This bill establishes a prohibition on the possession of firearms at polling places during elections, with specific exceptions for law enforcement officers and individuals who secure unloaded firearms in their vehicles. The new legal language added to RSA 159 includes section 159:28, which states that no person may carry any firearm within 100 feet of a polling place, with violations classified as a class A misdemeanor. Exceptions are made for on-duty law enforcement officers, uniformed officers voting, non-uniformed officers carrying their service weapons while voting, and individuals who secure unloaded firearms in their vehicles.

Additionally, the bill amends RSA 657 to allow individuals who are unwilling or unable to comply with the firearm prohibition at polling places to vote absentee. The amended language specifies that those unable to appear at polling places due to this prohibition will be considered absent for voting purposes. The absentee ballot application form is updated to include a checkbox for individuals to declare their inability to comply with the firearm prohibition. The bill also modifies the affidavit envelope for absentee ballots to include this new reason for absentee voting, while maintaining existing provisions for absentee voting due to other reasons. The bill is set to take effect on January 1, 2026, and its fiscal impact is indeterminable, potentially affecting the judicial and correctional systems.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 657:1, 657:4, 657:7