New HampshireNew Hampshire allows citizenship audits for voters who used affidavits
New Hampshire’s secretary of state may check registered voters who proved citizenship with an affidavit, a written statement, and must publish audit findings.
What it does
New Hampshire’s secretary of state may check voters who used an affidavit to prove citizenship. Audits must use random selection and sound statistical methods, with findings made public.
Voters whose citizenship is confirmed cannot face further citizenship audits. Information about possible noncitizens on the voter list must go to the attorney general for review and appropriate action.
Outside use of voter data requires a binding agreement limiting storage and sharing. Identifying audit data must be permanently destroyed when citizenship is confirmed or an unconfirmed case is finally resolved.
Argument forRandom checks could identify possible noncitizens for attorney general review while protecting voters with confirmed citizenship from repeated audits.
Argument againstSharing voter information with outside organizations could expose personal data to unauthorized access, even with required security measures and limits on sharing.
More detail
The secretary of state may audit covered voters’ citizenship. The checks cover New Hampshire registered voters who submitted a qualified voter affidavit, a statement used as proof of citizenship. The secretary must ensure a random audit that uses sound statistical methods and must publish its findings. The law took effect on September 8, 2026.
The secretary of state must record confirmed citizenship in the statewide voter database and refer information about possible noncitizens to the attorney general. These rules cover registered voters who used a qualified voter affidavit as proof of citizenship. Confirmation can come from available state records or an investigation supporting the audit. The attorney general receives information about possible noncitizens for further review and appropriate action. Protection from further citizenship audits begins when citizenship is confirmed.
The secretary of state must protect voter data used with outside parties and permanently destroy identifying audit data at the required time. Sharing safeguards cover people and organizations outside state agencies. Destruction duties cover audit data that identifies a person. A binding agreement must limit storage to the time needed for the sharing’s purpose or one year, whichever is shorter. The agreement must require reasonable security and the secretary’s written permission for further sharing or disclosure. The state must own and directly control the data unless state or federal law requires otherwise. Identifying audit data must be destroyed upon citizenship confirmation. If citizenship is not confirmed, destruction is required when the matter is finally resolved.
Where do you stand?
Choose your position
Tell your reps
Take a position to see your representatives and ways to contact them.
Where it stands
- Introduced
- Passed House
- Passed Senate
- To Governor
- Became Law
Looking ahead
No hearings or votes scheduled.
History
- 2026
- Jul 16Signed by Governor Kelly Ayotte Ayotte 07/10/2026; Chapter 289; eff. 9/8/2026Became Law
- Jul 1Enrolled (in recess of) 06/04/2026 HJ 15 P. 56To Governor
- Jun 29Enrolled Adopted, VV, (In recess 06/04/2026); SJ 15Minor
- Jun 4Conference Committee Report 2026-2094c: Adopted, RC 196-156 06/04/2026 HJ 15 P. 15
- Vote recorded Adopt CofC Report. Result: pass.Lower
- Jun 4Conference Committee Report # 2026-2094c, Adopted, VV; 06/04/2026; SJ 14
- Jun 3Removed from Consent (Reps. Telerski, Simpson, Lane, Muirhead, Ward, Bay, Newsom, Wallner, B. Sullivan, D. Paige) 06/03/2026 HJ 15 P. 12
- May 28Conference Committee Report Filed, # 2026-2094c; 06/04/2026
- May 28Conferee Change: Rep. See Replaces Rep. Wherry 05/28/2026 HJ 14 P. 36
- May 27Conference Committee Meeting: 05/27/2026 09:40 am GP 228
- May 20President Appoints: Senators Gray, Lang, Perkins Kwoka; (In Recess 05/14/2026); SJ 13
- May 20Sen. Gray Accedes to House Request for Committee of Conference, MA, VV; (In recess 05/14/2026); SJ 13
- May 14Speaker Appoints: Reps. Berry, Qualey, Wherry, Harvey-Bolia 05/14/2026 HJ 13 P. 150
- May 14House Non-Concurs with Senate Amendment 2026-1383s and Requests CofC (Rep. Berry): MA VV 05/14/2026 HJ 13 P. 150
- Apr 16Ought to Pass with Amendment # 2026-1383s, MA, VV; OT3rdg; 04/16/2026; SJ 9Passed Senate
- Apr 16Committee Amendment # 2026-1383s, AA, VV; 04/16/2026; SJ 9
- Apr 8Committee Report: Ought to Pass with Amendment # 2026-1383s, 04/16/2026; Vote 5-0; CC; SC 14Minor
- Mar 25Hearing: 03/31/2026, Room 122-123, SH, 10:30 am; SC 12
- Mar 17Introduced 03/12/2026 and Referred to Election Law and Municipal Affairs; SJ 7Minor
- Mar 11Ought to Pass: MA DV 181-152 03/11/2026 HJ 7 P. 144Passed House
- Mar 4Minority Committee Report: Inexpedient to Legislate
- Mar 4Majority Committee Report: Ought to Pass 02/17/2026 (Vote 9-7; RC) HC 10 P. 40Minor
- Feb 17Executive Session: 02/17/2026 01:40 pm GP 158
- Jan 29Public Hearing: 02/03/2026 01:40 pm GP 158
- 2025
- Nov 12Introduced 01/07/2026 and referred to Election Law HJ 1 P. 4Introduced
Civil Rights & Voting