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HB1076 • 2026

relative to authorizing or rescinding the use of electronic ballot counting devices.

relative to authorizing or rescinding the use of electronic ballot counting devices.

Elections
Passed Legislature

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

Sponsor
Susan DeRoy (R), Kelley Potenza (R), Mike Belcher (R), Diane Pauer (R), Glenn Bailey (R), Samuel Farrington (R), Claudine Burnham (R), JD Bernardy (R)
Last action
2026-04-10
Official status
SENATE
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.

relative to authorizing or rescinding the use of electronic ballot counting devices.

relative to authorizing or rescinding the use of electronic ballot counting devices.

What This Bill Does

  • relative to authorizing or rescinding the use of electronic ballot counting devices.

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. 2026-04-10 S

    Refer to Interim Study, MA, VV; 04/16/2026; SJ 9

  2. 2026-04-06 S

    Committee Report: Referred to Interim Study, 04/16/2026; Vote 4-1; CC; SC 14

  3. 2026-03-25 S

    Hearing: 03/31/2026, Room 122-123, SH, 10:45 am; SC 12

  4. 2026-03-17 S

    Introduced 03/12/2026 and Referred to Election Law and Municipal Affairs; SJ 7

  5. 2026-03-12 H

    Ought to Pass : MA DV 182-151 03/12/2026 HJ 8 P. 27

  6. 2026-02-27 H

    Majority Committee Report: Ought to Pass 02/03/2026 (Vote 15-3; RC) HC 10 P. 62

  7. 2026-02-27 H

    Minority Committee Report: Inexpedient to Legislate

  8. 2026-02-04 H

    Executive Session: 02/03/2026 11:15 am GP 153

  9. 2026-01-21 H

    Public Hearing: 01/30/2026 11:45 am GP 154

  10. 2025-11-12 H

    Introduced 01/07/2026 and referred to Municipal and County Government HJ 1 P. 5

Official Summary Text

relative to authorizing or rescinding the use of electronic ballot counting devices.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
HB 1076 - AS INTRODUCED

2026 SESSION
26-2444
08/05

HOUSE BILL
1076

AN ACT
relative to authorizing or rescinding the use of electronic ballot counting devices.

SPONSORS: Rep. DeRoy, Straf. 3; Rep. Pauer, Hills. 36; Rep. Burnham, Straf. 2; Rep. Potenza, Straf. 19; Rep. Bailey, Straf. 2; Rep. Bernardy, Rock. 36; Rep. Belcher, Carr. 4; Rep. Farrington, Straf. 8

COMMITTEE: Municipal and County Government

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ANALYSIS

This bill authorizes the legislative body of any municipality to authorize or rescind the use of electronic ballot counting devices.

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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.
26-2444
08/05

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Twenty-Six

AN ACT
relative to authorizing or rescinding the use of electronic ballot counting devices.

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

1 Preparation of Voting Materials; Electronic Ballot Counting Devices. Amend RSA 656:40 to read as follows:
656:40 Adoption
or Rescission
.
The mayor and aldermen of any city or the [
selectmen
]
legislative body
of any town, subject to the approval of the ballot law commission, may authorize
or rescind
the use of one of the electronic ballot counting devices approved by the ballot law commission and the number of those devices used for the counting of ballots in such city or town for any regular or special election.
In a town that has adopted an official ballot, the official ballot shall be used for the question proposed at any annual or special meeting on the authorization or the rescission of the use of electronic ballot counting devices under this section. The wording of the question for authorizing such devices shall be: "Shall the town authorize the use of (number) electronic ballot counting devices for any regular and special elections?" The wording of the question for rescinding the use of such devices shall be: "Shall the town rescind the use of electronic ballot counting devices for any regular and special elections?" If the town has not adopted an official ballot, the clerk shall cause the same question to be printed upon special ballots which shall be used to determine the vote of the town.
The use of such device so authorized shall be valid for all purposes. Any town
authorized by the legislative body
, or the mayor and aldermen of any city, may vote to lease or purchase electronic ballot counting devices approved by the ballot law commission for the elections held in said town or city. Any town, or the mayor and aldermen of any city, so acting shall notify the secretary of state of the action taken in regard to electronic ballot counting devices; and, after said action, electronic ballot counting devices shall be used in said town or city in accordance with said vote or authorization
until such use is rescinded
. If a special state election involving a state representative district occurs in a city or town that has adopted the provisions of RSA 656:40, the secretary of state may prepare and issue paper ballots which shall be used.

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