Londonderry State Representative Ron Dunn is putting forward a new bill, HB 1120. The bill if passed would take effect after 60 days, and remove the municipal governments votes for or against warrant articles appearing on the ballot.
TownUnderground reached out to Rep Dunn asking what the bill is about and why he brought it forward, his response is below. The bill is co sponsored by a number of Representatives including State Rep Kristine Perez and Londonderry State Senator Sharon Carson.
From Representative Ron Dunn:
Currently in NH the Town Council/City Council/Select Board and the Budget Committee are all required to vote on all Warrant Articles. These individual votes are then printed on the ballot. Thus, when a private citizen goes into the voting booth, they can see how the Town Council/City Council/Select Board and the Budget Committee voted on specific warrant articles. By having the votes on the ballot, it is telling voters they are uneducated on specific warrant articles and have to be told how they should vote. These Registered Voters have the potential to have their vote swayed by the votes of the Town Council/City Council/Select Board and the Budget Committee. Placing the votes of the Council, Board or Committee on the ballot is Electioneering.
I am not allowed to walk into a polling location with a pin, t-shirt, brochure, sign, etc. However, I can put my vote on the ballot and tell voters how to vote. Thus, I have sponsored HB1120. This bill will repeal the provision that requires the reflection of municipal body votes on warrant articles. This will prevent electioneering in the voting booth.
Free and fair elections are an essential component of a democratic society. They provide citizens with the opportunity to express their opinions and choose their leaders in a transparent and accountable manner. Putting the municipal bodies’ votes on warrant articles is a bad practice. This can be used to manipulate voters and influence the outcome of an election, taking away voters’ free choice. This can create a climate of mistrust among voters. By repealing these RSA’s that require these votes to be printed on the ballet, you are eliminating the threat and possibility of electioneering.
Ron Dunn
State Representative
Londonderry, NH
AN ACT repealing the provision that requires the reflection of municipal body votes on warrant articles.
SPONSORS: Rep. Dunn, Rock. 16; Rep. K. Perez, Rock. 16; Rep. Gerhard, Merr. 25; Rep. Aures, Merr. 13; Rep. T. Mannion, Hills. 1; Sen. Carson, Dist 14
In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Twenty Four AN ACT repealing the provision that requires the reflection of municipal body votes on warrant articles. Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened: 1 Repeal. RSA 32:5, V(a) and (b), relative to the notation of recommendation by the governing body and budget committee, is repealed. 2 Effective Date. This act shall take effect 60 days after its passage.
V-a. The legislative body of any town, school district, or village district may vote to require that all votes by an advisory budget committee, a town, school district, or village district budget committee, and the governing body or, in towns, school districts, or village districts without a budget committee, all votes of the governing body relative to budget items or any warrant articles shall be recorded votes and the numerical tally of any such vote shall be printed in the town, school district, or village district warrant next to the affected warrant article. Unless the legislative body has voted otherwise, if a town or school district has not voted to require such tallies to be printed in the town or school district warrant next to the affected warrant article, the governing body or the budget committee adopted under RSA 32:14 may, on its own initiative, require that the tallies of its votes be printed next to the affected article.
RSA 32:5 V a
V-b. Any town may vote to require that the annual budget and all special warrant articles having a tax impact, as determined by the governing body, shall contain a notation stating the estimated tax impact of the article. The determination of the estimated tax impact shall be subject to approval by the governing body.
RSA 32:5 V b
If passed warrant articles would no longer include the Town Council and Budget Committee votes. An example is below
