---
type: "Bill"
title: "relative to absentee ballots."
description: "relative to absentee ballots."
jurisdiction: "us/states/nh"
legislature: "New Hampshire General Court"
session: "2025"
identifier: "SB 218"
citation: "New Hampshire SB 218 (2025)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: []
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["James P. Gray"]
version_count: 1
action_count: 25
vote_count: 1
first_action: "2025-01-23"
last_action: "2025-08-04"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/b643a72a-7eff-40c8-96f6-bfcc8ad92aa8"
source_url: "https://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/bill_status/legacy/bs2016/bill_docket.aspx?lsr=0930&sy=2025&sortoption=&txtsessionyear=2025"
source_hash: "4ac5e5d1fbc4386056ce7bc46cee2b5a396ac1283e5052a97d340b8d7f351158"
vintage: "2026-07-01"
source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-06"
confidence: "reported"
tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-nh"]
---

# New Hampshire SB 218 (2025) — relative to absentee ballots.

## Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. **Amendment #2025-2407h** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/bill_status/legacy/bs2016/billText.aspx?sy=2025&id=2025-2407h&txtFormat=amend)

## Votes

- OTPA — **192–149** (pass) · lower

## Sponsors

- James P. Gray — primary (person)

## Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

- **2025-01-23** Introduced 01/09/2025 and Referred to Election Law and Municipal Affairs; SJ 3 `introduction, referral-committee`
- **2025-02-18** Hearing: 03/04/2025, Room 103, LOB, 10:00 am; SC 11
- **2025-03-07** Committee Report: Ought to Pass, 03/13/2025; Vote 5-0; CC; SC 12 `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2025-03-13** Ought to Pass: MA, VV; OT3rdg; 03/13/2025; SJ 7 `committee-passage-favorable, passage`
- **2025-03-28** Introduced (in recess of) 03/27/2025 and referred to Election Law HJ 11 P. 113 `introduction, referral-committee`
- **2025-04-08** Public Hearing: 04/22/2025 10:40 am LOB 306-308
- **2025-04-08** ==CANCELLED== Executive Session: 04/29/2025 10:00 am LOB 306-308
- **2025-05-14** Executive Session: 05/27/2025 10:00 am LOB 306-308
- **2025-05-28** Majority Committee Report: Ought to Pass with Amendment # 2025-2407h (NT) 05/27/2025 (Vote 10-7; RC) HC 27 P. 19 `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2025-05-28** Minority Committee Report: Inexpedient to Legislate
- **2025-06-05** Amendment # 2025-2407h (NT): AA VV 06/05/2025 HJ 16 P. 125
- **2025-06-05** Ought to Pass with Amendment 2025-2407h: MA RC 192-149 06/05/2025 HJ 16 P. 128 `committee-passage-favorable, passage`
- **2025-06-11** Sen. Gray Moved Nonconcur with the House Amendment; Requests C of C, MA, VV; (In Recess 06/05/2025); SJ 16
- **2025-06-11** President Appoints: Senators Gray, Lang, Perkins Kwoka; (In Recess 06/05/2025); SJ 16
- **2025-06-11** House Accedes to Senate Request for CofC (Rep. Kofalt): MA VV 06/05/2025 HJ 16 P. 172
- **2025-06-11** Speaker Appoints: Reps. Berry, Qualey, Burnham, Guzofski 06/05/2025 HJ 16 P. 172
- **2025-06-12** ==RECESSED== Committee of Conference Meeting: 06/16/2025, 09:12 am, Room 103, SH
- **2025-06-16** ==RECONVENE== Committee of Conference Meeting: 06/18/2025, 09:02 am, Room 103, SH
- **2025-06-18** Conferee Change; Senator Rochefort Replaces Senator Perkins Kwoka; SJ 17
- **2025-06-19** Conference Committee Report # 2025-2835c Filed 06/19/2025; House Amendment + New Amendment HJ 18 P. 7
- **2025-06-26** Conference Committee Report 2025-2835c: Adopted, VV 06/26/2025 HJ 18 P. 7
- **2025-06-26** Conference Committee Report # 2025-2835c, Adopted, VV; 06/26/2025; SJ 17
- **2025-07-16** Enrolled Adopted, VV, (In recess 06/26/2025); SJ 18 `enrolled`
- **2025-07-16** Enrolled (in recess of) 06/26/2025 HJ 18 P. 64
- **2025-08-04** Signed by the Governor on 08/01/2025; Chapter 0298; Effective 09/30/2025 `executive-signature`

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/b643a72a-7eff-40c8-96f6-bfcc8ad92aa8`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official New Hampshire legislature records).