Bill Text: NH HB1403 | 2020 | Regular Session | Introduced


Bill Title: Relative to removing party columns from general election ballots.

Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2020-02-19 - Inexpedient to Legislate: Motion Adopted Voice Vote 02/19/2020 House Journal 4 P. 10 [HB1403 Detail]

Download: New_Hampshire-2020-HB1403-Introduced.html

HB 1403 - AS INTRODUCED

 

 

2020 SESSION

20-2154

11/03

 

HOUSE BILL 1403

 

AN ACT relative to removing party columns from general election ballots.

 

SPONSORS: Rep. Lang, Belk. 4; Rep. St. Clair, Belk. 9

 

COMMITTEE: Election Law

 

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ANALYSIS

 

This bill removes party columns from state general election ballots.

 

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Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.

20-2154

11/03

 

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

 

In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Twenty

 

AN ACT relative to removing party columns from general election ballots.

 

Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:

 

1  Preparation of Voting Materials; State General Election; Listing Candidates on the Ballot  RSA 656:5 is repealed and reenacted to read as follows:

656:5  Listing Candidates on the Ballot.  The names of all candidates nominated for office shall be arranged by office in accordance with the provisions of RSA 656:7.  The names of candidates for any one office shall not be split into more than one column.  All candidates for the same office shall be place on separate lines within a separate office box.  The order of names within each office box shall be determined in accordance with RSA 656:5-a.  The names of the candidates shall be printed on the ballot in accordance with RSA 655:14-b.  The name of each party which nominates the candidate shall be printed near the candidate's name, but no candidate may appear on the ballot more than once as a candidate for the same office.

2  Elections; Preparation of Voting Materials; Designation of Office.  Amend RSA 656:6 to read as follows:

656:6  Designation of Office.  Immediately to the left of the [set of party columns] column in which office candidates are listed shall be an offices column which shall list the offices, each preceded by the word "For," for which the candidates [whose names are listed in the party columns] have been nominated, as in "For Governor." Below each such phrase shall be printed in small but easily legible letters "Vote for not more than ____ (here insert a number designating how many persons are to be voted for)."

3  Repeal.  RSA 656:9, relative to party designations on state general election ballots, is repealed.

4  Effective Date.  This act shall take effect 60 days after its passage.

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