Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 6, 2022
CONTACT: press@securedemocracyusa.org
Expert Presents on NH Election Improvements at Voter Confidence Committee Meeting
Secure Democracy USA Director of Policy Samantha Buckley identified improvements to ballot tabulation, voter registration, post-election audits and more
KEENE, N.H. - Earlier today, Secure Democracy USA Director of Policy Samantha Buckley testified before the New Hampshire Special Committee on Voter Confidence. Buckley spoke to several improvements the state can advance to make New Hampshire elections more secure and accessible – she also spoke to the opportunity New Hampshire has to lead by example.
"New Hampshire holds a special place in American democracy," said Buckley. "As the state with the first-in-the-nation presidential primary, New Hampshire has the unique opportunity to lead by example by adopting critical policies and procedures that can make elections more secure and accessible for its citizens and support the state’s strong network of local election officials."
Buckley's full testimony is written below. You can also read her testimony online here.
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Testimony by Samantha Buckley before the New Hampshire Special Committee on Voter Confidence
Overview of Policy Improvements
Establish pre-processing for absentee ballots
Guarantee "illness" as an excuse to vote absentee
Develop post-election audit requirements
Expand access to voter registration for eligible residents
Protect New Hampshire voter rolls
Establish Pre-Processing for Absentee Ballots
Pre-processing absentee ballots prior to Election Day is a critical method by which your election officials can efficiently handle the influx of absentee voters. Pre-processing is an administrative procedure which gives your election officials more time to handle ballots during what has become a high pressure situation. New Hampshire temporarily permitted local election officials to pre-process absentee ballots for the 2020 presidential election. This process should become established in New Hampshire law.
Thirty-six states currently allow election officials to begin pre-processing and/or verifying voter information on returned mail ballots prior to each election, including Rhode Island, Maine, and Massachusetts. Currently, New Hampshire only permits processing absentee ballots on Election Day, prior to the close of polls.
Guarantee "Illness" as an Excuse to Vote Absentee
Currently, those with disabilities may seek to vote absentee by mail. This excuse does not explicitly provide access for absentee voters who find themselves ill.
Develop Post-Election Audit Requirements
A post-election audit verifies the outcome of an election by ensuring the voting machines counted ballots without error. A post-election audit focuses on the tabulation machines and can find errors in programming or software issues. Developing and implementing a post-election audit program does not have to be cumbersome or expensive. Further, post-election audits serve a purpose, evidenced by the fact that 34 states, including Rhode Island, Delaware, and Connecticut, require a post-election audit.
Risk Limiting Audits, or “RLAs,” have been conducted in the U.S. for over a decade, and have become the standard for post-election audits due to their efficiency. Generally, RLAs reduce the time and cost of auditing voting machines.
Expand Access to Voter Registration for Eligible Residents
Online voter registration (“OVR”) not only makes voter registration more accessible, it can reduce administrative costs for election officials and make it easier to update and maintain a state’s voter rolls. OVR can be an electronic system that supports eligible voters while providing the security that voter rolls require. Many states verify voter registration information through DMV processes and programs; thus, the two systems work side-by-side to provide this service. Currently, 40 states allow voters to register to vote online. Two more states — Oklahoma and Maine — are in the process of implementing OVR.
By 2023, New Hampshire will be one of only two states east of the Mississippi lacking an online voter registration system.
Protect New Hampshire Voter Rolls
Every state has an obligation to responsibly maintain its voter rolls, both to ensure the list of eligible voters remains accurate and up-to-date, and to ensure that eligible voters are not erroneously removed and denied their access to the ballot. In an effort to achieve both of these goals, 30 states have joined the Electronic Registration Information Center, which is a bipartisan organization formed in 2012 dedicated to ensuring the efficiency and integrity of America’s voter rolls.
ERIC’s member states are able to securely share accurate voter information to help states identify voters who have moved within their state, voters who have moved out of state, voters who have died, duplicate registrations in the same state, and individuals who are potentially eligible to vote but are not yet registered.
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To read this testimony online, click here. To read this press release online, click here.
To learn more about the improvements identified by Secure Democracy USA or to speak with an election policy expert, please contact press@securedemocracyusa.org.
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Secure Democracy USA is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that works to build confidence in our elections and improve voter access across the United States. We educate policymakers and the public about what it takes to safeguard our voting systems. We use sophisticated survey and messaging research to inform our strategy and we collaborate with state leaders, election administrators, policy experts, and allies to ensure that all eligible citizens have the freedom to vote how they choose.