This bill mandates that a machine count verification be conducted at the request of 10 registered voters who have cast ballots in an election. Specifically, it amends RSA 659:63 to include provisions that require cities, towns, or municipalities using electronic ballot counting devices to perform a verification of the machine count against the physical ballots for two specific candidates in two different races. This verification must be requested in writing by the voters before 10:00 a.m. on election day. If the verification shows a deviation of more than 0.2 percent from the machine count, a hand count of all races on the ballot will be required.

The bill also emphasizes that the counting and tabulation of votes must be public and conducted without interruption until completion. It ensures that documents generated during the tabulation are available for public review when election results are announced. The effective date of this act is set for 60 days after its passage. The fiscal impact of the bill is currently undetermined as the Office of Legislative Budget Assistant is awaiting further information from the Department of State.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 659:63