Seven New Hampshire Republican representatives have introduced HB 1531. It makes it illegal for any election official, or any contractor with any election administration office, to release the New Hampshire popular vote totals for president, until after the electoral college has met. Instead the state would only release the percentage of the vote received by each presidential candidate, down to one-tenth of 1%.
The purpose of this bill is to make it impossible for the National Popular Vote compact to operate, should it ever take effect. The bill only takes effect if the National Popular Vote compact is in effect.
The authors of this bill may not realize that a federal law requires states to report the presidential popular vote to the Archivist of the United States as soon as the state knows the results. Title 3, chapter 1 of the U.S. Code (3 USC 6) says, “It shall be the duty of the executive of each State, as soon as practicable after the conclusion of the appointment of the electors in such State by the final ascertainment…to communicate by registered mail under the seal of the State to the Archivist of the United States a certificate of such ascertainment of the electors appointed, setting forth the names of such electors and the canvass or other ascertainment under the laws of such State of the number of votes given or cast for each person for whose appointment any and all votes have been given or cast.”
The sponsors are Representatives Andrew Prout, Jess Edwards, Michael Costable, Kevin Verville, Alice Lekas, Tony Lekas, and Peter Torosian.