HB 521 · 2025 · House · Election Law Committee
Online voter registration
AI-generatedauthorizing online voter registration.
Establishes a secure online voter registration system through the secretary of state that verifies applicant identity using department of motor vehicles records and transmits registrations to local election officials.AI-generated
Status
Killed in the House — Inexpedient to Legislate · March 13, 2025- ✓Introduced
- ✕House
- Senate
- Governor
- Law
Analysis
This bill authorizes online voter registration.
From the bill's official ANALYSIS section.
In the bill's words
Quoted verbatim from the bill as introduced. Passages chosen from the operative text.Computed by this site
“Beginning July 1, 2025, a person may register to vote by submitting an online voter registration application in accordance with this section.”
“The secretary of state shall establish a secure Internet website to permit an applicant to:”
“The secretary of state shall establish appropriate technological security measures, including use of a unique identifier for each applicant, to prevent unauthorized persons from altering a voter’s registration information.”
“No person without an identification issued by the New Hampshire department of safety, division of motor vehicles shall be able to register through the online voter registration system.”
Official record
gc.nh.gov · the authoritative source
Sponsors
- Rep. Connie LaneDRanking Member· Election Law
- Rep. Ellen ReadDDeputy Ranking Member· Housing
- Rep. Karen EbelDDemocratic Leader Pro Tempore
Also: Rep. Chris MunsD
Public testimony
774 signed in online · 181 wrote testimony
67% support33% oppose0% neutral
ForModernizes an outdated registration process
AgainstFraud and election-integrity concerns generally
AI-generatedLeading arguments, summarized by the testimony tool.
Read the argumentsIn their wordsVerbatim, exactly as submitted
“Online voter registration is a common sense reform that will help modernize New Hampshire elections by allowing voters to complete their voter registration online, adding an important and convenient option in addition to registering in person at their clerk’s office or at the polls on election day.”
“Our lives are only becoming busier and more online. Registering to vote online is a natural and necessary extension of these facts in order to ensure the voting pool accurately reflects the population.”
“I am in support of HB521 for allowing online voter absentee ballots in any and all statewide and/or national elections.”
“If we cannot secure our elections with one day voting using paper ballots with Federal ID, then we are not a stable society, rather one at risk of insecure elections. A banana republic not worthy of our Founders!!”
“There is far too much potential for fraud with online registration.”
“Please oppose this bill. Election Day is a sacred day that needs to be treated that way. We need to ensure the person who is registering to vote is who they say they are, and they are legally allowed to vote.…”
Verbatim excerpts of submitted testimony, quoted from the testimony tool.
Read the testimony · as of Aug 12, 2026
Votes
yeanay- Mar 4, 2025HouseCommittee report· regular calendar: Inexpedient to Legislate10–8Overall56% yea
- Overall54% yeaParty-line voteRepublicans202–0100% yeaDemocrats0–1680% yeaOther0–10% yea
Hearings and debates
- Mar 4, 2025Public hearingHouse Election LawWatchnot located in the transcript — opens the full streamMajority Committee Report: Inexpedient to Legislate — roll call; Executive Session
- Mar 13, 2025Floor debateHouse floor4:55:17–4:56:271m 10slocated in the stream transcriptInexpedient to Legislate — adopted, roll call 202-169
Timestamps locate where this bill is taken up in the chamber's YouTube stream.
Legislative history
- Jan 9, 2025HouseIntroduced (in recess of) 01/09/2025 and referred to Election Law HJ 3 P. 14
- Feb 14, 2025House==CANCELLED== Subcommittee Work Session: 02/14/2025 09:30 am LOB 306-308
- Feb 25, 2025HousePublic Hearing: 02/25/2025 03:10 pm LOB 306-308
- Mar 4, 2025HouseExecutive Session: 03/04/2025 01:00 pm LOB 306-308
- Mar 4, 2025HouseMajority : Inexpedient to Legislate 03/04/2025 (Vote 10-8; RC)
- Mar 5, 2025HouseMinority : Ought to Pass
- Mar 13, 2025HouseInexpedient to Legislate: MA RC 202-169 03/13/2025 HJ 8 P. 69
Coverage
No reporting linked yet.
Documents (PDF)
Bill text & amendments link direct to gc.nh.gov; committee reports stream from the state record.