Actions of the Week - Simple But Powerful Actions You Can Take
Team Member Toolkit
Actions for Apr 22-Apr 28
Action 1 - Sign-in on Bills
Oppose
HB1150-Removal of Political Ad Disclosure
The Senate Election Law hearing for HB1150 has been scheduled for this upcoming Tuesday, April 23rd at 9:30am in Senate Election Law. This bill requires that rates for political advertising be the same regardless of candidate, political committee, party, or cause while removing language about disclosing political advertisements.
Please sign-in and submit testimony to oppose HB 1150.
Link to Sign in on Senate bills
HB1569-Removal of ID Exceptions/Affidavits
The Senate Election Law hearing for HB1569 (eliminating affidavits) has been scheduled for this upcoming Tuesday, April 23rd at 9:40am in Senate Election Law. If passed, HB1569 would be the single most restrictive law around registering to vote in the country. It is vital for us to strongly oppose this bill.
Please email the committee, sign-in and submit testimony to oppose HB 1569. If you are available consider testifying in person.
Link to Email the Committee via UJoin
Link to Sign in on Senate bills
Support
HB1091-Campaign Finance
The Senate Election Law hearing for HB1091 has been scheduled for this upcoming Tuesday, April 23rd at 9:20am in Senate Election Law. This bill makes various changes to the laws that regulate the financing of political campaigns.
Please sign-in and submit testimony to support HB 1091.
Link to Sign in on Senate bills
HB1596-AI Disclosure
The Senate Election Law hearing for HB1596 has been scheduled for this upcoming Tuesday, April 23rd at 10:00am in Senate Election Law. This bill requires the disclosure of media created using artificial intelligence and deepfakes used in political advertising.
Please sign-in and submit testimony to support HB 1596.
Link to Sign in on Senate bills
Action 2-Hold signs opposing HB1569
Please join us and our partners from Kent St. on Tuesday, April 23rd at 8:30 am - before the hearing - in LOB to demonstrate our opposition of HB1569 by holding signs.
Action 3-Ask 5 friends to sign-in on HB1569
HB1569 is an extreme bill that will have massive negative ramifications for NH voters regardless of political party. If passed it would result in voters being turned away at the polls if they were missing even one document for registration, denying them their constitutional right to vote. This bill would put our election workers in the difficult position of having to turn people away during a major - and highly contentious - election, and could potentially put them in harms way. With this in mind we ask that you talk to five of your friends/family/colleagues about HB1569 and ask them to sign-in and oppose this dangerous bill.
Bonus Action-Share Ballots and Brews with 5 friends
Democracy is for everyone, but only a fraction of New Hampshire residents get involved in the political process beyond voting in general elections - or even know how to start. Let's work together to fix that!
Our Ballots and Brews event on Wednesday, May 1st, at the Barcode Lounge & Grill in Manchester is an approachable introduction to the New Hampshire legislative process. We ask that you share this event with the college students and young professionals in your life so we can help build more youth engagement in our democracy.
Learn more and RSVP here.
Flyer for sharing the event here.
Actions for Apr 15-Apr 21
Action 1 - Sign-in on Bills
Support
SB 453 will have a public hearing in the House Finance Committee, April 17th at 1:00pm in LOB 210-211. This bill makes an appropriation to the statewide voter registration system. Please sign-in and submit testimony to support SB453.
Link to Sign in on House Bills
Oppose
HB 1369 will have a public hearing in Senate Election Law, April 16th at 10:20am in LOB 103. This bill changes the verification of voter rolls by the supervisors of the checklist to every 4 years. Please sign-in and submit testimony to oppose HB1369.
Link to Sign in on Senate bills
HB 1569
The Senate Election Law hearing for HB1569 (eliminating affidavits) has been scheduled for this upcoming Tuesday, April 23rd at 9:40am in Senate Election Law. If passed, HB1569 would be the single most restrictive law around registering to vote in the country. It is vital for us to strongly oppose this bill.
Please email the committee, sign-in and submit testimony to oppose HB 1569. If you are available consider testifying in person.
Link to Email the Committee via UJoin
Link to Sign in on Senate bills
Additionally, please join us and our partners from Kent St. before the hearing at 8:30 am in LOB to demonstrate our opposition of this bill by holding signs.
Action 2 - Upcoming Events RSVP and Share
Rally for Peace and Planet
Join a coalition of Peace and Climate Action organizations (including New Hampshire Peace Action, 350NH, Sierra Club, Climate Action NH, and Back from the Brink) for a rally at City Plaza.
Earth Day is coming up, and while this is a celebratory time we should also remember that we live in a country with stiff resistance to taking action on climate change. A big reason for this is the bipartisan support for endless money to industries that benefit heavily from lax environmental regulations. Help us show solidarity between environmentalists and the anti war movement and learn about the ways that you can get involved in your area.
Learn more and RSVP here.
Minority Rule: A Conversation with Ari Berman
Join the Workers Circle on April 30, 2024 at 7:00pm for a conversation with Ari Berman on the themes of his book, Minority Rule: The Right-Wing Attack on the Will of the People — And the Fight to Resist It, and how we can fight back against these regressive forces. The conversation will be moderated by Noelle Damico, Director of Social Justice at the Workers Circle. There will be ample time for audience questions and answers.
Learn more and RSVP here.
Ballots and Brews
Democracy is for everyone, but only a fraction of New Hampshire residents get involved in the political process beyond voting in general elections - or even know how to start. Let's work together to fix that!
Our Ballots and Brews event on Wednesday, May 1st, at the Barcode Lounge & Grill in Manchester is an approachable introduction to the New Hampshire legislative process. We ask that you share this event with the college students and young professionals in your life so we can help build more youth engagement in our democracy.
Learn more and RSVP here.
Flyer for sharing the event here.
Annual Meeting
Please join Open Democracy and Open Democracy Action for the 2024 Annual Meeting!
WHEN: Flag Day, June 14, 2024 at 6 pm
WHERE: The Derryfield Restaurant, 625 Mammoth Rd, Manchester, NH
Our very special guest will be Pulitzer Prize-winning former New York Times reporter, Emmy award-winning producer and correspondent, Hedrick Smith!
Purchase a ticket and RSVP here.
Action 3 - Share a social media post connecting the environment and money in politics
Earth day is fast approaching and to celebrate we would like for you to share a social media post that spreads awareness about the connection between the environment and money in politics. This could be as easy as sharing an article or video that discusses this topic, or highlighting the work of local environmental advocacy groups to change this system for the better.
Bonus Action - Share/submit your story for HB1569
Have you ever had to sign an affidavit to vote? Do you have access to your birth certificate, naturalization papers, or a passport? Have you ever been without them?
House Bill 1569 is a massive threat to voting rights and elections in New Hampshire that would, among other things, require demonstrated proof of citizenship in order to register and vote - i.e., a passport, naturalization papers, or a birth certificate.
The New Hampshire Campaign for Voting Rights is looking to hear from folks who could be or would have been impacted by this legislation, in part of an ongoing effort to defeat HB1569 in the New Hampshire legislature.
Actions for Apr 8-Apr 14
Action 1 - Upcoming Events
NHCVR Grassroots Briefing: HB1569
Please join us and NHCVR on Tuesday, April 9th at 7pm for a special grassroots briefing on HB1569, a massive threat to voting rights and elections in New Hampshire that would require demonstrated proof of citizenship in order to register and vote. After registering, be sure to share with friends and colleagues!
Open Democracy Book Club: Unthinkable
Our next book club session is only a few days away - April 11th at 7pm. Be sure to RSVP, share the event with your fellow bibliophiles, and get reading. The next book that has been chosen for the Open Democracy Book Club is
Ballots and Brews
Democracy is for everyone, but only a fraction of New Hampshire residents get involved in the political process beyond voting in general elections - or even know how to start. Let's work together to fix that!
Our Ballots and Brews event on Wednesday, May 1st, at the Barcode Lounge & Grill in Manchester is an approachable introduction to the New Hampshire legislative process. We ask that you share this event with the college students and young professionals in your life so we can help build more youth engagement in our democracy.
Learn more and RSVP here.
Flyer for sharing the event here.
Annual Meeting
Please join Open Democracy and Open Democracy Action for the 2024 Annual Meeting!
WHEN: Flag Day, June 14, 2024 at 6 pm
WHERE: The Derryfield Restaurant, 625 Mammoth Rd, Manchester, NH
Our very special guest will be Pulitzer Prize-winning former New York Times reporter, Emmy award-winning producer and correspondent, Hedrick Smith!
Purchase a ticket and RSVP here.
Action 2 - Email Your Town Clerk
During the hearing for HB447 - a bill allowing grants to be given to cities and towns for the purchase of election equipment - Secretary of State David Scanlan testified there's enough surplus in a federal election fund to support the replacement of outdated voting machines in our cities and towns and “[he has] also said in the past that when we achieve a surplus in the account, we would use
the money for one-time programs that would assist elections at the local level.” Despite this Secretary Scanlan went on to encourage the committee to kill this bill that would accomplish exactly that.
So we ask that you contact your town clerk to email Senator Gray and Secretary of State Scanlan to request HAVA funds for replacing outdated voting machines in your town or to reimburse machines they already purchased.
Action 3 - Share on Social Media About HS Voter Registration Drives
The end of the school year is fast approaching, and now is a perfect time to plan a high school voter registration drive! Let's get the word out about hosting a drive and encourage our youth to register before they graduate. Share the toolkits and/or graphics on your social media accounts to help spread awareness.
Open Democracy High School Voter Registration Drive Toolkit
The Civics Center Cap, Gown & Ballot Toolkit
The Civics Center Shareable Graphics
Actions for Apr 1-Apr 7
Action 1 - Sign in on bill HB447
Please sign in and submit testimony to support HB447 prior to its public hearing in Senate Election Law Tuesday, April 2nd @ 9:30am, LOB 103. This bill allows grants to be given to cities and towns for the purchase of election equipment.
Link to Sign in on Senate bills
Action 2 - Write a thank you note to Governor Sununu
A recent Concord Monitor article by Michaela Towfighti discussed how the country’s current political system, with PAC donations driving multi-million dollar campaigns, is what deterred him from running for Senate in 2022 “The fact that someone can write a $250,000 check to a PAC and no one ever sees it or knows where it comes from, that’s bogus.” -Governor Sununu
It is wonderful that Governor Sununu has made such a clear statement against the practice of utilizing dark money in politics. In that spirit we ask that you write a handwritten thank you note for taking a stand, and ask him what changes he would like to see in our current campaign finance system.
Concord Monitor Sununu Article
Governor's Contact Information
Office of the Governor
State House
107 North Main Street
Concord, NH 03301
(603) 271-2121
(603) 271-7680 (fax)
Action 3 - RSVP and Share NHCVR Grassroots Briefing: HB1569
Please join us and NHCVR on Tuesday, April 9th at 7pm for a special grassroots briefing on HB1569, a massive threat to voting rights and elections in New Hampshire that would require demonstrated proof of citizenship in order to register and vote. After registering, be sure to share with friends and colleagues!
Actions for Mar 25-Mar 31
Action 1 - Contact Your State Representative to Support HB1014 & HB1596
HB1014
HB1014 has left the House Election Law Committee with no recommendation and will be voted on in the upcoming House session on March 28th at in the State House. New Hampshire youth voters are being under-represented in our democracy. HB1014 aims to address the large disparity by requiring school districts and private high schools to develop programs that inform high school students about registering to vote. Please call or email your State Representative and ask them to support HB1014.
Link to Email State Representative via UJoin
State Representative Contact Information Search Tool
To learn more about the efforts being made to increase youth voter registration in New Hampshire check out the recently released research report by The Civics Center
HB1596
HB1596 has left the House Election Law Committee with no recommendation and will be voted on in the upcoming House Session on March 28th. This bill requires the disclosure of deceptive synthetic media and deceptive and fraudulent deep fakes usage in political advertising. With the rapid development of AI technologies, deepfakes are beginning to impact our elections and can be used to sway the votes of the people. Legislation has to evolve to keep up.
Link to Email State Representative via UJoin
State Representative Contact Information Search Tool
Action 2 - Book Club: RSVP, Share, and Read
Open Democracy Book Club: Unthinkable
When: Thursday, April 11th at 7:00 pm
Our next book club session is only three weeks away! Be sure to RSVP, share the event with your fellow bibliophiles, and get reading. The next book that has been chosen for the Open Democracy Book Club is
Action 3 - Social Media Post About Women in Democracy
March is Women's History Month, to celebrate let's highlight how women impact our democracy! This week share a post that spotlights women in democracy. Women fill 80% of the election worker and administration roles in the United States. Show the women who make our democracy work that their efforts are appreciated!
Actions for Mar 18-Mar 24
Action 1 - Sign-in on bills
Support
SB 489 - Election audits
This bill requires the secretary of state to conduct audits of a certain percentage of ballot counting devices to be used at state primary and general elections.
Executive Session: House Election Law Committee, March 19th @ 10:00am LOB 306-308
Link to Sign in on House Bills
Link to Email the Committee via UJoin
SB535 - Absentee Ballots
This bill updates the absentee ballot request form to match state statute that enables a person who would otherwise vote in person but has concerns about traveling during a winter storm warning to receive an absentee ballot.
Executive Session: House Election Law Committee
March 19th @ 10:20am LOB 306-308
Link to Sign in on House Bills
Action 2 - RSVP and Share our Upcoming Event
Our High School Voter Registration Volunteer Workshop is a week away. Be sure to RSVP for the event and please share with as many of the teachers and students in your lives as you can.
Highschool Voter Registration Volunteer Workshop
When: March 26th, 6:00pm EST
Join volunteers across your state to help NH high school students register to vote before they graduate this spring! Learn how to encourage and empower students and educators to organize voter registration events for their schools in NH.
Learn more and register here.
Action 3 - Upcoming External Virtual Events
There are several upcoming virtual events centered on strengthening our democracy and voting rights. Be sure to learn more and RSVP to ones that interest you.
March 20, 3pm-4pm: Brennan Center for Justice holds a virtual event entitled, "The Missing Constitutional Right." RSVP here.
March 25, 3pm: Issue One hosts a virtual event entitled, "Women Who Make Democracy Work" with New Mexico Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver and others. RSVP here.
March 26, 12pm: Washington Post Live hosts a virtual event entitled, "Stephen Breyer on ‘Reading the Constitution,’ the Supreme Court and American Democracy." RSVP here.
April 30, 3pm: Brennan Center for Justice holds a virtual event entitled, "Elected Officials Under Siege" with New York Attorney General Letitia James and others. RSVP here.
Actions for Mar 11-Mar 17
Action 1 - Sign-in to SUPPORT HB 463
Support
HB 463 - election information portal
This bill authorizes the secretary of state to develop an election information portal.
Public Hearing: Senate Election Law and Municipal Affairs Committee, March 12th @ 9:40am LOB 103
Link to Sign in on Senate bills
Link to Email the Committee via UJoin
Action 2 - Share book club flyer with local library
Open Democracy Book Club: Unthinkable
The next book that has been chosen for the Open Democracy Book Club is
Action 3 - Hold signs for HB1569 on Thursday, March 14th
Join Kent St in holding signs and passing out handouts asking legislators to vote no on HB1569 this Thursday from 8:00am to 10:00am at the State House (outside and upstairs at Reps Hall). Signs and handouts will be provided to you.
Bonus Action - Brennan Center Virtual Event
On March 20th the Brennan Center for Justice will be holding a virtual event entitled, "The Missing Constitutional Right." Richard Hasen, professor of law and political science and director of the Safeguarding Democracy Project at UCLA School of Law. He will be joined by moderator Wilfred Codrington, associate professor of law at Brooklyn Law School. Hasen and Codrington will discuss what it means to include an affirmative right to vote in the Constitution and what it would take to get there.
RSVP here.
Actions for Mar 4-Mar 10
Action 1 - LTE on HB 1569 and Email Your State Reps on HB 1569
HB 1569 left the House Election Law Committee with no recommendation during their executive session on Tuesday, March 5th, so the bill is moving to the House floor. Given the risk that this bill poses, we are taking a strong stance and providing as much pushback on this as possible. Please write an LTE on HB 1569, email and/or call your Representatives urging them to oppose this bill before the executive session takes place.
Link to Email Committee via UJoin
Sample LTE:
To the Editor:
When registering to vote, people are asked for proof of identity, age, domicile, and citizenship; if lacking required proof, they are afforded the opportunity to sign a binding affidavit, having significant penalties if abused, then register and cast a ballot. This process safeguards our elections and ensures no legitimate voter is turned away. Gov. Sununu states the system works, has integrity, and represents the gold standard for voting; reinforced by Secretary of State Scanlan, caretaker of our elections, stating “There’s no evidence that I’ve seen of any organized, widespread voter fraud taking place in New Hampshire.” Furthermore, UNH polling indicates 92% of voters had confidence in Election 2022 outcomes.
Current law protects voters who arrive at the polling place, as they have done routinely, but discover their name has been purged from the voter rolls, or whose qualifying documents are in transition, inaccessible, or were destroyed by fire or flood, or simply forgotten. However, the NH legislature is considering HB 1569, which eliminates, in sweeping fashion, certain currently available affidavits as options for voting, and ignores our history of secure and accurate
elections. Amendments cannot cure.
Since June 2, 1784, our Constitution has been amended by a super majority will of the people to expand voting rights. With SCOTUS rolling back established rights, including voting protections, and warning of general roll backs of more rights, it is imperative our legislature not follow suit by rolling back existing options for voting.
Bob Perry
Strafford
Action 2 - Invite Teachers and Students to our Highschool Voter Registration Volunteer Workshop
Please share this upcoming event with as many of the teachers and students in your lives as you can.
Highschool Voter Registration Volunteer Workshop
When: March 26th, 6:00pm EST
Join volunteers across your state to help NH high school students register to vote before they graduate this spring! Learn how to encourage and empower students and educators to organize voter registration events for their schools in NH.
Learn more and register here.
Action 3 - Invite People to Join our Regional Democracy Teams
We are looking to grow our Regional Democracy Teams membership base so we can make a bigger impact on our democracy. Many hands make light work, and when it comes to building our democracy there is always work to be done. We ask that you invite 5 people to join our Teams.
Bonus Action - Thank Our Senators
Senators Jeanne Shaheen and Maggie Hassan joined a group of 50 U.S. Senators to reintroduce the John R. Lewis Voting Advancement Act, legislation that would update and restore critical safeguards of the original Voting Rights Act.
The John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act is endorsed by hundreds of organizations, including the following leading civil rights organizations: Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, American Civil Liberties Union, NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. (LDF), MALDEF, Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, Asian Americans Advancing Justice | AAJC, Brennan Center for Justice at NYU Law and Demos.
This week we ask that you contact Senator Hassan and Senator Shaheen to thank them for taking this step to support equal voting rights.
The full text of the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act can be found here.
A section-by-section analysis of the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act can be found here.
Actions for Feb 26-Mar 3
Action 1 - Sign in to OPPOSE HB1150
Oppose
HB 1150 - Print Media Political Disclosures
This bill removes the requirement to mark certain political advertising with the phrase "political advertising."
Public Hearing: House Election Law Committee, February 27th @ 9:00am LOB 306-308
Link to Sign in on House Bills
Action 2 - LTE on HB 1569 and Email the Committee on HB 1569
HB 1569 poses a huge risk to the integrity of our elections in New Hampshire and would result in the disenfranchisement of thousands of NH voters by removing their ability vote using an affidavit if they don't have access to their required identifying documents for any number of reasons. This law strips away much needed nuance that understands that life can be messy, house fires happen, homelessness happens, misplacing and forgetting documents happens. The ability to use affidavits for voting assures that as many eligible voters as possible are able to cast their ballots and have their voices heard.
Given the risk that this bill poses we are taking a strong stance and providing as much pushback on this as possible, so we are asking that you write an LTE on HB 1569 and/or email the committee urging them to oppose this bill.
Link to Email Committee via UJoin
Sample LTE:
To the Editor:
HB1569 is legislation in search of a problem. This voter suppression law could cost any voter - from either party - their right to register and vote in an election by eliminating voter identification exceptions. HB1569 would require documents to be provided every time someone registers to vote – even if they are updating their registration with something as simple as a new address. Voters who lost their documents in fires or natural disasters before an election would be unfairly barred from voting. It could also impact any voter who is unknowingly removed from the voter checklist and therefore doesn’t bring all of their documents with them to vote. Citizens should not have their right to vote ripped away because of missing paperwork.
This bill is extreme, going so far as to remove the only fail-safe process Granite Staters have to ensure their right to vote if they have lost or forgotten documents to register under the guise of 'protecting' our elections. Meanwhile, government officials on both sides of the political aisle have gone on record stating that our New Hampshire elections are safe, secure, and free of widespread fraud. Secretary of State Dave Scanlan has even said, “There's no evidence that I've seen of any organized widespread voter fraud taking place in New Hampshire." This bill would not strengthen the integrity of our elections, instead, this legislation would erect barriers to vote for some of our most vulnerable citizens: New Americans, houseless people, the elderly, and more.
Action 3 - Register & Share Our Upcoming Events
We have three great events coming up, our Remembering Selma event in March and our next Book Club meeting in April. Be sure to register for these events and share with five friends.
Remembering Selma in NH: Past, Present & Future
When: Sunday, March 3rd at 2:30pm
Join us to commemorate the 59th anniversary of "Bloody Sunday" with a community march, car rally, panel discussion and potluck lunch.
Learn more and register here.
Voter Registration Volunteer Workshop
When: March 26th, 6:00pm EST
Join volunteers across your state to help NH high school students register to vote before they graduate this spring! Learn how to encourage and empower students and educators to organize voter registration events for their schools in NH.
Learn more and register here.
Open Democracy Book Club: Unthinkable
When: Thursday, April 11th at 7:00 pm
The next book that has been chosen for the Open Democracy Book Club is
Actions for Feb 19-Feb 25
Action 1 - Sign in on Bills
Support
CACR19 - Redistricting
This constitutional amendment concurrent resolution establishes an independent redistricting commission to draw the boundaries for state and federal elections.
Public Hearing: House Election Law Committee, February 20th @ 9:00am LOB 306-308
Link to Sign in on House Bills
HB1264 - Accessible Voting
This bill directs cities and towns to enable access to voting for individuals with disabilities during elections.
Public Hearing: House Election Law Committee, February 20th @ 10:15am LOB 306-308
Link to Sign in on House Bills
Link to Email Committee via UJoin
HB1557 - Electronic Registration Info Center
This bill requires the secretary of state to enter into a membership agreement with the Electronic Registration Information Center.
Public Hearing: House Election Law Committee, February 20th @ 1:00pm LOB 306-308
Link to Sign in on House Bills
Oppose
HB1569 - Voter ID Exceptions/Affidavits
This bill removes any exceptions for proving voter identification. This bill also removes the voter affidavits as proof of identification and repeals the procedures for affidavit ballots.
Public Hearing: House Election Law Committee, February 20th @ 1:25pm LOB 306-308
Link to Sign in on House Bills
Link to Email Committee via UJoin
HB1200 - Storage of Paper Ballots
This bill establishes certain procedures to secure the printing, use, and storage of paper election ballots.
Public Hearing: House Election Law Committee, February 20th @ 9:50am LOB 306-308
Link to Sign in on House Bills
HB1310 - Frequency of Checklist Meetings
This bill requires the supervisors of the checklist to meet every 90 days.
Public Hearing: House Election Law Committee, February 20th @ 10:35am LOB 306-308
Link to Sign in on House Bills
Action 2 - Register & Share Our Upcoming Events
We have two great events coming up, our Remembering Selma event in March and our next Book Club meeting in April. Be sure to register for these events and share with five friends.
Remembering Selma in NH: Past, Present & Future
When: Sunday, March 3rd at 2:30pm
Join us to commemorate the 59th anniversary of "Bloody Sunday" with a community march, car rally, panel discussion and potluck lunch.
Learn more and register here.
Open Democracy Book Club: Unthinkable
When: Thursday, April 11th at 7:00 pm
The next book that has been chosen for the Open Democracy Book Club is
Action 3 - Share the New Resources for Statehouse Advocacy Page
In the spirit of educating others and encouraging the practice of democracy, we have created a new resources page for statehouse advocacy explaining how to sign in on House and Senate bills online, and how to provide testimony on bills. Be sure to share it within your network to help spread awareness.
Resources for State House Advocacy
Bonus Action - Register for the upcoming discussion with the Secretary of State
Sunday, March 10
Register for an Evening with NH Secretary of State Scanlan- 7 PM to 8:30 PM. Hosted by Hillsborough County Democratic Committee. Join us for a discussion with Secretary Scanlan about campaign finance, election law and processes ahead of the 2024 elections. If you would like to submit a question ahead of time, please email it to [email protected].
Actions for Feb 12-Feb 18
Action 1 - Sign in on Bills
Support
SB 536 No Excuse Absentee Voting
The Senate Election Law and Municipal Affairs Committee is having a public hearing on SB 536 on February 13th at 9:30am in the Legislative Office Building, room 103. Please email the committee, testify, or sign in on the bill.
This bill allows for no-excuse absentee registration and voting.
SB 537 Pre-processing of Absentee Ballots
The Senate Election Law and Municipal Affairs Committee is having a public hearing on SB 537 on February 13th at 9:45am in the Legislative Office Building, room 103. Please email the committee, testify, or sign in on the bill.
This bill allows for the preprocessing of absentee ballots.
HB 1091 Campaign Finance
The House Election Law Committee is having a public hearing on HB 1019 on February 13th at 2:40pm at the Legislative Office Building room 307. Please email the committee, testify, or sign in on the bill.
This bill makes various changes to the laws that regulate the financing of political campaigns.
Oppose
CACR 26 Handcount/Serial Numbered Ballots
The House Election Law Committee is having a public hearing on CACR 26 on February 13th at 9:00am at the Legislative Office Building room 307. Please email the committee, testify, or sign in on the bill.
This concurrent resolution proposing a constitutional amendment provides for comprehensive election reform to include provisions and penalties in regards to ballot reconciliation, access, retention, polling location limits, poll workers, allowance of registered voters for post-election ballot viewing, ballot lot and voting documentation viewing, and scanning and recording photographically during citizen audits.
HB 1085 Inspection of Absentee Ballot Lists
The House Election Law Committee is having a public hearing on HB 1085 on February 13th at 9:25am at the Legislative Office Building room 307. Please email the committee, testify, or sign in on the bill.
This bill requires that town and city clerks shall make absentee ballot voter lists available for public inspection, and requires the secretary of state to report on absentee ballots information.
HB 1348 Ballot Counts Exceeding Registered Voters
The House Election Law Committee is having a public hearing on HB 1348 on February 13th at 1:50pm at the Legislative Office Building room 307. Please email the committee, testify, or sign in on the bill.
his bill negates election results at polling places at which total ballot counts exceed the total number of registered voters.
Action 2 - Write an LTE to encourage others to practice democracy
It's vital for us to encourage others to join us in practicing democracy, especially in this election year that is filled with political turbulence. Let's write some LTEs to spread awareness and educate! Choose a topic that you feel passionate about like educating the community about SB 445 decision, advocating support of HB 1426, general education for how young activists can get started with speaking on bills, etc.
Sample LTE on HB 1426:
To the Editor: In a healthy democracy, one person, one vote is cherished and protected, as it is part of the very definition of democracy - that each person's vote carries equal weight in every election where citizens' values, ideals and preferences are expressed. If our various kinds of voting districts continue to be gerrymandered every 10 years on a partisan basis, we will continue to experience erosion of our democratic way of life. HB 1426 can halt that erosion and return us to our original path of determining districts in a fair, accurate, and constitutional process. Please support our democracy with vigor by expressing your support for HB 1426.
Lois Cote
Manchester, NH
Action 3 - Share/sign the letter for election workers
If you are a New Hampshire election official, we invite you to join a coalition of other NH election officials including Supervisors of the Checklist, moderators, clerks, and other election administrators across the state in adding your name to the following letter asking House Election Law Committee to vote down HB 1569. Please note that this letter will also be released publicly.
To add your name to this letter, please fill out the following form. Someone will reach out to you to confirm you'd like your name added as written.
If you are not an election official please share this letter with any New Hampshire election officials that you know.
NH Election Officials Letter in Opposition of HB 1569
Bonus Action - thank you card for the Attorney General's office
Write a thank you letter to the New Hampshire Attorney General, John Formella, thanking him and his team for the making quick work of the Biden Robocall investigation and identifying the Texas company allegedly behind the AI-generated robocalls made to Granite State voters ahead of the primary last month.
Actions for Feb 5-Feb 11
Action 1 - Sign in on Bills
Support
HB 1147 Campaign contributions by businesses and labor unions
The House Election Law Committee is having a public hearing on HB 1147 on February 6th at 9:30am at the Legislative Office Building room 306-308. Please email the committee, testify, or sign in on the bill.
This bill requires business organizations and labor unions to make political contributions through segregated funds.
HB 1074 LLC loophole
The House Election Law Committee is having a public hearing on HB 1074 on February 6th at 10:00am at the Legislative Office Building room 306-308. Please email the committee, testify, or sign in on the bill.
This bill requires that a political contribution by a limited liability company be allocated to members for purposes of determining whether a member has exceeded the contribution limits.
HB 1119 Absentee Ballots
The House Election Law Committee is having a public hearing on HB 1119 on February 6th at 10:30am at the Legislative Office Building room 306-308. Please email the committee, testify, or sign in on the bill.
This bill makes provisions for procuring an absentee ballot during a weather emergency.
HB 1596 AI political ad disclosures
The House Election Law Committee is having a public hearing on HB 1596 on February 6th at 2:00pm at the Legislative Office Building room 306-308. Please email the committee, testify, or sign in on the bill.
This bill requires the disclosure of deceptive synthetic media and deceptive and fraudulent deep fakes usage in political advertising.
Contact the House Election Law Committee using the link below and ask them to support Requiring AI political ad disclosures - HB 1596
https://ujoin.co/campaigns/2748/actions/public?action_id=3154
HB 1364 Protecting election officials
The House Election Law Committee is having a public hearing on HB 1364 on February 6th at 3:00pm at the Legislative Office Building room 306-308. Please email the committee, testify, or sign in on the bill.
This bill makes it a crime to intimidate election officers, to improperly influence the electoral process, and to tamper with electronic ballot counting devices.
Contact the House Election Law Committee using the link below and ask them to support protecting our election officials - HB 1364
https://ujoin.co/campaigns/2749/actions/public?action_id=3147
Oppose
HB 1369 Checklist purge every 4 years
The House Election Law Committee is having a public hearing on HB 1369 on February 6th at 1:00pm at the Legislative Office Building room 306-308. Please email the committee, testify, or sign in on the bill.
This bill decreases the verification of voter rolls by the supervisors of the checklist to every 4 years.
HB 1442 Penalties for election officials
The House Election Law Committee is having a public hearing on HB 1442 on February 6th at 1:30pm at the Legislative Office Building room 306-308. Please email the committee, testify, or sign in on the bill.
This bill creates a penalty for the failure of election officers to adhere to election law.
Action 2 - For the Love of Democracy Valentines for Legislators
Celebrate this Valentine's Day by asking your legislators to support democracy and key bills with our Valentine's Day cards. We have designed a prefilled and a blank version so you can write your own messages. For the prefilled cards be sure to set the printer settings to double-sided and flip along short edge.
For the Love of Democracy Valentines_blank
For the Love of Democracy Valentines
Actions 3 - Share our Bill Sign In Social Media Content
A large portion of New Hampshire residents are unaware that they can sign-in on bills and provide written testimony for the bills that matter to them. Let's change that! Share our social media content that teaches how to sign in on bills, and let's get more people practicing democracy with us.
Actions for Jan 30-Feb 5
Action 1 - Sign in on Bills
Support
HB 1426 - Establishing an advisory commission
The House Election Law Committee is having a public hearing on HB 1426 on January 30th at 2:00pm at the Legislative Office Building room 306-308. Please email the committee, testify, or sign in on the bill.
HB 1426 establishes an advisory redistricting commission. This bill would simply provide to the legislature a set of fair maps, drawn by the commission with public input, for consideration at the start of the legislative session. HB 1426 opens the doors of redistricting to the public by requiring the commission to hold public hearings, provide forum for public comment, and disclose all data and communications used to reach a decision.
Contact the House Election Law Committee using the link below and ask them to support establishing an advisory redistricting commission-HB 1426
https://ujoin.co/campaigns/2699/actions/public?action_id=3070
SB 535 - Absentee Ballots
The Senate Election Law and Municipal Affairs Committee is having a public hearing on SB 535 on January 30th at 9:00am in the Legislative Office Building, room 103. Please email the committee, testify, or sign in on the bill.
SB 353 updates the absentee ballot request form to match state statute that enables a person who would otherwise vote in person but has concerns about traveling during a winter storm warning to receive an absentee ballot.
SB 534 - Campaign Finance
The Senate Election Law and Municipal Affairs Committee is having a public hearing on SB 534 on January 30th at 9:45am in the Legislative Office Building, room 103. Please email the committee, testify, or sign in on the bill.
This bill makes various changes to the laws that regulate the financing of political campaigns.
SB 530 - Campaign Finance
The Senate Election Law and Municipal Affairs Committee is having a public hearing on SB 534 on January 30th at 9:20am in the Legislative Office Building, room 103. Please email the committee, testify, or sign in on the bill.
This bill makes provisions for the reporting of receipts and expenditures filed by political committees of candidates and candidates, requiring all report be at least 8pt font to be easily legible.
Oppose
HB 1446 - Eliminating cost for an electronic copy of the checklist
The House Election Law Committee is having a public hearing on HB 1446 on January 30th at 10:00am at the Legislative Office Building room 306-308. Please email the committee, testify, or sign in on the bill.
HB 1446 would eliminate the cost for an emailed copy of the checklist, but this fails to account for the fact that electronic copies still incur labor costs to the towns.
HB 1699 - Allowing caucus identification on ballots
The House Election Law Committee is having a public hearing on HB 1699 on January 30th at 1:30pm at the Legislative Office Building room 306-308. Please email the committee, testify, or sign in on the bill.
HB 1699 proposes that candidates for the office of state representative may list up to 3 caucuses they are affiliated with for inclusion on the ballot.
HB 1343 - Prohibiting Governor Emergency Orders
The Legislative Administration is having a public hearing on HB 1343 on January 31st at 10:00 am at the Legislative Office Building, room 203. Please email the committee, testify, or sign in on the bill.
This bill requires the governor to get prior written or electronic approval from legislative majority and minority leaders to issue an emergency order concerning elections procedures.
Action 2 - Write a Thank You message to your local poll workers
Our poll workers worked hard last Tuesday to make sure the Primary went off without a hitch, so this week lets show them that they are appreciated. Take a moment this week to handwrite a thank you message to your local poll workers or town clerk.
Action 3 - Invite 5 Friends to the Grassroots Briefing
Please join us and the New Hampshire Campaign for Voting Rights for our 2024 Grassroots Voting Rights Legislative Briefing - Tuesday, January 30th at 7:00pm! Hear from NHCVR partners and key voting rights advocates about our priority legislation in the New Hampshire legislature, and how you can get involved to support voting rights.
RSVP here: https://www.nhvotingrights.org/24grassrootsbriefing
Share this invitation with 5 friends or post it to your social media.
Actions for Jan 23-29
Action 1 - Go Vote!
The NH Primary is here so make sure you go out and VOTE on Tuesday, Jan 23rd!
Action 2 - Share & Attend the Granny D Lunch
Be sure to register and join us for our Annual Granny D Birthday Celebration on Wednesday, January 24 at noon! We will celebrate Doris "Granny D" Haddock's birthday this year with a Legislative Luncheon at the State House in the cafeteria dining room.
Share the event on social media with friends and invite your legislators to attend!
Register: https://www.opendemocracynh.org/2024gdbirthday
Action 3 - Sign in on Bills
Support
HB 1426 - Establishing an advisory commission
The House Election Law Committee is having a public hearing on HB 1426 on January 30th at 2:00pm at the Legislative Office Building room 306-308. Please email the committee, testify, or sign in on the bill.
HB 1426 establishes an advisory redistricting commission. This bill would simply provide to the legislature a set of fair maps, drawn by the commission with public input, for consideration at the start of the legislative session. HB 1426 opens the doors of redistricting to the public by requiring the commission to hold public hearings, provide forum for public comment, and disclose all data and communications used to reach a decision.
Contact the House Election Law Committee using the link below and ask them to support establishing an advisory redistricting commission-HB 1426
https://ujoin.co/campaigns/2699/actions/public?action_id=3070
Oppose
HB 1446 - Eliminating cost for an electronic copy of the checklist
The House Election Law Committee is having a public hearing on HB 1446 on January 30th at 10:00am at the Legislative Office Building room 306-308. Please email the committee, testify, or sign in on the bill.
HB 1446 would eliminate the cost for an emailed copy of the checklist, but this fails to account for the fact that electronic copies still incur labor costs to the towns.
HB 1699 - Allowing caucus identification on ballots
The House Election Law Committee is having a public hearing on HB 1699 on January 30th at 1:30pm at the Legislative Office Building room 306-308. Please email the committee, testify, or sign in on the bill.
HB 1699 proposes that candidates for the office of state representative may list up to 3 caucuses they are affiliated with for inclusion on the ballot.
Actions for Jan 16-22
Action 1 - Sign in on bills.
- Voter Owned Elections (SB 445)
- Senate Election Law Hearing 1/16 at 9:45am, LOB 103
- Sign in Support Here
- Recount Procedure (SB382)
- Senate Election Law Hearing 1/16 at 9am, LOB 103
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Sign in Support Here
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As a reminder these are the steps to remote sign in:
- Choose the date (1/16), Select the committee (Senate Election Law), Select the bill (SB382), For the “I am” question, select “Member of the public”, For the “I am representing” question, type “Myself”, Click the bubble next to “I support this bill”, Go to the bottom and click “submit”
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As a reminder these are the steps to remote sign in:
- Talking points here
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Sign in Support Here
Action 2 - Share Upcoming events
- 1/16 at 7pm EST Democracy Book Club - Zoom
- 1/18 at 5:30pm Sign at the Debate - Manchester We are bringing the Corruption Chorus to St A's debate on Jan 18th - signing outside from 6-7pm. We will meet at 5:30pm at Nadeau's Subs, 776 Mast Road, Manchester and walk over to campus. Songs
- 1/23 Vote - NH Primary
- 1/24 at noon for the Granny D Lunch at State House https://www.opendemocracynh.org/2024gdbirthday
- *Bird-dog calendar - last week to ask questions
https://www.opendemocracyaction.org/birddogdopps
Action 3 - Share - Social Media about Voting - NH Primary GOTV
Do you know your polling place? - https://app.sos.nh.gov/pollingplacesampleballot
Do you need a ride to the polls?- https://rideshare2vote.com/
Sample Ballots - share on facebook
Actions for Jan 8-16
Action 1
Poll Workers needed on Jan 23
- Keene ward 1 & 4
- Manchester
- Nashua Ward 2: Moderator, Ward Clerk, Selectperson
- Dalton
- Barrington
- Portsmouth
- Plaistow
NHCVR is organizing two phone banks next week to help fill gaps in Dalton on Thursday, January 11th from 1pm-3pm and 6pm-8pm. Any additional capacity is appreciated! RSVP form with more details here.
- Share Social media campaign, and get the word out we have two weeks to find the needed election workers.
Action 2
Sign-in and testify on SB 445 (Senate Election Law Jan. 16th @9:45am)
- In regards to Voter-Owned Elections
- https://ujoin.co/campaigns/2650/actions/public?action_id=2989
- Tool kit
Action 3
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Invite people to Granny D luncheon! (Wednesday, January 24th at 12pm)
- Share Facebook event with friends
- Invite your State Rep to join you for lunch
- RSVP - https://www.opendemocracynh.org/2024gdbirthday
Actions for Jan 1-7
As we are going into the legislative session we have several bills coming up that need our attention, so this week’s actions are to contact our state legislators regarding three bills being heard in early January.
Action 1 - The full House is voting on HB 463 on Jan 3 please email them before the 3rd.
Contact your state representatives using the link below and ask them to support an election information portal-HB 463
https://ujoin.co/campaigns/2656/actions/public?action_id=3003
Have you ever requested an absentee ballot? Have you had to change your voting address? Have you paid bills? Have you re-registered your car?
You probably know that you can choose to pay your bills or re-register your car online, but to request an absentee ballot or to change your voting address or to take various other actions related to voting in New Hampshire, you have to either show up in person at the town clerk’s office or, if you qualify, figure out how to print out and mail various forms. Forty-two other states and Washington, D.C., have secure election information portals on the internet that provide easier and more efficient ways for voters to transact their business with the town and state if they choose to use them.The portal will make the lives of voters and election officials easier, allowing voters to interact with the town clerk's office without having to go in person during work hours, and saving town officials time and taxpayer money processing paper forms.
Talking Points:
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This is a common sense modernization step towards making our elections more efficient for more Granite Staters.
- This bill would create an online election voter portal that connects with the existing system used by election officials, where voters can complete a new voter application, request an absentee ballot, and update their address and other voter information – allowing more, easier access for eligible New Hampshire voters.
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When a voter registers through the online election portal, their information goes directly to the Supervisors of the Checklist for their town – maintaining local oversight and checks on voter registration.
- Providing information to the town online instead of a paper form can reduce errors made by handwriting, data entry, or missing information.
- If people can update their information easily and safely when they move, have a new home, or register for the first time, among other scenarios, people will be more likely to be registered before election day, reducing lines or confusion at the polls.
- 42 States and Washington, DC use an election information portal– it is time for New Hampshire to use modern tech to provide an easier, more efficient way to register for Granite Staters. It’s time for New Hampshire, a state that prides itself on our elections, to join a majority of states with common sense modernization reforms that utilize modern, proven technology.
- We should be working to make voting as accessible as possible for voters who have the right to take part in our elections, and this legislation would be a big step forward.
- This bill also provides a simple, efficient way for voters to help keep our voter rolls clean, which helps local election officials with their jobs and cuts down lines and mistakes on election day.
- Allowing people additional ways to register to vote before an election reduces the number of people who need to register on election day and could reduce the number of affidavits used on election day
- We pay our bills online, can re-register our cars online and can do all of our banking online. It is time to make this common sense solution a reality and allow us to register to vote online, too.
Action 2 - The Senate Finance Committee is having a public hearing on SB 453 on Jan 4 at 1:10pm at the State House - please email the committee and come to testify or sign in on the bill in the new year.
Contact the member of the senate finance committee using the link below and ask them to support funding the election information portal-SB 453
https://ujoin.co/campaigns/2661/actions/public?action_id=3008
Talking points:
- Processing hundreds of thousands of paper voter registration applications each election cycle is labor-intensive and expensive, requiring manual data entry, follow-up on missing information and errors, and overtime for supervisors of the checklist and town clerks to process applications
in a busy election season. - An OVR system can replace these paper transactions, saving time, energy, and money for these election administrators. This memorandum discusses the costs associated with paper-based registrations, and how different pieces of an OVR system can significantly reduce these paper
filings. - Since 2014, New Hampshire has spent approximately $10 million on processing paper voter registration forms.
- Even without the costs of postage and printing, research shows that processing a paper voter registration application costs approximately $4.72 in staff time.
Action 3 - On Jan 9 at 9:10am the Senate Election law committee is having a public hearing on SB 489 at the State House. Please email the committee and come to testify or sign in on the bill in the new year.
Contact the members of the senate election law committee using the link below and ask them to support SB 489 to require election audits
https://ujoin.co/campaigns/2662/actions/public?action_id=3009
Reliable post-election audits are conducted in a transparent manner by impartial election officials, often in bipartisan teams, according to pre-determined rules, with a documented process to ensure security of voting equipment, maintain chain of custody of voted ballots, and protect voters’ personal information.
Report from our friends: https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/partisan-election-review-efforts-five-states
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