creating a single primary ballot.

HB 1627 creates a single primary ballot for all state and congressional candidates in New Hampshire, replacing the previous system where voters could only choose from candidates of their registered party. This change allows any registered voter to vote for any candidate in the primary, regardless of their own party affiliation or lack of registration. The bill clarifies that candidates may indicate a party preference on the ballot, but this does not imply party endorsement or make them the official candidate of that party. It also modifies sample ballot distribution and vote-counting rules for primaries, requiring votes for the same candidate across different party ballots to be counted separately. This directly affects all registered voters participating in New Hampshire's state and congressional primaries.