§ 659:24 — Unofficial Ballots

I. If the supply of official election day ballots shall become exhausted before the closing of the polls, it shall be the duty of the town or city clerk to provide additional ballots by placing unused absentee ballots into use as election day ballots or, if the supply of unused absentee ballots is exhausted, causing unofficial ballots to be prepared by photocopying an official election day ballot.
II. The clerk, a deputy, or assistant shall write or stamp his or her signature or initials in a blank space near the top of each unused absentee ballot and each photocopied ballot to authenticate that ballot for use as an election day ballot.
III. The clerk shall certify to the moderator the number of such ballots made available for use.
IV. The moderator and clerk shall monitor election day turnout. If exhaustion of the supply of election day ballots is likely, the clerk shall prepare additional ballots before the supply is exhausted. To the extent practical, the moderator shall ensure a ballot is promptly available for each voter.
V. Except as provided in this section and in RSA 658:35, no ballot without the official endorsement shall be allowed to be deposited in the ballot box.

Legislative History

1979, 436:1, eff. July 1, 1979. 2020, 35:4, eff. Sept. 26, 2020.