State lawmakers begin hearing bills this week. Among the proposals is a plan to reinstate straight ticket voting.
New Hampshire eliminated its straight ticket ballot option in 2007 after Democrats took over the state legislature.
The four sponsors of the bill to restore it are Republicans. One of the sponsors, Representative Fred Rice of Hampton, says having the straight ticket option would be a matter of convenience and could speed the polling process.
Rice adds that he always votes straight ticket.
“Why in the world would you vote for somebody else down the ticket that does not share that philosophy and would be, in essence, working against them? If you believe in that person at the top strongly enough, then you want everyone to be supporting him. Then you ought to be voting a straight ticket to ensure that happens.”
Representative David Cote of Nashua, the Democratic Chairman of the House Election Law Committee says he thinks the current system is working fine, but he will go into the hearing open minded.