This bill mandates that the secretary of state include a voter's guide for proposed constitutional amendments on the ballot. It amends RSA 663:3-a to specify that if the general court or a constitutional convention proposes a constitutional amendment, the voter's guide must include a statement detailing the implications of both passing and defeating the amendment. The previous requirement for the statement to be included only if applicable has been removed, and the language has been adjusted to clarify that the statement must be part of the resolution proposing the amendment.

Additionally, the bill introduces a new section, RSA 663:3-b, which stipulates that the voter's guide statement must be printed on the ballot directly below the constitutional question unless it requires an extra page. In such cases, the statement will be distributed with the ballot instead of being printed on it, and this page will not be processed through ballot counting devices. The joint committee on legislative facilities is also given the authority to authorize the printing or distribution of the voter's guide prior to the election. The act will take effect 60 days after its passage.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 663:3-a
HB1695 text: 663:3-a