HB 1291 - AS INTRODUCED
2000 SESSION
HOUSE BILL 1291
AN ACT relative to the names of candidates on ballots.
SPONSORS: Rep. Flanagan, Rock 14
This bill establishes that a candidate for state or federal office may only designate a nickname to be used on the ballot if the nickname is used in combination with the candidate's given name or initials.
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Explanation: Matter added to current law appears in bold italics.
Matter removed from current law appears [in brackets and struckthrough.]
Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.
00-2248
03/01
STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE
In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand
AN ACT relative to the names of candidates on ballots.
Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:
1 Elections; Nominations; Nominations by Primary; Form of Candidate's Name on Ballot; Nickname. Amend RSA 655:14-b to read as follows:
655:14-b Form of Candidate's Name on Ballot.
I. Every candidate for state or federal office who intends to have his or her name printed upon the ballot of any party for a primary shall designate in his or her declaration of candidacy, or on his or her primary petitions and assents to candidacy, the form in which [his] the candidate's name shall be printed on the ballot. The candidate may designate his or her given, first, and middle name, the initials of his or her given, first, and middle name, [a nickname,] or any combination thereof as the form in which [his] the candidate's name shall be printed on the ballot, but [he]the candidate shall not designate a deceptive name. [If] Alternatively, the candidate [designates] may designate a nickname [in place of or] to be used in combination with his or her given name or the initials thereof, and the nickname shall be set off with quotation marks and shall be placed immediately before [his] the candidate's surname. If the candidate designates a nickname, the nickname shall be [customarily related to the candidate's given name] commonly known. A candidate shall include his or her surname in his or her designation of the form in which [his] the candidate's name shall be printed on the ballot.
II. Every candidate for state or federal office who intends to have his or her name placed on the ballot for the state general election by means other than nomination by party primary shall designate in his or her declaration of intent the form in which [his] the candidate's name shall be printed on the ballot. The candidate may designate his or her given, first, and middle name, the initials of his or her given, first, and middle name, [a nickname,] or any combination thereof as the form in which [his] the candidate's name shall be printed on the ballot, but [he] the candidate shall not designate a deceptive name. [If] Alternatively, the candidate [designates] may designate a nickname [in place of or] to be used in combination with his or her given name or the initials thereof, and the nickname shall be set off with quotation marks and shall be placed immediately before [his] the candidate's surname. If the candidate designates a nickname, the nickname shall be [customarily related to the candidate's given name] commonly known. A candidate shall include his or her surname in his or her designation of the form in which [his] the candidate's name shall be printed on the ballot.
III. A candidate who files more than one declaration of candidacy or declaration of intent shall designate the same form of his or her name to appear on each such declaration. The same form of a candidate's name shall also appear on every primary petition and assent to candidacy.
IV. If the appropriate official with whom the declaration of candidacy, declaration of intent, primary petitions, or assents to candidacy are filed does not accept them and returns them to the candidate because in the opinion of the official they do not conform to the provisions of this section, the candidate may appeal to the ballot law commission as provided in RSA 665:6-b.
2 Effective Date. This act shall take effect 60 days after its passage.