This bill amends the fee structure for election recounts, establishing new fees based on the number of votes cast in an election. The previous law, RSA 660:2, is repealed and reenacted to introduce a tiered fee system. For elections with more than 1,000 votes, fees range from $100 for a vote difference of 0.25% or less to $2,500 for differences greater than 2%. For elections with 1,000 votes or fewer, fees start at $50 for a 1% difference and cap at $150 for differences greater than 2%. Additionally, RSA 660:6, III is also repealed and reenacted to stipulate that if a recount is lost by a narrow margin, the Secretary of State must return the fees paid.

The bill also mandates the Secretary of State to prepare an annual report detailing the number of recounts requested, fees collected, outcomes, and costs incurred, which will be submitted to the Speaker of the House and the Senate President. The fiscal impact of the bill is indeterminable, as it does not provide funding or authorize new positions, but it is expected to increase the minimum fee for recounts from $10 to $50 and could lead to higher expenditures for recount requests, particularly in cases where the vote difference is significant.