Voting laws in New Hampshire

From Ballotpedia

Note: Before taking any action, or if you have any questions, contact your state election agency.

Qualifications to vote and General Prohibition on Felon Voting

All elections are to be free, and every inhabitant of the state of 18 years of age and upwards shall have an equal right to vote in any election. Every person shall be considered an inhabitant for the purposes of voting in the town, ward, or unincorporated place where he has his domicile. No person shall have the right to vote under the constitution of this state who has been convicted of treason, bribery or any willful violation of the election laws of this state or of the United States; but the supreme court may, on notice to the attorney general, restore the privilege to vote to any person who may have forfeited it by conviction of such offenses. The general court shall provide by law for voting by qualified voters who at the time of the biennial or state elections, or of the primary elections therefor, or of city elections, or of town elections by official ballot, are absent from the city or town of which they are inhabitants, or who by reason of physical disability are unable to vote in person, in the choice of any officer or officers to be elected or upon any question submitted at such election. Voting registration and polling places shall be easily accessible to all persons including disabled and elderly persons who are otherwise qualified to vote in the choice of any officer or officers to be elected or upon any question submitted at such election. The right to vote shall not be denied to any person because of the non-payment of any tax. Every inhabitant of the state, having the proper qualifications, has equal right to be elected into office.^[1]

Absentee voting

Any person who is absent on the day of any state election from the city, town, or unincorporated place in which he or she is registered to vote or who cannot appear in public on any election day because of his or her observance of a religious commitment or who is unable to vote there in person by reason of physical disability may vote at such elections as provided in this chapter. A person who is unable to appear at any time during polling hours at his or her polling place because an employment obligation requires the person to remain physically at work or to be in transit to or from work from the time the polls open until after the time the polls close shall be considered absent for purposes of this chapter.^[2]

Military

Regardless of whether he is previously registered, any person qualified as an armed services voter as provided in RSA 654:4 may vote absentee at any state election in the New Hampshire city or town which was last his home as provided in this chapter.^[3]

Prior to any state election, the secretary of state shall prepare, in such quantity as the secretary of state may deem necessary, armed services absentee ballots in the same form as the absence and disability absentee ballot to be used at said election.^[4]

Prior to any state election, the secretary of state shall prepare the following forms in such quantity as he may deem necessary: I. Armed services absentee ballots as provided in RSA 656:35. II. Affidavit envelopes of sufficient size to contain the ballots on which shall be printed the following: (a) For Voters Who Are Registered. A person voting by armed services absentee ballot who is a registered voter in the town or city in which he or she desires to vote shall fill out and sign the following certificate: I do hereby certify under the penalties for voting fraud set forth below that I am a voter in the city or town of __________, New Hampshire, in ward __________; that I will be absent on election day from said city or town and will be unable to vote in person; that I have carefully read (or had read to me because I am blind) the instructions forwarded to me with the ballot herein enclosed, and that I personally marked the ballot within and sealed it in this envelope (or had assistance in marking the ballot and sealing it in this envelope because I am blind).^[5]

Residency Requirements

Election day activities

Conduct

Electioneering

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.^[6]

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. ^[7]

Post Election

Further Reading

This article only highlights important parts of the New Hampshire Revised Statutes. If the information you are looking for is not on this page, please look at the New Hampshire Revised Statutes available online.

References

1. ↑ [1] N.H. Const. Art. 11
2. ↑ [2] N.H. Rev. Stat. A. § 657:1 (1979)
3. ↑ [3] N.H. Rev. Stat. A. § 657:3 (1979)
4. ↑ [4] N.H. Rev. Stat. A. § 656:35 (1996)
5. ↑ [5] N.H. Rev. Stat. A. § 657:9 (2003)
6. ↑ [6] N.H. Rev. Stat. A. § 659:37 (1979)
7. ↑ [7] N.H. Rev. Stat. A. § 659:40 (2008)

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