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HB1541 • 2026

requiring the secretary of state to provide all voting precincts with secure containers for storing ballots.

requiring the secretary of state to provide all voting precincts with secure containers for storing ballots.

Elections
Passed Legislature

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

Sponsor
Susan Porcelli (R), Jodi Nelson (R), Jeffrey Tenczar (R), JD Bernardy (R), Alvin See (R), Linda McGrath (R), Claudine Burnham (R), Robert Wherry (R), Daniel Innis (R), Katelyn Kuttab (R), Clayton Wood (R), Tim McGough (R)
Last action
2026-07-06
Official status
PASSED
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.

requiring the secretary of state to provide all voting precincts with secure containers for storing ballots.

requiring the secretary of state to provide all voting precincts with secure containers for storing ballots.

What This Bill Does

  • requiring the secretary of state to provide all voting precincts with secure containers for storing ballots.

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. 2026-07-06 H

    Enrolled (in recess of) 06/04/2026 HJ 15

  2. 2026-07-06 S

    Enrolled Adopted, VV, (In recess 06/04/2026); SJ 15

  3. 2026-06-23 S

    Enrolled Bill Amendment #2026-2177e Adopted, VV, (In recess of 06/04/2026); SJ 14

  4. 2026-06-23 H

    Enrolled Bill Amendment #2026-2177e : AA VV (in recess of) 06/04/2026 HJ 15

  5. 2026-06-04 H

    Conference Committee Report 2026-2091c: Adopted, VV 06/04/2026 HJ 15

  6. 2026-05-29 S

    Conference Committee Report #2026-2091c , Adopted, VV; 06/04/2026; SJ 14

  7. 2026-05-28 H

    Conference Committee Meeting: 05/28/2026 10:00 am GP 228

  8. 2026-05-28 H

    Conference Committee Meeting: 05/28/2026 10:00 am GP 228

  9. 2026-05-28 S

    Conference Committee Report Filed, #2026-2091c ; 06/04/2026

  10. 2026-05-27 H

    Conference Committee Meeting: 05/27/2026 10:40 am GP 228

  11. 2026-05-27 H

    Conferee Change: Rep. Newsom Replaces Rep. Muirhead 05/27/2026 HJ 14

  12. 2026-05-13 S

    Sen. Gray Accedes to House Request for Committee of Conference, MA, VV; (In recess 05/07/2026); SJ 12

  13. 2026-05-13 S

    President Appoints: Senators Gray, Lang, Perkins Kwoka; (In Recess 05/07/2026); SJ 12

  14. 2026-05-06 H

    House Non-Concurs with Senate Amendment 2026-1313s and Requests CofC (Rep. Berry): MA VV 04/23/2026 HJ 11

  15. 2026-05-06 H

    Speaker Appoints: Reps. Berry, Qualey, Lane, Muirhead 04/23/2026 HJ 11

  16. 2026-04-03 S

    Committee Amendment #2026-1313s , AA, VV; 04/09/2026; SJ 8

  17. 2026-04-03 S

    Ought to Pass with Amendment #2026-1313s , MA, VV; OT3rdg; 04/09/2026; SJ 8

  18. 2026-04-01 S

    Committee Report: Ought to Pass with Amendment #2026-1313s , 04/09/2026; Vote 5-0; CC; SC 13

  19. 2026-03-25 S

    Hearing: 03/31/2026, Room 122-123, SH, 09:00 am; SC 12

  20. 2026-03-06 S

    Introduced 03/05/2026 and Referred to Election Law and Municipal Affairs; SJ 6

  21. 2026-03-05 H

    Ought to Pass : MA VV 03/05/2026 HJ 6 P. 15

  22. 2026-02-24 H

    Committee Report: Ought to Pass 02/10/2026 (Vote 17-0; CC) HC 9 P. 14

  23. 2026-02-11 H

    Executive Session: 02/10/2026 11:00 am GP 158

  24. 2026-01-29 H

    Public Hearing: 02/03/2026 03:20 pm GP 158

  25. 2025-12-10 H

    Introduced 01/07/2026 and referred to Election Law HJ 1 P. 25

Official Summary Text

requiring the secretary of state to provide all voting precincts with secure containers for storing ballots.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
HB 1541-FN - VERSION ADOPTED BY BOTH BODIES

04/09/2026 1313s
4Jun2026... 2091CofC
4Jun2026... 2177EBA
2026 SESSION
26-2744
08/06

HOUSE BILL
1541-FN

AN ACT
requiring the secretary of state to provide all voting precincts with secure containers for storing ballots.

SPONSORS: Rep. Porcelli, Rock. 19; Rep. Bernardy, Rock. 36; Rep. Burnham, Straf. 2; Rep. Kuttab, Rock. 17; Rep. Nelson, Rock. 13; Rep. See, Merr. 26; Rep. Wherry, Hills. 13; Rep. Wood, Merr. 13; Rep. Tenczar, Hills. 1; Rep. McGrath, Rock. 40; Sen. Innis, Dist 7; Sen. McGough, Dist 11

COMMITTEE: Election Law

─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

ANALYSIS

This bill requires the secretary of state to provide all voting precincts with secure containers for storing ballots.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

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.
04/09/2026 1313s
4Jun2026... 2091CofC
4Jun2026... 2177EBA 26-2744
08/06

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Twenty-Six

AN ACT
requiring the secretary of state to provide all voting precincts with secure containers for storing ballots.

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

1 Secretary of State to Prepare Containers, Sealers. Amend RSA 659:97 to read as follows:
659:97 Secretary of State to Prepare Containers, Sealers. The secretary of state shall, before any state
and federal
election, prepare and distribute to each town and ward clerk
secure, durable, reusable, transportable, stackable and marked
containers to be used for preserving ballots
with locks, tamper-evident
[
and
] sealers [
to seal each such container
]
and registration or serial numbers for each marked container
. [
He
]
The secretary of state
shall prepare special
durable and easily transportable
containers
capable of being secured
and
with tamper-evident
sealers to be used for preserving any special and separate ballots for questions to voters. The secretary of state shall prescribe the size and form of such containers
,

locks
and
tamper-evident
sealers and shall prescribe the form of any endorsement blank printed upon the sealers, provided that the blank is in substance consistent with the provisions of RSA 659:95.
The secretary of state shall prepare an annual progress report and will include the number of secure containers replaced, locations, and planned container replacement for the following year.

2 Effective Date. This act shall take effect January 1, 2027.

LBA
26-2744
04/24/2026

HB 1541-FN-
FISCAL NOTE
AS AMENDED BY THE SENATE (AMENDMENT #2026-1313s)

AN ACT
requiring the secretary of state to provide all voting precincts with secure containers for storing ballots.

FISCAL IMPACT:
The Office of Legislative Budget Assistant states this bill has no additional fiscal impact on state, county and local expenditures or revenue as the Secretary of State's current operating budget can absorb the estimated expenditures related to this bill.

AGENCIES CONTACTED:
Department of State