reglab/statecodes huggingface dataset:
2023 New Hampshire Revised Statutes › Title LXIII - Elections › Chapter 659 - Election Procedure › Section 659:4-a - Change of Polling Hours in Towns.

659:4-a Change of Polling Hours in Towns. –
I. At any annual town meeting, any town may vote to place a question on the state election ballot to change the hours at which polls shall open, provided that the polls shall not open later than 11 o'clock in the morning and shall not close earlier than 7 o'clock in the evening. Such vote shall be under an article inserted into the warrant pursuant to RSA 39:3. The wording of the question shall be as follows:
"Polling hours in the town of __________ (name of town) are now __________ (hour at which polls now open) to __________ (hour at which polls now close). Shall we place a question on the state election ballot to change polling hours so that polls shall open at __________ (proposed hour at which polls would open) and close at __________ (proposed hour at which polls would close) for all regular state elections beginning __________ (next state election)?"
II. Upon an affirmative vote on the question in paragraph I, the governing body of the town shall notify the secretary of state, by the filing deadline established in RSA 655:14, of the approved times for the question to be printed on the next state general election ballot. The secretary of state shall place the following question on the next state general election ballot in the form prescribed by RSA 656:13:
"Polling hours in the town of __________ (name of town) are now __________ (hour at which polls now open) to __________ (hour at which polls now close). Shall we change polling hours so that polls shall open at __________ (proposed hour at which polls would open) and close at __________ (proposed hour at which polls would close) for all regular state elections beginning __________ (next state election)?"
III. In a town with a town council as the legislative body, the town council may vote to place a question on the state election ballot to change the hours at which polls shall open, provided that the polls shall not open later than 11 o'clock in the morning and shall not close earlier than 7 o'clock in the evening. The governing body shall notify the secretary of state of the question to be placed on the ballot in accordance with the requirements of paragraph II.
IV. As an alternative to the procedures established in paragraphs I-III, the governing body of a town may extend the hours of polling in the town, provided that no extension of the hours of polling adopted under this paragraph shall take effect sooner than 60 days after its adoption. Any reduction of the hours of polling adopted under this paragraph shall conform to the provisions of paragraphs I-III.
Source.
1998, 275:2. 2007, 8:1, eff. July 1, 2007.
2023 New Hampshire Revised Statutes › Title LXIII - Elections › Chapter 659 - Election Procedure › Section 659:6 - Other Changes in Hours of Polling.

659:6 Other Changes in Hours of Polling. –
Except as provided in RSA 659:3, in all state elections, the voters present at the polling place may vote to keep the polls open until a later hour but may not vote to close the polls at an earlier hour than that prescribed in the warrant.
Source.
1979, 436:1, eff. July 1, 1979.
2023 New Hampshire Revised Statutes › Title LXIII - Elections › Chapter 659 - Election Procedure › Section 659:8 - At Additional Polling Places.

659:8 At Additional Polling Places. –
The hours of polling at any additional polling place shall be the same as those at the central polling place as provided in RSA 658:16.
Source.
1979, 436:1, eff. July 1, 1979.
2023 New Hampshire Revised Statutes › Title LXIII - Elections › Chapter 659 - Election Procedure › Section 659:9 - Moderator to Oversee Voting.

659:9 Moderator to Oversee Voting. –
It shall be the duty of the moderator to secure the observance of the provisions of the following sections relating to the conduct of voting.
Source.
1979, 436:1, eff. July 1, 1979.
2023 New Hampshire Revised Statutes › Title LXIII - Elections › Chapter 659 - Election Procedure › Section 659:9-a - City Clerk Uniform Practices.

659:9-a City Clerk Uniform Practices. –
The city clerk shall establish uniform practices and procedures that conform to state and federal law for the conduct of elections at all polling places within the city. The moderators and other election officials who conduct elections at the individual polling places within the city shall comply with the uniform procedures established for the city by the city clerk. The secretary of state shall resolve any conflicting interpretations of state and federal laws arising between the city clerk and other election officials. The legislative body of any city may vote to have the duties of the ward officers relative to the selection and equipping of polling places assigned to the city clerk.
Source.
2006, 78:2, eff. July 1, 2006. 2021, 177:2, Pt. I, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 28, 2021.
2023 New Hampshire Revised Statutes › Title LXIII - Elections › Chapter 659 - Election Procedure › Section 659:10 - Supervisors' Attendance Required Where Checklist is Used.

659:10 Supervisors' Attendance Required Where Checklist is Used. –
The supervisors shall be present at the opening of each election at which a checklist is to be used and shall have with them the corrected checklist for that election and shall remain in attendance until the close of the election.
Source.
1979, 436:1, eff. July 1, 1979.
2023 New Hampshire Revised Statutes › Title LXIII - Elections › Chapter 659 - Election Procedure › Section 659:11 - Conduct of Voting at Additional Polling Places.

659:11 Conduct of Voting at Additional Polling Places. –
The voting at each additional polling place shall be conducted as at the central polling place as provided in RSA 658:16.
Source.
1979, 436:1, eff. July 1, 1979.
2023 New Hampshire Revised Statutes › Title LXIII - Elections › Chapter 659 - Election Procedure › Section 659:12 - Who Can Vote.

659:12 Who Can Vote. –
I. All persons whose names are entered upon the corrected checklist brought by the town or ward clerk to the polling place shall be entitled to vote.
II. No person whose name is not upon the checklist shall be allowed to vote, unless, in the opinion of the supervisors of the checklist, it clearly appears that the name of a qualified voter has been omitted from the checklist by clerical error or mistake or the person registers to vote at the polling place.
III. At the time set for closing the polls to voting, if a line of voters waiting to check in or of people seeking to register to vote and then vote exists, all people who join that line by the moment when the polls close to voting and all who are in line shall be permitted to apply for registration and, if registered, to vote. If lines of cars containing those seeking to vote exist due to parking not being available or other traffic congestion, election officials and law enforcement shall work to identify the last person who joins the line of cars at the moment when the polls close to voting and allow that person and all who previously joined the line to obtain parking, enter the polling place, apply for registration, and, if registered, vote.
Source.
1979, 436:1. 2011, 73:3, eff. July 15, 2011. 2020, 35:3, eff. Sept. 26, 2020.
2023 New Hampshire Revised Statutes › Title LXIII - Elections › Chapter 659 - Election Procedure › Section 659:13-a - Observing Voter Check-In.

659:13-a Observing Voter Check-In. –
No person not authorized by law may stand or sit within 6 feet of the ballot clerk for purposes of observing the check-in of voters without the express permission of the moderator.
Source.
2010, 103:1, eff. July 25, 2010.
2023 New Hampshire Revised Statutes › Title LXIII - Elections › Chapter 659 - Election Procedure › Section 659:13-b - Affidavit of Religious Exemption.

659:13-b Affidavit of Religious Exemption. –
The affidavit of religious exemption shall be in the following form:
AFFIDAVIT OF RELIGIOUS EXEMPTION
Name: ____________________
Domicile Address: ____________________
Date of birth: _______________
I hereby swear or affirm that because of my religious beliefs, I object to having my photograph taken and that I do not possess a form of identification that meets the requirements of the election laws of this state showing my photograph.
I hereby swear or affirm, under the penalties for voting fraud set forth below, that I am the identical person whom I represent myself to be and that to the best of my knowledge and belief the information above is true and correct.
_________________________
(Signature of affiant)
In accordance with RSA 659:34, the penalty for knowingly or purposely providing false information when voting is a class A misdemeanor with a maximum sentence of imprisonment not to exceed one year and a fine not to exceed $2,000. Fraudulently registering to vote or voting is subject to a civil penalty not to exceed $5,000.
This affidavit was executed before us on the date shown and the person who subscribed his or her name to the foregoing affidavit swore that the facts contained in this affidavit are true to the best of his or her knowledge and belief.
_
_
(Name of Election Officer)
(Date)
_
(Signature of Election Officer)
Source.
2012, 284:11, eff. Sept. 1, 2015.
2023 New Hampshire Revised Statutes › Title LXIII - Elections › Chapter 659 - Election Procedure › Section 659:14 - Special Provisions for State and Presidential Primary Elections.

659:14 Special Provisions for State and Presidential Primary Elections. –
I. A person desiring to vote at a state or presidential primary election shall, at the time of announcing the person's name, also announce the name of the party to which the person belongs or whether the person is registered as an undeclared voter. If the person's party membership has been registered before, the person shall be given only the ballot of the party with which the person is registered, unless the person desires to vote the ballot of a party not having official existence at the time the person's party membership was previously registered, in which case the person may vote the ballot of such a party in the state primary election immediately following the political organization's official existence as a party, and not in any subsequent state primary election. A person may also vote the ballot of such a party in the presidential primary election only if the presidential primary election precedes the state primary election to be held in that same year. If the rules of a party permit a person who is registered as an undeclared voter to vote in the party's primary, any person desiring to vote in that party's primary shall also announce the name of that party at the time of announcing the person's name. No person shall be permitted to vote in any more than one party primary during any primary election.
II. The secretary of state shall include on the voter instruction cards required by RSA 658:28 whether a party rule has been adopted which permits a person who is registered as an undeclared voter to vote in the party's primary. The party chairman shall notify the secretary of state in writing prior to the filing period for state offices whether the party has adopted such a rule. This rule shall not be changed or rescinded by a party until the results of the primary have been announced, and any change or rescission shall be mailed to the secretary of state by the party chairman.
Source.
1979, 436:1. 1987, 129:1. 1993, 193:6. 1994, 218:1, eff. May 25, 1994.
2023 New Hampshire Revised Statutes › Title LXIII - Elections › Chapter 659 - Election Procedure › Section 659:15 - Voter Proceeds to Booth.

659:15 Voter Proceeds to Booth. –
On receipt of his ballot, the voter shall forthwith without leaving the space enclosed by the guardrail proceed to one of the voting booths and shall mark his ballot.
Source.
1979, 436:1, eff. July 1, 1979.
2023 New Hampshire Revised Statutes › Title LXIII - Elections › Chapter 659 - Election Procedure › Section 659:16 - Number of Voters Allowed Within Guardrail.

659:16 Number of Voters Allowed Within Guardrail. –
The number of voters within the guardrail at any one time shall not exceed the number of voting booths at the polling place, provided that the number of voters shall not include election officers or any voter who is engaged in the act of handing his ballot to the moderator.
Source.
1979, 436:1, eff. July 1, 1979.
2023 New Hampshire Revised Statutes › Title LXIII - Elections › Chapter 659 - Election Procedure › Section 659:17 - Marking the Ballot; Instructions to Voters.

659:17 Marking the Ballot;  Instructions to Voters. –
The secretary of state shall provide on the top of the general election ballot the following voting instructions. The secretary of state is authorized to replace the phrase "Make the appropriate mark" with an appropriate description and example of the mark to be made for the type of ballot in use, such as "Make a cross (X) in the box," "Completely fill in the oval," or "Complete the arrow":
1) To Vote
Make the appropriate mark to the right of your choice. For each office vote for not more than the number of candidates stated in the sentence: "Vote for not more than ___ ." If you vote for more than the stated number of candidates, your vote for that office will not be counted.
2) To Vote by Write-In
To vote for a person whose name is not printed on the ballot, write in the name of the person in the "write-in" space. Make the appropriate mark to the right of your choice.
Source.
1979, 436:1. 1994, 309:9; 324:5. 1995, 97:1. 2004, 201:4. 2007, 1:1, eff. June 15, 2007.
2023 New Hampshire Revised Statutes › Title LXIII - Elections › Chapter 659 - Election Procedure › Section 659:17-a - Appropriate Mark.

659:17-a Appropriate Mark. –
For the purposes of this chapter, the term "appropriate mark" shall mean the mark to be used in the proper manner of marking the ballot as stipulated in the instructions to voters.
Source.
1994, 324:6, eff. June 8, 1994 at 12:01 a.m.
2023 New Hampshire Revised Statutes › Title LXIII - Elections › Chapter 659 - Election Procedure › Section 659:19 - Voting on Questions.

659:19 Voting on Questions. –
A voter shall vote on questions submitted to voters by making an appropriate mark as instructed on the ballot next to the answer he or she desires to give.
Source.
1979, 436:1. 2009, 214:8, eff. Sept. 13, 2009.
2023 New Hampshire Revised Statutes › Title LXIII - Elections › Chapter 659 - Election Procedure › Section 659:20 - Assistance in Voting.

659:20 Assistance in Voting. –
Any voter who declares to the moderator under oath that said voter needs assistance marking his or her ballot shall, upon the voter's choice and request after the moderator has informed the voter of the accessible voting options that are available at the polling place, receive the assistance of one or both of the inspectors of election detailed for that purpose by the moderator or of a person of the voter's choice provided that the person is not the voter's employer or union official. Such person so assisting shall be sworn, shall mark the ballot as directed by said voter, and shall thereafter give no information regarding the same. Such person so assisting shall leave the space within the guardrail with the voter.
Source.
1979, 436:1. 1981, 97:1. 2004, 229:7. 2009, 139:2, eff. Aug. 28, 2009.
2023 New Hampshire Revised Statutes › Title LXIII - Elections › Chapter 659 - Election Procedure › Section 659:20-a - Assistance in Voting; Disabled Voter.

659:20-a Assistance in Voting;  Disabled Voter. –
Any voter, after appearing at the polling place location prior to the closing of the polls to vote in person, who declares to the moderator under oath that said voter is unable to access a polling place due to disability shall, upon the voter's request, have the required documents delivered to the voter outside the guardrail by the town or ward clerk or one of his or her assistants. The absentee ballot delivered by the town or ward clerk shall be processed using the same procedures as any other absentee ballot except that the cutoff time listed in RSA 657:22 shall not apply.
Source.
2016, 88:1, eff. July 18, 2016. 2017, 196:2, eff. Sept. 3, 2017.
2023 New Hampshire Revised Statutes › Title LXIII - Elections › Chapter 659 - Election Procedure › Section 659:21 - Admittance Within Guardrail.

659:21 Admittance Within Guardrail. –
No person other than the election officers, the voters admitted or those admitted to aid a voter pursuant to RSA 659:20 shall be permitted within the guardrail except by the authority of the election officers and, then, only for the purpose of keeping order and enforcing the law.
Source.
1979, 436:1, eff. July 1, 1979.
2023 New Hampshire Revised Statutes › Title LXIII - Elections › Chapter 659 - Election Procedure › Section 659:22 - Spoiled Ballots.

659:22 Spoiled Ballots. –
If any voter spoils a ballot, he may receive others, one at a time, not exceeding 3 in all, upon returning each spoiled one. The ballots thus returned shall be immediately marked "cancelled" by the moderator over his signature and, at the close of the polls, shall be preserved as provided in RSA 659:95.
Source.
1979, 436:1, eff. July 1, 1979.
2023 New Hampshire Revised Statutes › Title LXIII - Elections › Chapter 659 - Election Procedure › Section 659:23 - Folding and Depositing Ballot.

659:23 Folding and Depositing Ballot. –
I. Before leaving the voting booth, the voter shall fold his ballot in the same way it was folded when received by him and shall keep it folded so that the marks on it cannot be seen. He shall then proceed to the checkout table and shall announce his name to the town clerk who shall repeat the name and place a mark beside it on his checklist. The voter shall then present his ballot with the official endorsement uppermost to the moderator who shall then deposit the ballot in the ballot box.
II. The provisions of paragraph I shall not apply in cities and towns which use one or more electronic ballot counting devices for the counting of ballots, as provided in RSA 656:40.
Source.
1979, 436:1. 1989, 71:1. 2009, 70:5, eff. Aug. 8, 2009.
2023 New Hampshire Revised Statutes › Title LXIII - Elections › Chapter 659 - Election Procedure › Section 659:24 - Unofficial Ballots.

659:24 Unofficial Ballots. –
I. If the supply of official election day ballots shall become exhausted before the closing of the polls, it shall be the duty of the town or city clerk to provide additional ballots by placing unused absentee ballots into use as election day ballots or, if the supply of unused absentee ballots is exhausted, causing unofficial ballots to be prepared by photocopying an official election day ballot.
II. The clerk, a deputy, or assistant shall write or stamp his or her signature or initials in a blank space near the top of each unused absentee ballot and each photocopied ballot to authenticate that ballot for use as an election day ballot.
III. The clerk shall certify to the moderator the number of such ballots made available for use.
IV. The moderator and clerk shall monitor election day turnout. If exhaustion of the supply of election day ballots is likely, the clerk shall prepare additional ballots before the supply is exhausted. To the extent practical, the moderator shall ensure a ballot is promptly available for each voter.
V. Except as provided in this section and in RSA 658:35, no ballot without the official endorsement shall be allowed to be deposited in the ballot box.
Source.
1979, 436:1, eff. July 1, 1979. 2020, 35:4, eff. Sept. 26, 2020.
2023 New Hampshire Revised Statutes › Title LXIII - Elections › Chapter 659 - Election Procedure › Section 659:25 - Time Allowed for Voting.

659:25 Time Allowed for Voting. –
The voter shall mark and deliver the ballot without undue delay and shall leave the enclosed space within the guardrail as soon as he or she has delivered the ballot to the moderator. No voter shall be allowed to occupy a voting booth already occupied by another voter nor be allowed to remain within the enclosed space more than the time determined by the moderator.
Source.
1979, 436:1. 2003, 20:1, eff. June 22, 2003.
2023 New Hampshire Revised Statutes › Title LXIII - Elections › Chapter 659 - Election Procedure › Section 659:26 - Voters Not Readmitted.

659:26 Voters Not Readmitted. –
No voter, other than an election officer, whose name has been checked on the list by ballot clerks shall be allowed to reenter the enclosed space within the guardrail during the hours of polling except as provided in RSA 659:20.
Source.
1979, 436:1, eff. July 1, 1979.
2023 New Hampshire Revised Statutes › Title LXIII - Elections › Chapter 659 - Election Procedure › Section 659:26-a - Hours of Polling Extended by Order.

659:26-a Hours of Polling Extended by Order. –
In any federal election where hours of polling are extended by a federal or state court order or other order, the moderator or his or her designee shall mark all ballots cast during the extended hours of polling "EH." These extended hours ballots shall be counted in the usual manner, but shall be separated and held apart from other ballots when stored.
Source.
2003, 289:57, eff. Sept. 1, 2003.
2023 New Hampshire Revised Statutes › Title LXIII - Elections › Chapter 659 - Election Procedure › Section 659:27 - Challenge of Voter; Affidavit.

659:27 Challenge of Voter;  Affidavit. –
I. A voter offering to vote at any state election may be challenged by any other voter registered in the town or ward in which the election is held, an election official, a challenger appointed by a political committee pursuant to RSA 666:4, or a challenger appointed by the attorney general pursuant to RSA 666:5.
II. Upon receipt of a written challenge, the moderator shall determine if the challenge to the ballot is well grounded. If the moderator determines that the challenge is well grounded, the moderator shall not receive the vote of the person so challenged until the person signs and gives to the moderator an affidavit in the following form: I, ____________________ , do solemnly swear (or affirm) under penalties of voter fraud, that I am the identical person whom I represent myself to be, that I am a duly qualified voter of this town (or ward), and have a legal domicile therein. My telephone number (requested but optional) is _______________ , and my email address (requested but optional) is _______________ . If the moderator determines that the challenge is not well grounded, the moderator shall permit the voter to proceed to vote.
III. No voter or appointed challenger shall challenge a person's qualifications to be a voter at the election day voter registration table.
Source.
1979, 436:1. 2009, 278:3. 2010, 366:4. 2014, 319:7, eff. Sept. 30, 2014.
2023 New Hampshire Revised Statutes › Title LXIII - Elections › Chapter 659 - Election Procedure › Section 659:28 - Secretary of State to Prepare Affidavit Blanks.

659:28 Secretary of State to Prepare Affidavit Blanks. –
The secretary of state shall prepare and distribute to the town and ward clerks before every state election printed blanks for the affidavits required by RSA 659:27.
Source.
1979, 436:1, eff. July 1, 1979.
2023 New Hampshire Revised Statutes › Title LXIII - Elections › Chapter 659 - Election Procedure › Section 659:29 - Special Provisions for State and Presidential Primary Elections.

659:29 Special Provisions for State and Presidential Primary Elections. –
Any voter at any state or presidential primary election may challenge any other voter offering to declare himself as a member of a party or to vote the ballot of a party. Such challenged voter shall not be allowed to so declare or so vote until he makes an oath or affirmation that he affiliates with and generally supports the candidates of the party.
Source.
1979, 436:1, eff. July 1, 1979.
2023 New Hampshire Revised Statutes › Title LXIII - Elections › Chapter 659 - Election Procedure › Section 659:30 - Affidavit.

659:30 Affidavit. –
The affidavit of a challenged voter, an asserting a challenge form, a qualified voter affidavit, or any other affidavit required by the election statutes may be sworn before any person authorized by law to administer oaths or before any election officer.
Source.
1979, 436:1. 2003, 289:58. 2006, 94:2. 2007, 212:5. 2009, 278:4. 2011, 73:4, eff. July 15, 2011. 2017, 205:11, eff. Sept. 8, 2017.
2023 New Hampshire Revised Statutes › Title LXIII - Elections › Chapter 659 - Election Procedure › Section 659:31 - Receiving Vote.

659:31 Receiving Vote. –
A moderator shall not receive the vote of any voter who is challenged and who refuses to make an affidavit as required by RSA 659:27 or 659:29. A moderator who does receive the vote of such voter shall be guilty of a violation.
Source.
1979, 436:1, eff. July 1, 1979.
2023 New Hampshire Revised Statutes › Title LXIII - Elections › Chapter 659 - Election Procedure › Section 659:32 - Affidavits Recorded.

659:32 Affidavits Recorded. –
The town clerk shall record the name and domicile of all voters making such affidavits, the name of the person challenging and the reason for the challenge.
Source.
1979, 436:1, eff. July 1, 1979.
2023 New Hampshire Revised Statutes › Title LXIII - Elections › Chapter 659 - Election Procedure › Section 659:34-a - Voting in More Than One State Prohibited.

659:34-a Voting in More Than One State Prohibited. –
I. A person is guilty of a class B felony if, at any election, such person knowingly checks in at the checklist and casts a New Hampshire ballot on which one or more federal or statewide offices or statewide questions are listed if the person also casts a ballot in the same election year in any election held in any other state or territory of the United States where one or more federal or statewide offices or statewide questions are listed. For federal or statewide offices and statewide questions, neither the candidates nor the questions need be the same in both jurisdictions for a violation to occur. The titles for offices need not be identical, but must serve an equivalent role in government, for a violation to occur.
II. Two or more elections occur with the same election year if:
(a) The election for federal or statewide office or on a question being voted on statewide in another state or territory is held on the same day that New Hampshire holds its general election; or
(b) The term of office for any office listed on the ballot in the other state or territory starts in the same year as the term of office for that office or its equivalent in New Hampshire.
III. The state shall not be required to prove that the person actually marked the ballot for a candidate for any specific office; it shall be sufficient to prove that the person cast a ballot. Evidence that a person was checked off on the checklist, or the equivalent record in another state or territory, as having voted is prima facie evidence that the person cast a ballot in that election.
IV. If the election in New Hampshire and the other state or territory are held on different dates, it is an affirmative defense that the person legitimately moved his or her domicile to or from the other state or territory between the dates when the elections were held.
Source.
2006, 68:1, eff. Sept. 1, 2006.
2023 New Hampshire Revised Statutes › Title LXIII - Elections › Chapter 659 - Election Procedure › Section 659:35 - Showing or Specially Marking Ballot.

659:35 Showing or Specially Marking Ballot. –
I. No voter shall allow his or her ballot to be seen by any person with the intention of letting it be known how he or she is about to vote or how he or she has voted except as provided in RSA 659:20. This prohibition shall include taking a digital image or photograph of his or her marked ballot and distributing or sharing the image via social media or by any other means.
II. No voter shall place a distinguishing mark upon his or her ballot nor write in any name as the candidate of his or her choice with the intention of thereby placing a distinguishing mark upon the ballot.
III. No voter shall use or attempt to use any ballot not given him or her by the ballot clerk to accomplish any of the acts or purposes prohibited by paragraph I or II or both.
IV. Any person willfully violating any of the provisions of this section shall be guilty of a violation.
V. Before each state election, the secretary of state shall prepare and distribute to the town and ward clerks a sufficient number of posters measuring 8-
1/2 inches by 11 inches highlighting the provisions of paragraphs I through IV.
VI. Each town and ward clerk shall prominently post the posters referred to in paragraph V at each polling place in his or her town or ward.
Source.
1979, 436:1. 2014, 82:1, eff. Sept. 1, 2014.
2023 New Hampshire Revised Statutes › Title LXIII - Elections › Chapter 659 - Election Procedure › Section 659:36 - Marking Ballot by Election Officers.

659:36 Marking Ballot by Election Officers. –
No mark of any nature shall be placed on any ballot by an election officer except as provided in RSA 659:20, 659:22, 659:26-a, and 659:51. Whoever knowingly violates this section shall be guilty of a misdemeanor.
Source.
1979, 436:1, eff. July 1, 1979. 2020, 35:5, eff. Sept. 26, 2020.
2023 New Hampshire Revised Statutes › Title LXIII - Elections › Chapter 659 - Election Procedure › Section 659:37 - Interfering With Voter, Etc.

659:37 Interfering With Voter, Etc. –
No person shall interfere or attempt to interfere with any voter when such voter is in the space within the guardrail or endeavor to induce any voter before voting to show how he marks or has marked his ballot. Whoever knowingly violates this section shall be guilty of a misdemeanor if a natural person or guilty of a felony if any other person.
Source.
1979, 436:1, eff. July 1, 1979.
2023 New Hampshire Revised Statutes › Title LXIII - Elections › Chapter 659 - Election Procedure › Section 659:38 - Forgery; Removing Ballot.

659:38 Forgery;  Removing Ballot. –
No person shall forge or falsely make the official endorsement on any official ballot, or furnish to any voter a ballot with the intent that such voter shall use the same in voting instead of the ballot given him by the ballot clerk, or take or remove any ballot outside the guardrail before the close of the polls, or knowingly delay the delivery of any ballots. Whoever knowingly violates this provision shall be guilty of a misdemeanor if a natural person or guilty of a felony if any other person.
Source.
1979, 436:1, eff. July 1, 1979.
2023 New Hampshire Revised Statutes › Title LXIII - Elections › Chapter 659 - Election Procedure › Section 659:39 - Giving Liquor.

659:39 Giving Liquor. –
Any person who shall directly or indirectly give intoxicating liquor to a voter at any time with a view to influencing any election shall be guilty as provided in RSA 640:2.
Source.
1979, 436:1, eff. July 1, 1979.
2023 New Hampshire Revised Statutes › Title LXIII - Elections › Chapter 659 - Election Procedure › Section 659:40 - Bribing; Intimidation; Suppression.

659:40 Bribing;  Intimidation;  Suppression. –
I. No person shall directly or indirectly bribe any person not to register to vote or any voter not to vote or to vote for or against any question submitted to voters or to vote for or against any ticket or candidate for office at any election.
II. No person shall use or threaten force, violence, or any tactic of coercion or intimidation to knowingly induce or compel any other person to vote or refrain from voting, vote or refrain from voting for any particular candidate or ballot measure, or refrain from registering to vote.
III. No person shall engage in voter suppression by knowingly attempting to prevent or deter another person from voting or registering to vote based on fraudulent, deceptive, misleading, or spurious grounds or information. Prohibited acts of voter suppression include:
(a) Challenging another person's right to register to vote or to vote based on information that he or she knows to be false or misleading.
(b) Attempting to induce another person to refrain from registering to vote or from voting by providing that person with information that he or she knows to be false or misleading.
(c) Attempting to induce another person to refrain from registering to vote or from voting at the proper place or time by providing information that he or she knows to be false or misleading about the date, time, place, or manner of the election.
IV. Whoever violates the provisions of this section or whoever conspires to violate the provisions of this section shall be guilty of a class B felony.
V. This section is not intended to preclude prosecution or sentencing under any section of RSA 640.
Source.
1979, 436:1. 2008, 118:1, eff. July 1, 2008.
2023 New Hampshire Revised Statutes › Title LXIII - Elections › Chapter 659 - Election Procedure › Section 659:40-a - Interference With Communications.

659:40-a Interference With Communications. –
Any person who, on the day of any election, knowingly blocks, or solicits another person to block, the access of any candidate or committee to the candidate's or the committee's communications equipment or services with the intent of interfering with campaign activity shall be guilty of a class B felony.
Source.
2003, 172:1. 2006, 305:4, eff. Jan. 1, 2007.
2023 New Hampshire Revised Statutes › Title LXIII - Elections › Chapter 659 - Election Procedure › Section 659:40-b - Intimidation of Election Officers.

659:40-b Intimidation of Election Officers. –
I. No person shall use or threaten force, violence, or any tactic of coercion or intimidation to knowingly discourage, interfere with, or compel any election officer, as defined in RSA 652:14, and other appointed individuals assisting at the polling place, such as ballot clerks and greeters, from engaging in or completing duties related to an election.
II. Whoever violates the provisions of this section or who conspires to violate the provisions of this section shall be guilty of a class B felony.
Source.
2022, 234:1, eff. Jan. 1, 2023.
2023 New Hampshire Revised Statutes › Title LXIII - Elections › Chapter 659 - Election Procedure › Section 659:41 - Assault, Etc.

659:41 Assault, Etc. –
Any person who shall assault a town, city, or ward officer as provided in RSA 631 in the discharge of any duty of his office at any election shall be guilty of a class A felony or a class B felony, but never less than a class B felony, other provisions of the law to the contrary notwithstanding. Any person who shall take away, injure or destroy the ballot box or checklist when in use at any election shall be guilty of a class B felony.
Source.
1979, 436:1, eff. July 1, 1979.
2023 New Hampshire Revised Statutes › Title LXIII - Elections › Chapter 659 - Election Procedure › Section 659:42 - Tampering With Electronic Ballot Counting Devices.

659:42 Tampering With Electronic Ballot Counting Devices. –
Whoever shall tamper with or injure or attempt to injure any electronic ballot counting device for the counting of ballots to be used or being used in an election or whoever shall prevent or attempt to prevent the correct operation of such device or whoever shall tamper with software used in the counting of ballots or design such software so as to cause incorrect tabulation of the ballots or any unauthorized person who shall make or have in his or her possession a key to an electronic ballot counting device to be used or being used in an election shall be guilty of a class B felony if a natural person or guilty of a felony if any other person.
Source.
1979, 436:1. 2006, 305:5. 2009, 70:6, eff. Aug. 8, 2009.
2023 New Hampshire Revised Statutes › Title LXIII - Elections › Chapter 659 - Election Procedure › Section 659:43 - Electioneering at the Polling Place.

659:43 Electioneering at the Polling Place. –
I. Electioneering shall be prohibited within the polling place building, provided that nothing in this section shall apply to the posting of sample ballots by election officials, pursuant to RSA 658:26, which have not been marked as voting for any candidate or measure.
II. The moderator shall establish one or more no-electioneering corridors, no less than 10 feet wide, that extend from all entrances of the polling place a reasonable distance along the sidewalks or to the parking lots that serve the polling place. The moderator shall establish the corridor in a manner that permits a voter arriving or leaving the polling place to enter or exit without interruption or interference from individuals outside the corridor, and that permits a voter to step to the edge of the corridor and speak with those electioneering if he or she chooses.
III. The moderator shall designate a preferred area for electioneering, which to the extent practical shall be within sight and conversation-level sound of the primary entrance to the polling place and shall abide by any regulations or ordinances approved by the municipality's governing body pursuant to RSA 31:41-c or RSA 47:17, XIV-a.
IV. Electioneering may occur outside the no-electioneering corridor and outside the designated preferred electioneering area.
V. Electioneering signs shall not be affixed to the polling place building or grounds.
VI. Electioneering signs shall not be left unattended.
VII. The distribution or posting of electioneering communications, including but not limited to posters, cards, handbills, placards, pictures, pins, stickers, circulars, or articles of clothing, is prohibited within any no-electioneering corridor established outside the polling place by the moderator.
VIII. Whoever violates any of the provisions of this section shall be guilty of a violation.
IX. (a) Whoever violates any of the provisions of this section shall be subject to a civil penalty not to exceed $1,000.
(b) The court, upon petition of the attorney general, may levy upon any person who violates the provisions of RSA 659:43 a civil penalty in an amount not to exceed $1,000 per violation. All penalties assessed under this paragraph shall be paid to the secretary of state for deposit into the general fund.
(c) The attorney general shall have authority to notify suspected violators of this section of the state's intention to seek a civil penalty, to negotiate, and to settle with such suspected violators without court action, provided any civil penalty paid as settlement shall be paid to the secretary of state for deposit into the general fund.
Source.
1979, 436:1. 1987, 354:1. 2004, 50:1. 2009, 144:223, eff. July 1, 2009. 2016, 320:1, eff. June 24, 2016. 2020, 36:2, eff. Jan. 1, 2020.
2023 New Hampshire Revised Statutes › Title LXIII - Elections › Chapter 659 - Election Procedure › Section 659:44 - Electioneering by Election Officers.

659:44 Electioneering by Election Officers. –
No election officer shall electioneer while in the performance of his official duties. For the purposes of this section, "electioneer" shall mean to act in any way specifically designed to influence the vote of a voter on any question or office. Any person who violates this provision shall be guilty of a misdemeanor.
Source.
1979, 436:1, eff. July 1, 1979. 2020, 36:3, eff. Jan. 1, 2020.
2023 New Hampshire Revised Statutes › Title LXIII - Elections › Chapter 659 - Election Procedure › Section 659:44-a - Electioneering by Public Employees.

659:44-a Electioneering by Public Employees. –
I. No public employee, as defined in RSA 273-A:1, IX,shall electioneer while in the performance of his or her official duties.
II. No public employee shall use government property or equipment, including, but not limited to, telephones, facsimile machines, vehicles, and computers, for electioneering.
III. For the purposes of this section, "electioneer" means to act in any way specifically designed to influence the vote of a voter on any question or office.
IV. Any person who violates this section shall be guilty of a misdemeanor.
Source.
2003, 172:2, eff. June 18, 2003. 2016, 176:1, eff. Jan. 1, 2017.
2023 New Hampshire Revised Statutes › Title LXIII - Elections › Chapter 659 - Election Procedure › Section 659:45 - General Provisions.

659:45 General Provisions. –
It shall be the responsibility of the moderator to report any violation occurring under RSA 659:34 through RSA 659:44 to the attorney general. All fines imposed under RSA 659:35 through RSA 659:44 shall be paid to the county in which the offense was committed. All penalties assessed under RSA 659:34 shall be paid to the secretary of state for deposit into the general fund.
Source.
1979, 436:1. 2004, 229:2. 2009, 144:224, eff. July 1, 2009.
2023 New Hampshire Revised Statutes › Title LXIII - Elections › Chapter 659 - Election Procedure › Section 659:45-a - Certain Photography Prohibited.

659:45-a Certain Photography Prohibited. –
No person shall take or cause any photograph to be taken within the guardrail that captures another voter or another voter's ballot.
Source.
2021, 177:2, Pt. II, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 28, 2021.
2023 New Hampshire Revised Statutes › Title LXIII - Elections › Chapter 659 - Election Procedure › Section 659:47 - Absentee Ballots Received Late.

659:47 Absentee Ballots Received Late. –
No absentee ballot shall be processed or counted unless it is delivered to the moderator at the proper polling place prior to the closing of the polls.
Source.
1979, 436:1. 1995, 48:2, eff. July 2, 1995.
2023 New Hampshire Revised Statutes › Title LXIII - Elections › Chapter 659 - Election Procedure › Section 659:48 - Death of a Voter.

659:48 Death of a Voter. –
If the officers charged with the duty of processing absentee ballots are cognizant of the fact that the voter has died prior to the opening of the polls, they shall not open the envelope containing the absentee ballot.
Source.
1979, 436:1, eff. July 1, 1979.
2023 New Hampshire Revised Statutes › Title LXIII - Elections › Chapter 659 - Election Procedure › Section 659:49 - Processing Absentee Ballots.

659:49 Processing Absentee Ballots. –
I. Processing of previously received absentee ballots shall begin at 1:00 p.m. unless a different time, that is no earlier than 2 hours after the opening of the polls, is posted and announced in accordance with paragraph II. The processing of the absentee ballots shall not unnecessarily interfere with normal voting procedures, nor shall the polls be closed at any time for the processing of such ballots during normal polling hours. Absentee ballots which are received after the start time for processing absentee ballots and prior to 5:00 p.m. on the day of the election shall be processed as soon after receipt as possible. Under no circumstances shall absentee ballots be counted prior to the closing of the polls.
II. Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraph I, upon the written challenges of 10 or more voters who are present at the polls no later than 1:00 p.m., the moderator shall postpone the processing of all absentee ballots until after the polls close and prior to the counting of all ballots cast in the election. The moderator, or his or her designee, shall post the time at which the processing of absentee ballots shall begin at the polling place and one other public location at least 24 hours before the polls open. In addition, when the polls open the moderator shall announce the time at which the processing of absentee ballots shall begin.
Source.
1979, 436:1. 1985, 122:1. 1995, 48:3. 1997, 103:1. 1998, 246:5. 2014, 319:15, eff. Aug. 1, 2014. 2020, 14:7, eff. July 17, 2020; 14:11, eff. Jan. 1, 2021.
2023 New Hampshire Revised Statutes › Title LXIII - Elections › Chapter 659 - Election Procedure › Section 659:49-b - Opening Absentee Ballot Outer Envelopes.

659:49-b Opening Absentee Ballot Outer Envelopes. –
The moderator or the moderator's designee may authorize the opening of absentee ballot outer envelopes on election day prior to the time established for processing absentee ballots in RSA 659:49, provided that the opening of the outer envelopes occurs in public with notice of the time and place. The envelope containing the ballot shall not be removed from the outer envelope at such time, and the outer envelope containing the inner envelope shall be secured until it is processed pursuant to RSA 659:50.
Source.
2008, 108:1. 2010, 317:40, eff. July 18, 2010. 2020, 14:8, eff. July 17, 2020; 14:12, eff. Jan. 1, 2021.
2023 New Hampshire Revised Statutes › Title LXIII - Elections › Chapter 659 - Election Procedure › Section 659:50 - Announcement by Moderator.

659:50 Announcement by Moderator. –
I. The moderator shall begin processing absentee ballots by clearly announcing that he or she is about to open the envelopes which were delivered to him or her. The moderator shall then remove the envelope containing the ballots of each absentee voter and, for those absentee ballots where the absentee voter has not been verified by the clerk as provided in RSA 657:17-a, shall compare the signature on the affidavit with the signature on the application for the ballot. If:
(a) The name of the voter is on the checklist; and
(b) The affidavit appears to be properly executed; and
(c) If the affidavit or application shows that the voter received assistance, the absentee voter shall be processed as verified. Otherwise, the signatures on the affidavit shall be examined to determine if it appears to be executed by the same person who signed the application.
II. For the absentee ballots processed in accordance with paragraph I and those where the clerk has previously verified the absentee voter in accordance with RSA 657:17-a, if the signatures appear to be the signatures of a duly qualified voter who has not voted at the election; then the moderator shall publicly announce the name of the absentee voter, except that with respect to any voter who has been included in the address confidentiality program under RSA 7:43 or who has been granted a protective order under RSA 173-B, the moderator shall identify such voters as "confidential voter number 1" and "confidential voter number 2," and so forth. If these conditions are not met, the moderator shall follow the procedure provided in RSA 659:53.
Source.
1979, 436:1. 2010, 317:41, eff. July 18, 2010. 2017, 216:9, eff. July 10, 2017. 2018, 329:3, eff. Jan. 1, 2019.
2023 New Hampshire Revised Statutes › Title LXIII - Elections › Chapter 659 - Election Procedure › Section 659:51 - Challenges.

659:51 Challenges. –
I. All absentee ballots are subject to challenge after the moderator publicly announces the name of the absentee voter, except for voters provided for in RSA 7:46, but not after the ballot is removed from the envelope. No challenge to an absentee ballot may be asserted except in conformity with the requirements of RSA 659:27-a.
II. If the ballot is challenged, the moderator shall write on the envelope containing the ballot the word "challenged" and the name and address of the person who makes the challenge and the basis of the challenge. The moderator shall also number each challenged envelope consecutively by marking, for example, the first challenged ballot "Challenged Ballot No. 1."
III. The moderator shall then determine if the challenge to the ballot is well grounded. If the moderator decides the challenge is well grounded, the moderator shall not open the envelope but shall preserve it with the other ballots cast at the election as provided in RSA 659:101 and shall record next to the name of the absentee voter on the clerk's list of absentee voters prepared pursuant to RSA 657:15 the word "challenged" and the reason for the challenge. The clerk shall record this information in the statewide centralized voter registration database. If the moderator decides that the challenge is not well grounded, he or she shall open the envelope so the affidavit is not destroyed and proceed first to mark on the reverse of the folded ballot the corresponding challenge number as previously marked on the envelope. The moderator shall then proceed to deposit the ballot as provided in RSA 659:52.
Source.
1979, 436:1. 2010, 182:12, eff. June 21, 2010; 317:76, eff. July 18, 2010; 366:8, eff. July 23, 2010.