Senate Bill 536-FN is designed to simplify and expand absentee voting in New Hampshire by allowing no-excuse absentee registration and voting. The bill removes the need for voters to cite physical disability, religious observance, or specific absence as reasons for absentee voting, instead generalizing the language to cover absentee voting for any reason. It also updates the language to be gender-neutral and requires the secretary of state to prepare absentee ballots in the same form as the official ballot. The bill further specifies that assistance to voters with disabilities must be acknowledged with a signature and that the voter's signature on the absentee ballot affidavit will not be compared to the application for identity verification.

The fiscal impact of the bill is indeterminable for state expenditures from 2025 to 2027 and for local expenditures starting in FY 2025. The bill is expected to incur initial costs for training election officials on the new procedures, but it may also reduce costs by eliminating specific absentee voting requirements. The Department of State has not yet provided a completed fiscal note worksheet, and a revised fiscal note will be issued once it becomes available. The bill does not affect state or county revenue and does not authorize new positions for its implementation. The effective date of the act is 60 days after its passage.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 654:16, 656:33, 657:4, 669:26