relative to the official ballot referendum form of town meetings.
This bill updates New Hampshire town meeting procedures to allow local communities to vote on specific questions using official ballots, similar to how they currently elect officials. Under the new rules, towns would place these referendum questions on the meeting warrant and conduct voting through established absentee and polling place protocols, with polls remaining open for at least one hour after discussion ends. The legislation also provides a process for towns that previously adopted a system where only officer elections use official ballots to vote on returning to that earlier arrangement, requiring a three-fifths majority to approve such a change. These adjustments take effect 60 days after the bill passes, giving municipalities time to prepare for the updated voting methods.
Bill status
passed
3 of 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Nov 2023
Committee Review
May 2024
House Passage
Mar 2024
Senate Passage
Governor
Introduced Nov 28, 2023
Last action May 22, 2024
Floor votes
How they voted
No floor votes recorded yet.
Full legislative history
Actions timeline
Total actions
9
Key actions
2
Committee
3
May 15, 2024
Committee
Committee Report: Referred to Interim Study, 05/22/2024; Vote 5-0; CC; SC 20
upper
Mar 26, 2024
Introduced
Introduced 03/21/2024 and Referred to Election Law and Municipal Affairs; SJ 8
upper
Mar 21, 2024
Lower · Passed
Ought to Pass: MA DV 173-163 03/21/2024 HJ 9 P. 113
lower
Mar 15, 2024
Lower · Passed
Committee Report: Without Recommendation 03/11/2024 (Vote 10-10; RC)
lower
Nov 28, 2023
Introduced
Introduced 01/03/2024 and referred to Municipal and County Government
lower
1 primary · 7 co-sponsors
Sponsors
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