As many as 40 bills to change New Hampshire election law will soon be working their way through the Legislature, but only a few are likely to find their way to the desk of a newly elected governor who has made election reform a top priority. Many election-related bills have been proposed by State Rep. David Bates, R-Windham. “Most of my changes focus on facilitating better enforcement of our existing voter requirements and do not add any new requirement in order for people to vote,” he said. Bates will be among those attending a private meeting at the State House scheduled for today with House Speaker Shawn Jasper, other legislative leaders and key committee chairs to craft a coordinated strategy for the election law agenda.
Many of the ideas coming from a variety of lawmakers are still in the form of a legislative service request, and have yet to be assigned bill numbers. They range from ambitious proposals with little chance of success — like authorizing online voter registration or allowing any voter to vote by absentee ballot — to minor housekeeping measures.
Bates, who served on the Election Law Committee from 2009 to 2012, has also been a supervisor of the checklist in his hometown. He says his frontline experience on Election Day in Windham has informed what he describes as a modest and realistic approach to tightening up the state’s election laws.
Full Article: Forty bills in NH Legislature target voting | New Hampshire.