On January 12, the New Hampshire House Election Law Committee heard testimony on HB 1264, which would improve ballot access for minor parties. The Committee will vote on the bill on January 26. It sets the petition for a ballot-qualified party at exactly 5,000 signatures. The existing requirement is 20,394 valid signatures (3% of the last gubernatorial vote). The bill also alters the vote test for a party to remain on the ballot, from 4%, to 2%, although parties that poll 2% but under 4% would nominate by convention, not primary. Alternatively, a group with 3,000 registered members would also be a qualified party.

Testifying in favor were the state chair of the Libertarian Party, and the New Hampshire COFOE (Coalition for Free & Open Elections) representative, and a group from Dartmouth College that studied the issue. The Secretary of State’s office suggested that elections officials might have trouble if there were ever as many as five qualified parties.

The Committee also heard testimony on HB 1188, a bill which slightly eases the petition for new parties. HB 1188 has the support of the Secretary of State. It changes the petition from 3% of the last gubernatorial vote to 1.5% of the number of registered voters.