becoming law.

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A statistical estimate from our own model of past outcomes — an insight, not a guarantee. Policymaking is volatile.

Prognosis

Advancing 54% · moderate confidence

  • Passed House

    Current position in the legislative process.

  • 7 sponsors

    1 primary, 6 co-sponsors signed on.

  • Bipartisan support

    Sponsored across 2 parties (6 R · 1 D) — cross-party backing.

Based on stage, sponsorship breadth, committee status, recorded votes, and cross-state momentum — a description of the observable signals, not a prediction.

Summary

requiring suitable public facilities such as schools and town halls be made available as polling places upon request by local election officials.

Bill Text

What changed in the latest version

17 added · 14 removed

Plain-language change summary

The amendment to Bill HB 1604 expands the list of facilities that can be used as polling places to include school-owned and operated properties, such as public schools and charter schools, in addition to town and city-owned buildings. This change is significant because it increases the availability of polling locations, potentially making it easier for voters to access them during elections. Additionally, the requirement for facilities to be of sufficient size and accessibility remains, ensuring that polling places meet necessary standards.

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Latest
HB 1604-FN - AS INTRODUCED SESSION 26-3195 08/07 HOUSE BILL 1604-FN AN ACT requiring suitable public facilities such as schools and town halls be made available as polling places upon request by local election officials.
HB 1604-FN - AS AMENDED BY THE HOUSE 11Mar2026...
0676h SESSION 26-3195 08/07 HOUSE BILL 1604-FN AN ACT requiring suitable public facilities such as schools and town halls be made available as polling places upon request by local election officials.
HB 1604-FN - AS INTRODUCED 26-3195 08/07 STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Twenty-Six AN ACT requiring suitable public facilities such as schools and town halls be made available as polling places upon request by local election officials.
HB 1604-FN - AS AMENDED BY THE HOUSE 11Mar2026...
0676h 26-3195 08/07 STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Twenty-Six AN ACT requiring suitable public facilities such as schools and town halls be made available as polling places upon request by local election officials.
Upon request by the selectmen of a town or the ward officers of a city ward, any town- or city-owned facility within the town or ward, including schools, town halls, fire stations, or other municipal or school district property, that is of sufficient size and accessibility to meet the requirements of RSA 658:9, shall be made available for use as a polling place for all elections, including state, federal, and municipal elections.
Upon request by the selectmen of a town or the ward officers of a city ward, any town-, city-, or school-owned or -operated facility within the town or ward, including any public schools, town halls, fire stations, or other municipal, school district, or charter school property, that is of sufficient size and accessibility to meet the requirements of RSA 658:9, shall be made available for use as a polling place for all elections, including state, federal, and municipal elections.
LBA 26-3195 12/3/25 HB 1604-FN- FISCAL NOTE AS INTRODUCED AN ACT requiring suitable public facilities such as schools and town halls be made available as polling places upon request by local election officials.
LBA 26-3195 3/16/26 HB 1604-FN- FISCAL NOTE AS AMENDED BY THE HOUSE (AMENDMENT #2026-0676h) AN ACT requiring suitable public facilities such as schools and town halls be made available as polling places upon request by local election officials.
This bill requires any suitable city or town owned facility within the town or ward, such as schools, fire stations, and town halls, be made available as polling places upon request by the selectmen of a town or the ward officers of a city ward.
This bill requires any suitable town, city, or school owned/operated facility within the town or ward, such as public schools, town halls, fire stations, or other municipal or, school district, or charter school property, be made available as polling places upon request by the selectmen of a town or the ward officers of a city ward.
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Action History

  1. Refer to Interim Study, MA, VV; 05/07/2026; SJ 11

  2. Committee Report: Referred to Interim Study, 05/07/2026; Vote 5-0; CC; SC 17

  3. Hearing: 04/14/2026, Room 122-123, SH, 09:15 am; SC 14

  4. Introduced 03/12/2026 and Referred to Election Law and Municipal Affairs; SJ 7

  5. Ought to Pass with Amendment 2026-0676h: MA VV 03/11/2026 HJ 7 P. 162

  6. Amendment # 2026-0676h: AA VV 03/11/2026 HJ 7 P. 162

  7. Committee Report: Ought to Pass with Amendment # 2026-0676h 02/17/2026 (Vote 15-0; RC) HC 10 P. 44

  8. ==CONTINUED== Executive Session: 02/17/2026 01:40 pm GP 158

  9. ==RECESSED== Executive Session: 02/10/2026 11:00 am GP 158

  10. Public Hearing: 02/03/2026 11:00 am GP 158

  11. Introduced 01/07/2026 and referred to Election Law HJ 1 P. 27

Sponsors

Sponsorship breakdown

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1 sponsors · 6 co-sponsors · 408 not signed on

Sponsors (1)

Co-sponsors (6)

Not signed on (408)

408 members have not signed on to this bill.

Show all 408 →

"Not signed on" means a member has not sponsored or co-sponsored this bill — it does not imply opposition. Members flagged Voted No have a recorded No vote on this bill.

Whip count is in markup. Polling the chamber and every recorded vote this session. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Calling the roll · Tallying · Engrossing

Subjects

elections
Cross-referencing the record. Reading this bill against every other bill in the corpus by meaning, not keywords. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Matching · Ranking · Engrossing

Frequently asked questions

What does HB 1604 do?
requiring suitable public facilities such as schools and town halls be made available as polling places upon request by local election officials.
Who sponsors HB 1604?
HB 1604 is sponsored by Claudine Burnham (Republican), Alvin See (Republican), Robert Wherry (Republican), Ross Berry (Republican), Russell Muirhead (Democrat), James Guzofski (Republican), and James Qualey (Republican).
What is the current status of HB 1604?
This bill has passed the House. Introduced December 10, 2025. It now moves to the second chamber.
Where can I track HB 1604?
Track HB 1604 free on One Click Politics — get push/email alerts when it moves.

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