TITLE LXIII
ELECTIONS

CHAPTER 655
NOMINATIONS

Vacancies Among Primary Candidates

Section 655:32

    655:32 No Declaration Filed. –

[Paragraph I effective until January 1, 2028; see also paragraph I set out below.]


I. In case no declaration shall be filed by a candidate for any nomination to be voted for at a primary, the nomination may be made by the appropriate party committee as provided in this section. The chairperson of the appropriate party committee or their designee shall notify the secretary of state in writing of a person it designates to fill the vacancy. The person so designated may accept the nomination by filing with the secretary of state a declaration of candidacy as provided in RSA 655:17 within 10 business days following the close of the candidate filing period established by RSA 655:14. Any candidate accepting a nomination under this paragraph who has already filed for an incompatible office as defined in RSA 655:10 shall withdraw the prior filing. Any vacancy created by the withdrawal of a filing may be filled pursuant to this section. If the candidate is designated for the office of governor, councilor, state senator, or state representative, he or she shall also file on or before the Wednesday following the period for filing declarations of candidacy the appropriate affidavit as provided in RSA 655:29. Any candidate so designated by a party committee who has not filed all the forms required by this section within the required period of time shall not have his or her name printed on the state primary election ballot for that office.

[Paragraph I effective January 1, 2028; see also paragraph I set out above.]


I. In case no declaration shall be filed by a candidate for any nomination to be voted for at a primary, the nomination may be made by the appropriate party committee as provided in this section. The chairperson of the appropriate party committee or their designee shall notify the secretary of state in writing of a person it designates to fill the vacancy. The person so designated may accept the nomination by filing with the secretary of state a declaration of candidacy as provided in RSA 655:17 within 10 business days following the close of the candidate filing period established by RSA 655:14. Any candidate accepting a nomination under this paragraph who has already filed for an incompatible office as defined in RSA 655:10 shall withdraw the prior filing. Any vacancy created by the withdrawal of a filing may be filled pursuant to this section. If the candidate is designated for the office of governor, councilor, state senator, or state representative, he or she shall also file on or before the second Friday following the period for filing declarations of candidacy the appropriate affidavit as provided in RSA 655:29. Any candidate so designated by a party committee who has not filed all the forms required by this section within the required period of time shall not have his or her name printed on the state primary election ballot for that office.
II. For the purposes of this section, the term "appropriate party committee" shall be as defined in RSA 655:36.

Source. 1979, 436:1. 1985, 129:2. 1986, 86:1. 2008, 377:1, eff. Sept. 9, 2008. 2026, 44:9, eff. Jan. 1, 2028; 129:1, eff. June 11, 2026; 129:2, eff. Jan. 1, 2028.