When Secretary of State Bill Gardner created the Select Committee on Emergency Election Support for COVID-19, I rejoiced that New Hampshire would do right – as we have in all elections.

The deluge of testimony and letters received by the Select Committee demonstrated that NH citizens are passionate about their elections, and they are watching!!

Now what? The Governor vetoed HB 1672, which would have enacted the Select Committee’s reforms. A watered-down version (HB 1266) passed both houses, but the Governor has yet to sign it.

I tell friends about absentee voting — they don’t know much about it. When will we hear more? Isn’t Secretary Gardner a champion of the work his Select Committee did? Or was it just window dressing, something to keep us happy for a while?

Voting is in 8 weeks! When are the voter education programs, letting NH citizens know the state is ready, and we can count on fair, safe in-person elections and reliable absentee voting.

Also:

• How will my towns get the PPE promised for poll workers?

• Who will pay for return postage on ballots? We’ll need special big envelopes. The post office doesn’t want lines of customers, and we seniors don’t want to be in those lines.

• What will the procedures be for election workers this year? Which suggestions of the Select Committee did the Governor veto? Which will be implemented? When will the towns learn?

• When will citizens see the voter education programs the Select Committee advocated?

Secretary Gardner earned such appreciation, creating the Select Committee. Don’t disappoint us! We need to hear from you – in the papers, on TV and the radio, telling us what to do. Assure us that NH continues to be a national leader in safe, fair, dependable elections.

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