On March 30, the New Hampshire Election Law Committee appears to have killed SB 133. The Committee had earlier passed it, but seems to have recalled the bill back into the committee, meaning it won’t get a floor vote. It would have moved the date of the non-presidential primary from September to June.

The bill indirectly hurt ballot access, because the deadline for an independent candidate, or the nominee of an unqualified party, to file a declaration of candidacy, and to submit a petition, is tied to the date of the non-presidential primary. The bill would have moved the petition deadline from August to May. And it would have moved the declaration of candidacy deadline from June to March. Even independent presidential candidates must file such declarations, so a March deadline would have severely hampered the ability of a presidential candidate to enter the general election in the spring or summer of the election year.