Laconia Elections Public Session Update

Concord, NH – On April 7, 2022, the Attorney General's and Secretary of State's Offices conducted a public session regarding Laconia Ward 6 ballots pursuant to a Superior Court order. The purpose of the public session was to determine the number of ballots that were found in a side collection compartment on a ballot collection box for Ward 6, and to determine the elections in which those ballots were cast.

The review tallied a total of 179 ballots there were recovered from the side compartment. This included 58 ballots from the 2020 General Election for Ward 6, 1 ballot from the 2020 General Election for Ward 1, 67 ballots from the 2020 Republican state primary from Ward 6, 50 ballots from the 2020 Democratic State Primary for Ward 6, and 3 ballots from the 2020 Democratic State Primary for Ward 4.

As the ballots were found in the separate side compartment – which holds ballots that are placed in it by an election official but are not processed through the ballot counting device – it appears that the ballots were cast by voters but not counted in the referenced elections. Consistent with the court order, the ballot boxes were opened, however, no votes on the recovered ballots were counted.