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Bill

SB 44

relative to hand counts of ballots in elections.

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Kevin Avard

SB 44 would require or expand hand counting of ballots in New Hampshire elections, but a unanimous committee vote deemed it inexpedient to legislate in 2025.

Committee Report: Inexpedient to Legislate 09/16/2025 (Vote 17-0; CC)
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Bill Summary · SB 44

Legislative bill overview

SB 44 would establish requirements for hand counting ballots in New Hampshire elections. The bill was introduced by Senator Kevin Avard and underwent committee review, culminating in a unanimous committee recommendation against passage in September 2025.

Why is this important

Hand counting procedures directly affect election administration efficiency, accuracy verification, and public confidence in electoral integrity. Changes to ballot counting methods have operational implications for election officials and cost considerations for municipalities statewide.

Potential points of contention

  • Operational feasibility: Hand counting all ballots is labor-intensive and time-consuming compared to machine counting, raising questions about implementation costs and timeline for result certification
  • Accuracy debate: Proponents argue hand counts provide transparent verification; critics note human error rates in manual counting can exceed machine accuracy, particularly in high-volume elections
  • Selective vs. universal application: Disagreement over whether hand counts should apply to all elections, specific races, or only as audits—affecting consistency and resource allocation

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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