§ 39:3-d — Placement of Articles on Official Ballot

I. No article included in a warrant for a town meeting may be considered by placing a question on the official ballot used for election of town officers unless use of the official ballot for that article or type of article is specifically authorized or required by law.
II. For purposes of this section and RSA 40:4-e:
(a) Any law which requires a ballot vote on an article, and which uses the term "official ballot", shall be deemed to require the use of the official ballot for voting on that article, in towns which use the official ballot for the election of officers.
(b) Any law which prescribes the wording of a question, but where the term "official ballot" is not used, shall be deemed to authorize, but not require, the use of the official ballot for that question, unless a contrary intent is specified. If the official ballot is not used for voting on such a question, the prescribed wording shall be placed in the warrant, and may also be placed upon a preprinted ballot to be acted upon in open meeting in the same manner as a secret "yes-no" ballot under RSA 40:4-a.
III. This section shall not prohibit the use of secret written ballots at any town meeting pursuant to RSA 40:4-a or 4-b.
IV. Articles concerning the issuance of bonds or notes shall not be placed on the official ballot, unless the municipality has adopted a charter provision authorizing that votes on the issuance of bonds or notes shall be placed on the official ballot or unless the municipality has adopted the provisions of RSA 40:12-14.
V. Notwithstanding paragraph IV, in the town of Bedford, articles concerning the issuance of bonds or notes shall be in accordance with Bedford's Town Charter, Article 1-5 Finance, Paragraph 1-5-11 Borrowing Procedure.

Legislative History

1979, 445:1. 1988, 126:1. 1991, 113:1, eff. July 13, 1991. 1996, 156:3, eff. May 29, 1996. 1998, 166:1, eff. Aug. 14, 1998.