Senate passes “no-excuse” absentee ballot

CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — The New Hampshire Senate has approved a proposal to implement so-called “no-excuse” absentee voting.

Currently, absentee ballots are available only to certain voters, including those with physical disabilities and those who are out of town on Election Day. Additionally, limited voting by absentee ballot is allowed due to bad weather, after snowstorms hit on March town election days two years in a row.

The bill passed by the Senate on a vote of 13-11 Thursday would remove all those restrictions and make absentee ballots available to all voters. It previously passed the House in March and now goes to Republican Gov. Chris Sununu.