This bill proposes to change the date of the state primary election from the second Tuesday in September to the third Tuesday in June of every even-numbered year. It includes several amendments to the Revised Statutes Annotated (RSA) that adjust related dates and procedures to align with this change. For instance, the bill amends RSA 654:32, which pertains to hearings on alterations to party registration, moving the session before the state primary election from the Tuesday before the first Wednesday in June to the Tuesday before the second Wednesday in March. Additionally, RSA 654:34, IV is amended to prevent changes in party affiliation between the second Wednesday in March and the day before the state primary election.
The bill also modifies RSA 655:14, which deals with the filing of candidacy, by changing the filing period to between the second Wednesday in March and the following Friday of the next week. Furthermore, RSA 655:26 is amended to adjust the deadline for filing supplementary petitions to the fourth Wednesday in March. The bill includes changes to the form for primary petitions in RSA 655:21 to reflect the new primary election date in June. Lastly, the Ballot Law Commission's meeting date is changed to the fourth Thursday of June in each general election year. The act is set to take effect on January 1, 2025.
Statutes affected: Introduced: 653:8, 654:32, 654:34, 655:14, 655:21, 655:26
As Amended by the House: 653:8, 654:34, 655:21, 654:38, 654:39, 655:26
As Amended by the Senate: 653:8, 654:32, 654:34, 655:14, 655:21, 655:26