HB 1627-FN

Majority — INEXPEDIENT TO LEGISLATE

Rep. James Guzofski

This bill replaces New Hampshire’s existing partybased primary system for state and congressional elections with a single primary ballot allowing all registered voters to vote for any candidate, regardless of party affiliation. The committee found that the proposal represents a fundamental restructuring of the state’s primary election process without evidence of a demonstrated failure in the current system. The majority expressed concern that the bill would significantly alter long-standing election administration practices, introduce substantial operational complexity for election officials, and require extensive voter education to prevent confusion. The committee further noted that the bill eliminates party nomination mechanisms that have historically structured and administered primary elections in New Hampshire. The majority also considered the fiscal note, which identifies substantial and ongoing implementation and voter education costs, without any accompanying appropriation or clear demonstration that such expenditures are necessary to address an existing problem. For these reasons, the majority recommends that the bill be found Inexpedient to Legislate. Vote 14-2. Rep. Russell Muirhead for the Minority of 32 13 FEBRUARY 2026 HOUSE RECORD Election Law. This bill would replace partisan primaries with a single ballot non-partisan primary. Currently, voters can only vote for one party’s candidates when they vote in primary elections. Yet many voters – over 40 percent of whom register as unaffiliated with any party – would like to vote for one party’s candidate in one race (the governor’s race, for instance) while voting for another party’s candidate in another race (for U.S. Senate, for instance). Voters pay for the administration of elections – not parties. Therefore voters should be able to vote for any candidate they most support. That is the principle of democracy, and that is the principle behind this bill.