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HB1069 • 2026

enabling municipalities and school districts to hold such elections on the day of the state primary.

enabling municipalities and school districts to hold such elections on the day of the state primary.

Education Elections
Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor
Joe Sweeney (R), Joe Alexander (R), Ross Berry (R)
Last action
2026-03-05
Official status
HOUSE
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

enabling municipalities and school districts to hold such elections on the day of the state primary.

enabling municipalities and school districts to hold such elections on the day of the state primary.

What This Bill Does

  • enabling municipalities and school districts to hold such elections on the day of the state primary.

Limits and Unknowns

  • This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Bill History

  1. 2026-03-05 H

    Inexpedient to Legislate: MA VV 03/05/2026 HJ 6 P. 14

  2. 2026-02-26 H

    Committee Report: Inexpedient to Legislate 02/17/2026 (Vote 15-0; CC) HC 9 P. 13

  3. 2026-02-17 H

    Executive Session: 02/17/2026 01:40 pm GP 158

  4. 2026-02-12 H

    Public Hearing: 02/17/2026 10:40 am GP 158

  5. 2025-11-12 H

    Introduced 01/07/2026 and referred to Election Law HJ 1 P. 5

Official Summary Text

enabling municipalities and school districts to hold such elections on the day of the state primary.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
HB 1069 - AS INTRODUCED

2026 SESSION
26-2374
08/06

HOUSE BILL
1069

AN ACT
enabling municipalities and school districts to hold such elections on the day of the state primary.

SPONSORS: Rep. Sweeney, Rock. 25; Rep. Alexander Jr., Hills. 29; Rep. Berry, Hills. 44

COMMITTEE: Election Law

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ANALYSIS

This bill enables municipalities and school districts to hold such elections on the day of the state primary.

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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.
26-2374
08/06

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Twenty-Six

AN ACT
enabling municipalities and school districts to hold such elections on the day of the state primary.

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

1 New Section; Town Meeting Elections; Option to Align with State Primary. Amend RSA 39 by inserting after section 2-b the following new section:
39:2-c Option to Align Town Election of Officers with State Primary.
I. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, beginning with the state primary election to be held in September 2028 and thereafter, any town may, by majority vote at an annual or special meeting, vote to hold the election of town officers on the same date as the state primary election.
II. A town adopting the option under paragraph I shall notify the secretary of state in writing not later than December 31 of the calendar year preceding the first election to be conducted under this section.
III. A town adopting this option shall continue to hold its deliberative session, town meeting business session, and any other meetings required by law on the dates otherwise provided in this chapter, except that the election of officers shall occur on the date of the state primary.

2 New Section; School District Meeting Elections; Option to Align with State Primary. Amend RSA 197 by inserting after section 5-b the following new section:
197:5-c Option to Align School District Election of Officers with State Primary.
I. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, beginning with the state primary election to be held in September 2028 and thereafter, any school district may, by majority vote at an annual or special meeting, vote to hold the election of school district officers on the same date as the state primary election.
II. A school district adopting the option under paragraph I shall notify the secretary of state in writing not later than December 31 of the calendar year preceding the first election to be conducted under this section.
III. A school district adopting this option shall continue to hold its deliberative session, budget meeting, and any other meetings required by law on the dates otherwise provided in this chapter, except that the election of officers shall occur on the date of the state primary.

3 New Section; State Reimbursement for Local Election Costs. Amend RSA 659 by inserting after section 104 the following new section:
659:104-a State Reimbursement for Local Elections Held on State Primary Day.
I. If a town or school district elects to hold its election of officers on the date of the state primary pursuant to RSA 39:2-c or RSA 197:5-b, the state shall reimburse the town or school district for all direct costs incurred in conducting the local election.
II. Reimbursable costs shall include, but not be limited to, the costs of printing and distributing ballots, staffing and compensation of election officials, polling place expenses, voter notification required by law, and the tallying and reporting of results.
III. Municipalities and school districts shall submit claims for reimbursement in a form and by a deadline prescribed by the secretary of state. The secretary of state, in consultation with the department of administrative services, shall adopt rules under RSA 541-A relative to the reimbursement process.
IV. The state treasurer shall establish and maintain a dedicated line item appropriation within the biennial state budget sufficient to provide reimbursement under this section.

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