This bill amends the pre-election certificate requirements under RSA 658:32 and the post-election certificate under RSA 659:73 to enhance the reporting of absentee ballots. The secretary of state is now required to prepare and distribute three copies of the pre-election certificate to town or ward clerks, which must include specific details such as the total number of absentee ballots received, the number of absentee ballots mailed to voters, the number of spoiled absentee ballots, and the number of absentee ballots remaining at the close of polls. The previous requirement to report the total number of ballots received has been deleted.

Additionally, the post-election certificate will now include new data points such as the number of general election ballots remaining and the total number of ballots cast, along with a comparison of different methods of tallying ballots. The bill also removes certain previous requirements regarding the ballots cast form, streamlining the process for moderators and clerks. The act is set to take effect 60 days after its passage.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 658:32, 659:73