Recount laws in New Hampshire
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An election recount is a process by which votes cast in an election are re-tabulated to verify the accuracy of the original results. Recounts typically occur in the event of a close margin of victory, following accusations of election fraud, or due to the possibility of administrative errors. Recounts can either occur automatically or be requested by a candidate or voters.
New Hampshire law does not allow for automatic recounts. Candidates and voters can request a recount. The state pays for the costs if a recount of a statewide constitutional amendment is requested. Otherwise, requesters must pay for the recount costs but a refund is available if the recount changes the election outcome.
Note: The content below describes recount procedures in New Hampshire. The information on this page is not intended to serve as a manual for those seeking to start or halt a recount; individuals seeking more information about specific processes and requirements should contact their state election agencies.
Summary of recount laws
The list below shows answers to common questions regarding recounts in New Hampshire.[1]
- Does state law require automatic recounts?
- No.
- When must an automatic recount be completed?
- There are no automatic recounts in this state.
- Can a recount be requested?
- Yes. The requirements, guidelines, and deadlines for requested recounts vary by requester, office, and election type, as described below.
- Who pays for a requested recount?
- The state, for recounts of statewide constitutional amendments. The requester, for all other recounts.
- Is a refund available for requested recount costs?
- Varies. For local and county ballot measure elections, state law does not mention the possibility of a refund. For all other recounts, costs paid by the requester are refunded if the recount changes the election outcome. Additional opportunities exist for recounts of specific offices, as described below.
- Can a partial recount be requested?
- No.
New Hampshire recount procedures
Automatic recount procedures
New Hampshire does not require automatic recounts.
Requested recount procedures
The requirements and guidelines for requested recounts vary by requester, office, and election type:
Candidate-requested recounts:
- General elections:
| “ | Any candidate for whom a vote was cast for any office at a state general election may apply for a recount, provided that the difference between the votes cast for the applying candidate and a candidate declared elected is less than 20 percent of the total ballots cast in the towns which comprise the office to be recounted. The application shall be made in writing to the secretary of state and shall be submitted no later than the Friday following the election.[2] | ” |
| —NH Rev Stat § 660:1 (2024) | ||
- The requester is responsible for costs associated with the recount unless the recount changes the election outcome in favor of the requester, in which case any costs paid are refunded. If the recount does not change the election outcome, the requester may receive a refund if he or she lost by less than 1% of the total votes cast.[3]
- State primary elections:
| “ | Any person for whom a vote was cast for any nomination of any party at a state primary may apply for a recount, provided that the difference between the votes cast for the applying candidate and a candidate of that party declared nominated is less than 10 votes or less than 1.5 percent of the total ballots cast in the primary for that party in the towns which comprise the office to be recounted. The application shall be made in writing to the secretary of state and shall be submitted no later than 5:00 p.m. on the Friday after the primary election.[2] | ” |
| —NH Rev Stat § 660:7 (2024) | ||
- The requester is responsible for costs associated with the recount unless the recount changes the election outcome in favor of the requester, in which case any costs paid are refunded.[4]
- Presidential primary elections:
| “ | Any person receiving at least 9 percent of the votes cast in any party's presidential primary may apply for a recount. The application shall be made in writing to the secretary of state and shall be submitted no later than the Friday after the primary for a recount of all ballots cast for such nomination.[2] | ” |
| —NH Rev Stat § 660:7 (2024) | ||
- The requester is responsible for costs associated with the recount unless the recount changes the election outcome so that the requester thereby qualified for federal funding or received at least one additional delegate, in which case any costs paid are refunded.[5]
- Village district, town, and school board elections:
| “ | Any person for whom a vote was cast and recorded for any office at a town election may, no later than the Friday following the election, apply in writing to the town clerk for a recount of the ballots cast for such office, the clerk shall appoint a time for the recount not earlier than 5 days nor later than 10 days after the receipt of said application.[2] | ” |
| —NH Rev Stat § 669:30 (2024)[6] | ||
- The requester is responsible for costs associated with the recount unless the recount changes the election outcome in favor of the requester, in which case any costs paid are refunded. If the recount does not change the election outcome, the requester may receive a refund if he or she lost by less than 1% of the total votes cast.[7]
Voter-requested recounts:
- Statewide constitutional amendment elections:
| “ | Upon receipt of petitions of 100 voters made no later than the fourth Friday following the date of the election, the secretary of state shall recount the ballots cast on any question to amend the constitution if the proposal was adopted or failed by no more than one percent of the vote cast.[2] | ” |
| —NH Rev Stat § 660:10 (2024) | ||
- The state is responsible for costs associated with the recount.[8]
- County ballot measure elections:
| “ | Application for such recount shall be by written petition signed by at least 50 legal voters of said county presented to the secretary of state no later than the second Friday following the state general election.[2] | ” |
| —NH Rev Stat § 660:12 (2024) | ||
- The requester is responsible for costs associated with the recount. State law does not mention the possibility of a refund.[9]
- Local ballot measure elections:
| “ | Five legal voters of any city or town which has voted on any question other than constitutional amendments printed on the ballot at any state election as provided in RSA 663 may, no later than the second Friday after the election, petition the secretary of state for a recount of the votes cast upon said questions.[2] | ” |
| —NH Rev Stat § 660:13 (2022) | ||
- The requester is responsible for costs associated with the recount. State law does not mention the possibility of a refund.[10]
For more information about recount procedures in New Hampshire, click here.
New Hampshire voting equipment
- See also: Voting methods and equipment by state
New Hampshire uses hand-marked paper ballots and ballot-marking devices for its elections.[11]
50-state overview of recount laws
The table below summarizes where state laws allow for automatic and requested recounts. Click "show" to view the table.
As of September 2025, state law in 48 states included a recount provision, automatic recounts are possible in 28 states, and requested recounts are possible in 43 states.
The map and table below outline the type of recount laws in each state.
50-state overview of requested recounts
The table below summarizes how requested recounts are paid for and whether it is possible for candidates to request a partial recount. Click "show" to view the table.
As of September 2025, the requester of a recount pays for the recount in 23 states, the state pays in seven states, in 11 states it depends on the circumstances of the election or the recount, and in two states it is unclear which party pays for the recount. In 27 states a refund may be available for a requested recount, in four states a refund depends on the circumstances of the recount, and in five states no refund is available. The remaining 14 states have state-funded requested recounts or do not have requested recounts. In 27 states a partial recount may be requested.
| State[14] | Who pays for a requested recount? | Refund available? | Can candidates request a partial recount? | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Requester | Yes | Yes | 16-20,21 |
| Alaska | State/Requester Depends on margin |
Yes | Yes | 20.430-490 |
| Arizona | No requested recounts | N/A | No | 16-661,249 |
| Arkansas | Requester | Yes | No | 7-5-319 |
| California | Requester | Yes | Yes | 15620-15634 |
| Colorado | Requester | Yes | No | 10.5-101-109 |
| Connecticut | No requested recounts | N/A | No | 9-445,6-311a |
| Delaware | State | N/A | Yes | 5702(C,E) |
| District of Columbia | Requester | Yes | Yes | 1-1001.11(a) |
| Florida | No requested recounts | N/A | No | 102.141,166 |
| Georgia | State | N/A | Yes | 21-2-495,499 |
| Hawaii | No requested recounts | N/A | No | 11-158 |
| Idaho | State/Requester Depends on margin |
Yes | Yes | 34-2301-2309 |
| Illinois | Requester | Maybe[15] | Yes | 5/22-9.1, 18 |
| Indiana | Requester | Yes | Yes | 3-12-11-1-10 |
| Iowa | State | N/A | No | 43.56 & 50.48 |
| Kansas | State/Requester Depends on margin |
Yes | Yes | 25-3107 |
| Kentucky | Requester | No | Yes | 120.017,095,185,250,280 |
| Louisiana | Requester | Yes | Yes | 18-1451 & 1453 |
| Maine | State/Requester Depends on margin |
Yes | No | 737-A |
| Maryland | State/Requester Depends on margin |
Yes | Yes | 12-101-107 |
| Massachusetts | State | N/A | Yes | 54:135,A,B |
| Michigan | Requester | Yes | Yes | 168.879-894 |
| Minnesota | State/Requester Depends on margin |
Yes | Yes | 204C.35-361 |
| Mississippi | No requested recounts | N/A | No | N/A |
| Missouri | Requester | Maybe[16] | No | 115.601 |
| Montana | State/Requester Depends on margin |
Maybe[17] | No | 13-16-201-11 |
| Nebraska | Requester | Yes | Yes | 32-1119,1121 |
| Nevada | Requester | Yes | No | 293.403-405 |
| New Hampshire | State/Requester Depends on election type[18] |
Varies[19] | No | 660:1-16 |
| New Jersey | Requester | Yes | Yes | 19:28-1,2,3 |
| New Mexico | Requester | Yes | Yes | 1-14-14 to 25 |
| New York | Unclear[20] | No | No | 9-208 |
| North Carolina | State | N/A | No | 163-182.7,182.7A |
| North Dakota | Requester | No | No | 16.1-16-01 |
| Ohio | Requester | Yes | Yes | 3515.01-072 |
| Oklahoma | Requester | Yes | Yes | 26-8-109 to 117 |
| Oregon | Requester | Yes | Yes | 258.006-300 |
| Pennsylvania | Requester | Yes | Yes | 3154g,3261-3 |
| Rhode Island | Unclear[21] | No | No | 17-19-37.1 |
| South Carolina | No requested recounts | N/A | No | 7-17-280 |
| South Dakota | State | N/A | Yes | 12-21-1 to 37 |
| Tennessee | No requested recounts | N/A | No | 2-17,18 |
| Texas | Requester | Yes | Yes | 211 to 216 |
| Utah | State/Requester Depends on requester[22] |
No | No | 20A-4-401 |
| Vermont | State | N/A | No | 17-51-2601,2602 |
| Virginia | State/Requester Depends on margin |
Yes | No | 8-24.2-800 to 802.3 |
| Washington | Requester | Yes | Yes | 29A.64 |
| West Virginia | Requester | Yes | Yes | 3-6-9 |
| Wisconsin | State/Requester Depends on margin |
Yes | Yes | 9.01 & 5.90 |
| Wyoming | Requester | Yes | No | 22-16-109 to 114 |
State legislation
The table below lists bills related to recounts introduced during (or carried over to) New Hampshire's regular legislative session this year. The following information is included for each bill:
- State
- Bill number
- Official bill name or caption
- Most recent action date
- Legislative status
- Sponsor party
- Topics dealt with by the bill
Bills are organized by most recent action. The table displays up to 100 results. To view more bills, use the arrows in the upper-right corner. Clicking on a bill will open its page on Ballotpedia's Election Administration Legislation Tracker, which includes bill details and a summary.
See also
- Election recount laws and procedures in the 50 states
- Voting in New Hampshire
- New Hampshire
- Voting methods and equipment by state
Footnotes
- ↑ New Hampshire General Court, "660:1-16," accessed April 11, 2024
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ New Hampshire Statutes, "NH Rev Stat § 660:6 (2024)," accessed September 23, 2025
- ↑ New Hampshire Statutes, "NH Rev Stat § 660:9 (2022)," accessed September 23, 2025
- ↑ New Hampshire Statutes, "NH Rev Stat § 660:9-a (2024)," accessed September 23, 2025
- ↑ The link here provides the citation for the governance of town recount elections. Statutes regarding village district and school board elections both cite this statute when it comes to procedure.
- ↑ New Hampshire Statutes, "NH Rev Stat § 669:31 (2024)," accessed September 23, 2025
- ↑ New Hampshire Statutes, "NH Rev Stat § 660:10 (2024)," accessed September 23, 2025
- ↑ New Hampshire Statutes, "NH Rev Stat § 660:12 (2024)," accessed September 23, 2025
- ↑ New Hampshire Statutes, "NH Rev Stat § 660:13 (2022)," accessed September 23, 2025
- ↑ Verified Voting, "The Verifier - Election Day Equipment - November 2026," accessed September 23, 2025
- ↑ Verified Voting, "Arizona Recount Laws," accessed September 25, 2025
- ↑ A court may order a recount under Arizona law.
- ↑ This category encompasses instances where the state government pays for recounts and those states where counties pay.
- ↑ A recount alone cannot change the election results, but can be used to contest the election. At the end of that process, the court may choose not to levy costs against the prevailing party.
- ↑ Recounts occur as part of a contested election. A requester may be required to cover costs before the start of such an event. The court may choose to require the unsuccessful party in a contested election to cover the costs, which could involve a refund to the requester if he or she is the successful party.
- ↑ In the case of a court-ordered recount, candidates must pay, but will be refunded if the outcome changes. Regarding non-court-ordered recounts, state law does not mention whether the candidate is refunded in such a case.
- ↑ The state covers requested recounts of statewide constitutional amendments. The requester covers all other recounts.
- ↑ For local and county ballot measure elections, state law does not mention the possibility of a refund. For all other recounts, costs paid by the requester are refunded if the recount changes the election outcome.
- ↑ No mention in state law.
- ↑ No mention in state law.
- ↑ The state pays for candidate-requested recounts. The requester pays for voter-requested recounts of ballot measures.
