Citizen in a RepublicNH Bill Briefing
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HB 217 · 2025 · House · Election Law Committee

Proof of citizenship for absentee ballots

AI-generated

relative to absentee ballots.

Requires voters submitting absentee registration affidavits to include documentation proving citizenship, age, domicile, and identity, and provides that applications lacking such documentation shall not be approved.AI-generated

Status

Killed in the Senate — Inexpedient to Legislate · May 15, 2025
  1. ✓Introduced
  2. ✓House
  3. ✕Senate
  4. Governor
  5. Law

Analysis

This bill requires absentee ballot voters to submit information demonstrating citizenship, age, domicile, and identity in order to qualify to vote.

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

“The absentee registration affidavit shall be prepared by the secretary of state and shall be in substantially the following form:”
RSA 654:17
“The applicant shall forward the absentee registration affidavit with supporting documentation and the applicant's voter registration form to the clerk of the town or city named for submission to the supervisors of the checklist.”
RSA 654:19
“The clerk shall mark the absentee ballot affidavit enveloped "voter verified" and note on the clerk's list of absentee voters that the voter has been verified.”
RSA 657:17-a
“If the supervisors find that the affidavit with supporting documentation and the voter registration form are properly executed, they shall follow the procedure for applications made in person as provided in RSA 654:11, 654:13, and 654:15, except that in the case of an absentee voter they shall accept an absentee registration affidavit with supporting documentation and a registration form.”
RSA 654:19

Official record

Bill page — docket & status

gc.nh.gov · the authoritative source

Sponsors

Rep. Bob LynnRPrimeChair· Judiciary
  • Sen. James GrayRChair· Election Law and Municipal Affairs

Public testimony

689 signed in online · 145 wrote testimony

12% support88% oppose0% neutral

ForRequirement strengthens election integrity

AgainstGeneral opposition to new barriers on voting access

AI-generatedLeading arguments, summarized by the testimony tool.

Read the arguments

In their wordsVerbatim, exactly as submitted

“I am writing in support of HB 217. I am chair of the Supervisors of the Checklist in Derry. I've been a Supervisor for 15 years. Applications for voter registration must be completed in person with an authorized election official except in limited circumstances.…”
— Judy Strakalaitis, Derry · Derry Supervisors of the Checklistsupports
“I support additional information required for absentee ballots. Again our ballots should be thought of as money. You could not go to a bank without proper identification to withdraw money. The same logic should be the same here.”
— James Goodwin, Brentwoodsupports
“It is a shame this bill is needed, but our various criminal sanctuaries in NH have necessitated this distinction.”
— Simon Berrio, Daltonsupports
“Another bill that puts up barriers people must overcome to exercise their right to vote. A healthy democracy depends on high voter turn-out; and voter fraud is VERY low, even in states where all ballots are mailed in.…”
— Jeanie Holt, CONCORDopposes
“The Granite State has some of the most convoluted election laws in the country, and our officials are making them even harder to understand. The RSA-required voter documentation is unfair to Granite Staters with limited access to information.…”
— Patricia Vincent Piet, Concordopposes
“Absentee voting is a secure, reliable process that does not benefit one political party over another.…”
— Cora QUISUMBING-KING, Doveropposes

Verbatim excerpts of submitted testimony, quoted from the testimony tool.

Read the testimony · as of Aug 12, 2026

Votes

yeanay
Starting text: Bill as introduced
  • Mar 18, 2025HouseCommittee report· regular calendar: Ought to Pass10–8
    Overall
    56% yea
  • Mar 27, 2025HouseVoice voteOught to Passadopted
  • May 15, 2025SenateCommittee report: Inexpedient to Legislate4–1
    Overall
    80% yea
  • May 15, 2025SenateVoice voteInexpedient to Legislateadopted

Hearings and debates

  • Feb 4, 2025Public hearingHouse Election Law1:59:12–2:08:199m 7slocated in the stream transcriptPublic Hearing
  • Feb 11, 2025Public hearingHouse Election LawWatchnamed in a list of bills, not taken up — opens the full streamExecutive Session
  • Feb 14, 2025Public hearingHouse Election LawWatchnot located in the transcript — opens the full streamSubcommittee Work Session
  • Feb 21, 2025Public hearingHouse Election Law2:34:18–2:35:271m 9slocated in the stream transcriptSubcommittee Work Session
  • Mar 7, 2025Public hearingHouse Election LawWatchnot located in the transcript — opens the full streamSubcommittee Work Session
  • Mar 14, 2025Public hearingHouse Election LawWatchnot located in the transcript — opens the full streamSubcommittee Work Session
  • Mar 18, 2025Public hearingHouse Election Law1:25:34–1:32:016m 27slocated in the stream transcriptMajority Committee Report: Ought to Pass — roll call; Subcommittee Work Session; Executive Session
  • Mar 27, 2025Floor debateHouse floorWatchnot located in the transcript — opens the full streamOught to Pass — adopted, voice vote
  • Apr 29, 2025Public hearingSenate Election Law and Municipal Affairs32:54–34:031m 9slocated in the stream transcriptHearing
  • May 15, 2025Floor debateSenate floor3:24:44–3:27:102m 26slocated in the stream transcriptCommittee Report: Inexpedient to Legislate; Inexpedient to Legislate — adopted, voice vote

Timestamps locate where this bill is taken up in the chamber's YouTube stream.

Legislative history

  1. Jan 8, 2025HouseIntroduced 01/08/2025 and referred to Election Law HJ 2 P. 11
  2. Feb 4, 2025HousePublic Hearing: 02/04/2025 11:20 am LOB 306-308
  3. Feb 11, 2025HouseExecutive Session: 02/11/2025 10:10 am LOB 306-308
  4. Feb 14, 2025HouseSubcommittee Work Session: 02/14/2025 09:30 am LOB 306-308
  5. Feb 21, 2025HouseSubcommittee Work Session: 02/21/2025 09:30 am LOB 302-304
  6. Mar 7, 2025HouseSubcommittee Work Session: 03/07/2025 01:00 pm LOB 306-308
  7. Mar 14, 2025HouseSubcommittee Work Session: 03/14/2025 09:00 am LOB 306-308
  8. Mar 18, 2025HouseSubcommittee Work Session: 03/18/2025 09:00 am LOB 307
  9. Mar 18, 2025HouseExecutive Session: 03/18/2025 10:00 am LOB 306-308
  10. Mar 18, 2025HouseMajority : Ought to Pass 03/18/2025 (Vote 10-8; RC) HC 17 P. 54
  11. Mar 19, 2025HouseMinority : Inexpedient to Legislate
  12. Mar 27, 2025HouseOught to Pass: MA VV 03/27/2025 HJ 11 P. 23
  13. Mar 27, 2025SenIntroduced 03/27/2025 and Referred to Election Law and Municipal Affairs; SJ 10
  14. Apr 29, 2025SenHearing: 04/29/2025, Room 103, LOB, 09:45 am; SC 19
  15. May 15, 2025Sen: Inexpedient to Legislate, 05/15/2025, Vote 4-1; SC 21
  16. May 15, 2025SenInexpedient to Legislate, MA, VV === BILL KILLED ===; 05/15/2025; SJ 13

Coverage

No reporting linked yet.

Background reading

Evergreen reading on the policy area — spanning perspectives — not coverage of this specific bill.

Documents (PDF)

  • Introducedversion

Bill text & amendments link direct to gc.nh.gov; committee reports stream from the state record.