Bill > SB418

This bill establishes affidavit balloting for voters who are registering to vote in New Hampshire for the first time and do not have a valid photo identification. Under the bill, these voters would receive a voter packet containing a prepaid envelope and an affidavit voter verification letter, which they must return to the Secretary of State's office within 7 days with any required documentation. If the voter fails to return the verification letter, their ballot would be retrieved and the votes deducted from the election totals. The bill also requires local election officials to provide a summary report to the Secretary of State of any unverified affidavit ballots, and refers the names of unverified voters to the Attorney General's office for investigation. The bill has a fiscal impact, with the Department of State estimating increased expenses of $48,000 in FY 2023 and $72,000 in FY 2025 for the preparation and mailing of voter packets, and potential indeterminable increases in local expenditures for hand counting of ballots and related actions.

Budget and Finance, Government Affairs

https://gc.nh.gov/bill_status/legacy/bs2016/bill_status.aspx?lsr=3015&sy=2022&sortoption=&txtsessionyear=2022&txtbillnumber=SB418