On January 28 of this year, at the annual meeting of the full state committee of the Republican Party of New Hampshire, also known as the NHGOP, the body formally adopted a resolution as follows:
- Adoption of a rule that only voters who register as Republicans 30 days prior to the primary election day may receive and mark a Republican ballot for the primary election.
- Requirement that the party chairman notify the secretary of state in writing prior to the filing period for state offices that the Republican Party of New Hampshire has adopted the rule that only voters registered as Republicans prior to any primary election may receive a Republican ballot.
- The Secretary of State for the state of New Hampshire should be instructed that any voter requesting an absentee ballot for the Primary election must be registered as a Republican at least 30 days prior to submitting a request for a Republican absentee ballot.
- Urging the Secretary of State to adjust all voting materials to reflect this requirement for prior registration to receive a Republican ballot for the Primary election.
In other words, the adoption of this resolution and the rules contained in it would change the existing primary elections for the Republican Party from being “open” in which voters registered as “Undeclared” could vote in a Republican primary designed to select the nominee who would run in the general election under the Republican banner, to a “closed” system in which only registered Republicans could vote in such a primary.
This change has been under consideration for many years.
Nevertheless, Chris Ager, the chair of the NHGOP, has reportedly failed to give formal written notice to the NH Secretary of State of the adoption of the resolution and the rules contained within it even after the passage of many months since the adoption of the resolution.
Why? There are many possible explanations for this failure, and real Republicans in New Hampshire should consider the possibilities: inadvertence, negligence, refusal to accept the will of the state committee embodied in the resolution, moral bankruptcy, or some other excuse. Take your pick.
There may still be time for the Secretary of State to be notified formally of this rule change under applicable law so that he could give proper instructions to the various local election officials in the towns and cities before the next primaries.
If you want to urge NHGOP chair Chris Ager to do his duty and give formal notice of the rule change adopted by the NHGOP to the NH Secretary of State immediately, call him at 603-318-4437 and/or email him at ChrisAger@Aol.com.
