New Hampshire runs some of the best elections in the country — but our voter registration system is stuck in the past. Right now, voters often have to register in person during limited hours or wait until Election Day, which leads to long lines, confusion, and mistakes. HB 1678 gives voters a secure, modern option to register on their own schedule, before Election Day. Online voter registration doesn’t weaken election security - it strengthens it by reducing errors, keeping voter rolls up to date, and easing the burden on local election officials. Granite Staters deserve an election system that works for real life. motor voter is the best way to ensure that the largest number of citizens are able to vote.
HB1678
House · 2026 sessionDemocraticKilled in HouseDirect online voter registration
AIAllows qualified individuals to submit voter registration applications directly to the secretary of state for forwarding to local clerks, and requires the secretary of state to build a secure online portal for electronic voter registration by 2028.
requiring the secretary of state to accept voter registration forms directly from voters and to create an online portal for direct voter registration.
Status
Killed in the House — Inexpedient to Legislate · February 12, 2026- ✓Introduced
- ✕House
- Senate
- Governor
- Law
Division of testimony
277 submissionsArgument digest · AI-generated
from 59 of 59 written submissionsHB1678 would let voters register directly with the Secretary of State and would create an online portal for voter registration, rather than relying solely on in-person registration with local clerks. The great majority of submitters support the bill, arguing it modernizes an outdated process and improves access for busy, rural, elderly, and disabled voters without weakening security. A small number oppose it outright, and a separate cluster of submitters raise objections tied to what they describe as an unrelated, non-germane redistricting/gerrymandering amendment attached to the bill rather than to the registration provisions themselves.
- Modernizes an outdated, in-person-only registration systemSupport29 of 59 reviewed
Submitters argue current registration relies on limited clerk hours and in-person visits, causing long lines and confusion, and that a secure online option lets voters register on their own schedule.
“HB 1678 gives voters a secure, modern option to register on their own schedule, before Election Day.”
— Mary Kae Eckert, Hill · #547525 — read full submission →
“Providing an online portal for voter registration is long overdue in NH. Many other states already have this option available.”
— Patricia Goodlin, New London · #541138 — read full submission →
- Removes barriers for disabled, rural, elderly, and busy votersSupport11 of 59 reviewed
Submitters describe how limited clerk hours, lack of transportation, disability, or irregular work schedules currently make registering difficult, and argue online registration would remove those barriers.
“will remove barriers for individuals with disabilities, who have restrictive work schedules, or who lack transportation”
— E Ann Poole, Hillsborough · #545700 — read full submission →
“As a legally blind person who has had to use a somewhat inaccessible system to obtain an absentee ballot, I am extremely in favor of this effort.”
— Andrew Harmon, New Hampton · #550921 — read full submission →
- Rebuts election-security and voter-suppression concernsSupport7 of 59 reviewed
Submitters argue online registration does not weaken election security, that there is little evidence of voter fraud in New Hampshire, and frame the bill as countering more restrictive voting laws.
- Improves voter-roll accuracy and eases burden on officials/taxpayersSupport3 of 59 reviewed
Some submitters emphasize that direct online submission would reduce paperwork and errors, ease pressure on local election officials, and save taxpayer money.
“This bill reduces paperwork, minimizes errors, and eases pressure on local election officials, especially on Election Day, without changing who is eligible to vote.”
— Charlotte Barrie, Merrimack · #546319 — read full submission →
“Registering DIRECTLY with the Secretary of State and having an online portal would seem to provide efficiency and transparency.”
— Kathryn Schongar, Peterborough · #551008 — read full submission →
- Objections tied to a non-germane amendment on the billOppose5 of 59 reviewed
Several submitters state their testimony concerns a non-germane amendment attached to the bill, which some characterize as a gerrymandering/redistricting maneuver, rather than the voter-registration provisions themselves.
- General opposition without elaborationOppose1 of 59 reviewed
A small number of submitters oppose the bill outright without stating specific reasons.
Generated by claude-sonnet-5 (claude code agent) on Jul 22, 2026. Quotes are verbatim excerpts, verified against the cited submission before publication. Summaries are AI interpretation of the record, not part of it.
I was an observer in Nashua Ward 5 during the municipal election.. A young person who wanted to register did not have his passport with him. He was able to text his Mother who took a picture of his passport and he was able to continue registering. If he had been trying this on election day, and needed to return home to get his passport, he might have not returned, due to long lines and a full parking lot. We need young people to vote. Given a bad experience, that young man may have been totally turned off of voting. I've heard that if a young person registers to vote, he'll likely be a voter for the rest of his life. We need to know how many people get turned away at the polls, so that there is verifiable proof that the citizenship requirement is a barrier to registering.
Registering DIRECTLY with the Secretary of State and having an online portal would seem to provide efficiency and transparency.
As a legally blind person who has had to use a somewhat inaccessible system to obtain an absentee ballot, I am extremely in favor of this effort. Online portals help people access information much more easily than paper forms that are not accessible to the print disabled. Given the multiple decades of success with the One for All system in both its implementation as well as its security, I know whichever portal the Secretary of State adopts will be both secure and accessible.
It is a proper function of the Sec of State to facilitate voter registration by all qualified citizens.
We need to modernize and improve access to voting. New Hampshire lags way behind in this respect.
Why wouldn't you want to make it easier for residents to register to vote? Why would you not want people to vote?
note testimony is for non-german amendment as well as HB1300
Our systems for registering to vote, and monitoring who should be eligible to vote are outdated. HB 1678 would save time, reduce errors, and ease pressure on Election Day. People are already going to the DMV to get their licenses or IDs and need to provide the same exact identification. Providing voters with a secure, modern option to register on their own schedule makes life easier for voters and election officials.
Please vote OTP on HB 1678, which will help modernize our voting systems, giving voters a secure and convenient option to register to vote. We should do all we can to encourage eligible citizens to vote, rather than putting unnecessary roadblocks in their way. Online voter registration helps to strengthen election security by reducing errors and keeping voter rolls current.
The Members of the NH Council on Developmental Disabilities (NHCDD) believes this bill could have a positive impact on the NH disability community. Allowing for more accessibility and ease of use in the registration and voting information process would be a great leap forward for voting accessibility for all Granite Staters.
I support this addition to streamline the process
Let’s encourage citizens to exercise their right to vote by making it easier and more convenient to vote.
I oppose the bill and the amendment.
for non-germane
That's chaos.
We don't want to have a mid-decade gerrymander!
New Hampshire runs some of the best elections in the country — but our voter registration system is stuck in the past. Right now, voters often have to register in person during limited hours or wait until Election Day, which leads to long lines, confusion, and mistakes. HB 1678 gives voters a secure, modern option to register on their own schedule, before Election Day. Online voter registration doesn’t weaken election security - it strengthens it by reducing errors, keeping voter rolls up to date, and easing the burden on local election officials. Granite Staters deserve an election system that works for real life. This bill helps 1. Voters with long or irregular work hours; 2. People without easy access to transportation; 3. Voters with disabilities; 4. New voters and people who move frequently If improves accuracy in voter rolls, shortens lines on Election Day and fosters efficiency for local election officials. Online voter registration is common sense modernization — 40+ states already do this. Registering online reduces mistakes caused by handwriting and missing information. Voters would still need to verify their identity, just like they do now. Local election officials keep the same review and approval role — local control stays intact. When voters can register ahead of time, Election Day runs smoother for everyone. HB 1678 modernizes voter registration, strengthens security, and makes elections run smoother. Online voter registration is secure, proven, and widely used across the country. HB 1678 would reduce errors, shorten lines, and make voting easier for eligible Granite Staters. Registering to vote shouldn’t require taking time off work.
This would modernize voter registration and make it easier for working citizens to register rather than have to go in person during hours that in many small towns are quite limited. This would be a safe, secure system that would avoid the long lines that many face in trying to register, and make it easier for citizens to exercise their constitutional right.
This would modernize voter registration and make it easier for working citizens to register rather than have to go in person during hours that in many small towns are quite limited. This would be a safe, secure system that would avoid the long lines that many face in trying to register, and make it easier for citizens to exercise their constitutional right.
As an election clerk, I believe that we must make it easier for all legitimate citizens to vote.
I support any safe and secure means to make voting registration easier for more people.
Voting needs to be accessible to all who live in this country and are affected by its laws.
We need to insure that our elections are accessible and fair. NH already has the most restrictive election laws in the country. Don’t make it worse.
I support HB 1678 because it modernizes voter registration in a secure, common-sense way and makes it easier for eligible voters to participate. New Hampshire’s elections are already secure, and claims of widespread fraud simply aren’t backed by facts.