This bill amends existing laws concerning absentee ballots by removing the requirement for absentee ballots to be placed in outer envelopes unless they are mailed to town or city clerks. It allows absentee ballots returned in person to clerks to bypass the outer envelope requirement. Additionally, the bill introduces provisions for clerks to open outer envelopes to allow applicants to correct any defects in their absentee ballot submissions. New legal language mandates that the printed name and address of the voter be included on the affidavit envelope, and clarifies that documents submitted via mail must be enclosed in the outer envelope, while hand-delivered documents do not require this. The bill also requires clerks to process absentee ballots marked "Not Registered" if the necessary documentation is provided by the deadline.

Furthermore, the bill enhances the absentee voting process for voters with disabilities and streamlines ballot processing. Key insertions include the requirement for voters or their assistants to enclose and seal the affidavit envelope within an outer envelope when mailing an absentee ballot. It also allows moderators to preprocess absentee ballots in the days leading up to election day, which includes examining affidavits for errors. Several deletions from current law are made, such as eliminating the requirement for the inner envelope and the stipulation that all envelopes must remain unopened until election day. Instead, the bill mandates processing according to RSA 659:50 and repeals RSA 659:49-b, which previously governed the opening of absentee ballot outer envelopes. The act is set to take effect 60 days after its passage.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 263:56-a