Chapter 668: Provisions for Unincorporated Places

The offices for which the voters of an unincorporated place are entitled to vote shall include: President and Vice-President of the United States, United States senator, United States representative, governor, executive councilor, state senator, state representative, and county offices. The provisions of the election laws relating to town meetings for the choice of election officers and the conduct of state elections shall apply to unincorporated places organized as provided by RSA 53:1.

If an unincorporated place is not organized for voting, the secretary of state shall designate a town in the same representative district where all persons domiciled in the unincorporated place may register, vote, file for office, and exercise all other procedures to which they are entitled under the election laws.

The procedure for registration by persons domiciled in an unincorporated place in a town designated pursuant to RSA 668:2 shall be the same as provided in RSA 654, except that a separate checklist shall be maintained for the voters of each unincorporated place. The supervisors shall prepare, revise, and post said checklist along with the checklist for the town as provided in RSA 654.

The offices for which voters of unincorporated places are entitled to vote shall include: President and Vice-President of the United States, United States senator, United States representative, governor, executive councilor, state senator, state representative, and county offices. The voters of the unincorporated places are not entitled to vote for any town or ward offices or on any questions concerning the towns in which they vote.

For any state election, the secretary of state shall prepare special ballots for the voters of all unincorporated places. For purposes of this section, "special ballots" shall mean the ballots to be used by all unincorporated places in the same state representative district as opposed to separate ballots for each unincorporated place. These special ballots shall have no location printed on them, but shall have a space where the name of an unincorporated place shall be entered by the town clerk of the designated town. The secretary of state shall print only the names of candidates for offices for which the voters of the unincorporated place are entitled to vote, as provided in RSA 668:4. It shall be the duty of the town clerk to make ready in advance a sufficient number of ballots for each person on the official checklist of the unincorporated places. If it is necessary because of election day registrations, extra ballots shall be prepared and the number attested to at the end of the voting. In all other respects, such special ballots shall be printed and forwarded to the town clerk in the same manner as the other ballots for the designated town.

I. The secretary of state or designee shall issue a warrant, post the warrant in the manner required for towns by RSA 39:5, give other public notice, appoint a pro tem moderator and clerk from among the registered voters, and oversee the first election of officers for an unorganized town or unincorporated place for the purpose of conducting local, county, state, and federal elections, pursuant to RSA 53:1. This initial election shall be conducted using the unofficial ballot process as set forth in RSA 669:54 through RSA 669:60. The secretary of state shall exercise this authority whenever the number of voters domiciled in an unorganized town or unincorporated place which has not organized for voting pursuant to RSA 53:1, as recorded in the statewide voter registration system, reaches 100 or more voters.

II. The following question shall be included in the warrant for the first meeting and shall be voted on at that meeting:

"Shall (insert name of the unorganized town or unincorporated place), when electing the officers who will conduct future elections, use an official ballot voting process in the same manner as a town as specified in RSA 669:19 through RSA 669:29? A "no" vote is a vote to use the unofficial ballot process in the same manner as a town as specified in RSA 669:54 through RSA 669:60 (nominations from the floor and voting at a meeting)."

III. Notwithstanding RSA 53:1, III, if the secretary of state is unable to appoint pro tem election officers and oversee a local election held at least 90 days prior to a state election due to a lack of suitable qualified volunteers, the secretary may designate a town as the polling place for the upcoming state elections in accordance with RSA 668:2.

IV. The secretary of state may exercise the authority authorized by this section if notified that vacancies in local offices for an unorganized town or unincorporated place result in the town or place being unable to organize and conduct their next election without state assistance.

The town clerk of the town designated pursuant to RSA 668:2 shall make a return of the votes cast in his town by the voters of each unincorporated place in the same manner as provided for in RSA 659.

I. For services to unincorporated places during any state general election as directed by this chapter, the town clerk of the town designated pursuant to RSA 668:2 shall be paid the sum of $50. Said payment shall be a charge against the appropriation for elections for the office of secretary of state.

II. If an unincorporated place exceeds 10 voters, and has not organized pursuant to RSA 53:1, the county in which the unincorporated place is located shall pay the town designated pursuant to RSA 668:2 for costs it incurs in conducting a primary or general election for the unincorporated place. The county shall assess the cost of conducting an election under this paragraph to the unincorporated place.