The information contained in this article is not intended as legal advice and may no longer be accurate due to changes in the law. Consult NHMA's legal services or your municipal attorney.
On June 30, 2025, the pilot program that required municipalities to enter into pilot agreements with the Secretary of State (“SOS”) for the mandatory use of Accessible Voting Systems at local elections was set to expire. Given the success of the program, HB 67, which extends the pilot program to December 31, 2025 and makes the program permanent starting January 1, 2026, was passed by both chambers and signed into law by Governor Ayotte on August 1, 2025.
Accessible Voting Systems (“AVS”) are required to be used at all state and federal elections under the Helping Americans Vote Act. The SOS purchased and maintains AVS for every polling site in the state. AVS are designed to assist voters who are blind, visually impaired, or have other disabilities that make traditional voting methods difficult. AVS provides voters with disabilities with equal access to the election process, including voting privately and independently.
As previously required by the pilot program, HB 67 obligates any city, town, or school district that uses an official ballot system to ensure that each polling place is equipped with at least one accessible voting system during local elections. Municipalities must enter into agreements with the SOS’s office to use the AVS for local elections. The permanent agreement will again include the requirement that the municipality cover the cost of programming the AVS (for local elections only); store and maintain the AVS in accordance with state issued election security standards; and follow any guidance issued by the NH SOS relative to AVS programming and election-day setup. The SOS issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) to replace the state’s existing in-person accessible voting system.
The SOS has stated that its objective for the RFP is to ensure easy set up for election officials and ease of use for voters. The SOS has also indicated that it will be cognizant of the programming costs when reviewing the responses to the RFP. The SOS has indicated that the new equipment and associated form agreements pursuant to HB 67 will be delivered to municipalities in early 2026.
Although legislation passed both chambers that would have provided an option for municipalities to opt-out of deploying the AVS, it was vetoed by Governor Ayotte on August 1, 2025. In the veto message, Governor Ayotte stated "This legislation (HB 613) impacts people with disabilities and would conflict with federal law that requires accessible voting systems be available at all polling places during federal elections."