This bill increases filing fees and the number of signed primary petitions required for primary ballot candidates. It increases the filing fee for candidates running for governor and US Senator from $100 to $10,000, and for representatives of Congress from $50 to $5,000. The bill also removes the filing fee of $2 for state representatives. Additionally, it increases the number of signed primary petitions required for each office. For example, the number of primary petitions required for governor and US Senator increases from 200 to 25,000, and for representatives in Congress it increases from 100 to 12,500.

The Department of State estimates that this bill will increase revenue to the General Fund by $301,950 in both FY 2024 and FY 2026. However, the New Hampshire Municipal Association believes that removing the $2 administrative assessment for state representatives will result in an indeterminable decrease in local revenues.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 655:19-c