Londonderry Police Department Addresses Fake Absentee Ballots

Press release from the Town of Londonderry:

October 26, 2020

With Election Day approaching, Londonderry Police Department has received several inquiries on this topic. Specifically, Londonderry voters have received unsolicited absentee ballot applications, sent from out-of-state, without identifying the sender. These envelopes appear to contain legitimate applications, and include a posted envelope addressed to the Londonderry Town Clerk.

State law requires that anyone sending an absentee ballot application must identify himself or herself. RSA 657:4, II(b). This agency has communicated with the New Hampshire Department of Justice, which is aware of and is investigating the issue. It should be noted that local law enforcement lacks authority to prosecute violations of the state’s election laws. RSA 7:6-c, I.

Londonderry Police Department has confirmed that the Londonderry Town Clerk’s office is not responsible for sending these mailers, which appear to violate state law as set forth above. While the New Hampshire Department of Justice has advised that they do not need to receive additional reports of this specific fact pattern, those who wish to report other violations of the state’s election laws should contact the New Hampshire Department of Justice.

This press release was produced by the Town of Londonderry. The views expressed here are the author's own.