Photo: storage.googleapis.comNH · Officeholder
DState Representative · District Merrimack 7
On the ballot Nov 3, 2026: New Hampshire House Merrimack 7
Karen Ebel is a Democratic state representative from Merrimack 7 who is seeking re-election in the November 3, 2026 general election.[1][2] An attorney, she has served in the House since 2012.[1]
Karen Ebel earned a degree from Trinity College and a J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center, and her career experience includes working as an attorney.[1]
Ebel's tenure in the New Hampshire House began in 2012, according to Ballotpedia.[1] She served on the Public Works and Highways Committee in several sessions between 2013 and 2020, and in 2023-2024 she served on the House Finance Committee and its Division I and on the Rules Committee.[1]
Researched from the cited sources on 2026-10-21. Not yet independently fact-checked.
Karen Ebel is on the Nov 3, 2026 ballot for New Hampshire House Merrimack 7 as D. Not researched in depth — candidate list only.
Their recorded votes on bills that divided the chamber (unanimous votes left out), grouped by topic. A bill can sit under more than one topic. "With" and "against" compare each vote with how most Democrats voted. How topics are assigned
Most contested
relative to parental notice for non-academic surveys in public schools.
Dec 17, 2025 · Failed 181–170 · with most DemocratsOfficial record ↗
relative to prohibiting obscene or harmful sexual materials in schools.
Bars schools from giving minor students material harmful to minors, requires school boards to adopt a parent complaint and appeal process, and lets aggrieved persons, the attorney general, or the education department sue schools not following it, for at least $1,000 per violation.
Dec 17, 2025 · Failed 183–167 · with most DemocratsOfficial record ↗
Lets a withdrawing district's voters alone decide, by a 3/5 vote, to leave a cooperative school district, requires voters in all towns a school serves to approve closing it unless the host town keeps it open by agreement, and has boards review governing documents every three years.
Jun 4, 2026 · Passed 179–161 · with most DemocratsOfficial record ↗
Most contested
Ends the state refugee resettlement program in the health and human services department, requires its contracts to be terminated, and bars state agencies from accepting or spending money on refugee resettlement, including payments to towns or nonprofit groups.
Mar 11, 2026 · Passed 170–164 · with most DemocratsOfficial record ↗
Lets public and private entities separate people by biological sex in shared bathrooms and locker rooms, certain sports, and prisons and similar secure facilities without it counting as discrimination; government buildings that do so must also offer a single-occupancy bathroom open to all.
Mar 11, 2026 · Failed 156–171 · with most DemocratsOfficial record ↗
Defines female and male by biology, requires bathrooms and locker rooms in public schools and town-owned buildings to be used by sex, lets businesses open to the public do the same, houses inmates by sex, and bars citing gender identity to access single-sex spaces.
Mar 5, 2026 · Passed 181–164 · with most DemocratsOfficial record ↗
Most contested
Bars the health department from seeking SNAP work-requirement waivers without legislative approval or loosening eligibility standards unless federal law requires, mandates regular data checks of recipients' income, incarceration, lottery winnings, and citizenship, and removes out-of-state-only users found nonresident or unresponsive.
Mar 11, 2026 · Passed 172–161 · with most DemocratsOfficial record ↗
enabling counties to change the dates of their biennial budgets.
Lets counties, if commissioners agree and a majority of county voters approve, move their two-year budget to years without a state election, and revises how towns adopt, rescind and elect budget committees and how first cooperative school budget committee members are appointed.
May 14, 2026 · Passed 164–145 · with most DemocratsOfficial record ↗
relative to the reductions from the default budget for official ballot town meetings.
Changes how towns with official-ballot meetings calculate their default budget, reducing it for salaries and benefits of eliminated positions and of positions vacant since before the prior year's budget, and basing pay on actual salaries of filled positions.
Dec 17, 2025 · Failed 178–175 · with most DemocratsOfficial record ↗
Most contested
Mar 12, 2026 · Passed 179–161 · with most DemocratsOfficial record ↗
relative to exemption from immunization requirements on the basis of religious belief.
Lets a parent or guardian claim a religious exemption from childhood vaccination requirements with only a signed written statement that the child has not been immunized because of religious belief, replacing the reference to a required form.
Dec 17, 2025 · Failed 176–175 · with most DemocratsOfficial record ↗
As introduced, bars public and charter schools from holding vaccination clinics during school hours and requires a parent or guardian to be present whenever a child is vaccinated at a school clinic; school nurses' existing duties are unaffected.
Mar 11, 2026 · Passed 172–154 · with most DemocratsOfficial record ↗
Most contested
Mar 26, 2026 · Passed 189–162 · with most DemocratsOfficial record ↗
(New Title) relative to changes to the minimum electric renewable portfolio standards.
Repeals the separate Class II (solar) requirement of the state's renewable portfolio standard and replaces inflation-adjusted alternative compliance payments with fixed rates of $42 for Classes I and III ($30 for Class I thermal) and $37 for Class IV.
Jan 7, 2026 · Passed 175–152 · with most DemocratsOfficial record ↗
Requires electric utilities to offer alternative net metering tariffs under a 2017 utility commission order, sets terms for industrial customer-generators between 1 and 5 megawatts, and allows energy storage with net metering under Department of Energy installation rules.
Apr 23, 2026 · Passed 181–158 · with most DemocratsOfficial record ↗
Most contested
As introduced, requires the housing finance authority to run a homebuying assistance program for essential workers such as health care workers, first responders, educators, and service members, appropriating $750,000 for fiscal 2027 and $1.5 million a year starting July 2028.
Feb 5, 2026 · Passed 179–166 · with most DemocratsOfficial record ↗
repealing the state housing champion designation and grant program.
As introduced, repeals the state's housing champion designation and grant program, along with its dedicated fund and related reporting requirements.
Feb 5, 2026 · Passed 185–166 · with most DemocratsOfficial record ↗
(New Title) relative to regulated conditional deposits.
On the version voted Aug 19, 2026: Lets landlords accept an extra deposit of up to one month's rent from applicants who fail disclosed screening criteria such as credit score, income, prior evictions, unpaid judgments or references, with written notice and a right to re-screening; also says advance rent need not be escrowed.
May 21, 2026 · Passed 180–162 · with most DemocratsOfficial record ↗
Most contested
relative to department of safety and department of motor vehicle training and testing materials.
Requires driver's license exams and related materials to be in English only, with American Sign Language allowed, bars translators and translation devices during exams, and stops the motor vehicle division from acquiring or distributing other-language materials, starting January 1, 2026.
Mar 26, 2025 · Passed 187–159 · with most DemocratsOfficial record ↗
relative to electric-vehicle charging station funding.
Lets towns use revolving funds to install and maintain electric-vehicle charging stations, and bars parking in signed charging spaces unless the vehicle is charging, with a minimum $62 fine.
May 22, 2025 · Passed 195–163 · with most DemocratsOfficial record ↗
Raises tolls at the Hooksett, Bedford, Hampton, Dover and Rochester turnpike plazas starting January 1, 2027, setting separate cash and E-ZPass rates such as $2.00 and $0.70 for cars at Hooksett, and offers free E-ZPass transponders for 210 days.
May 14, 2026 · Failed 151–157 · with most DemocratsOfficial record ↗
Most contested
Urges the federal government to reject compliance with the European Union's Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive and asks other state legislatures to join in that request.
Feb 13, 2025 · Passed 204–163 · with most DemocratsOfficial record ↗
Bars nationals of the People's Republic of China from enrolling in master's or doctoral programs, taking part in research, or holding full-time jobs at New Hampshire's public colleges and universities, with penalties for individuals and institutions that violate the ban.
Mar 11, 2026 · Failed 157–173 · with most DemocratsOfficial record ↗
Bars releasing New Hampshire National Guard members from the state into active-duty combat unless Congress has declared war or formally called out the Guard under the U.S. Constitution, and requires the governor to comply.
Jan 8, 2026 · Failed 159–182 · with most DemocratsOfficial record ↗
Most contested
preventing the dissemination of deepfake materials of political candidates before an election.
As introduced, bars distributing deepfakes of candidates, election officials or parties within 90 days of an election unless labeled as manipulated, and lets depicted candidates and officials sue. Exempts news reports, satire, parody and platforms hosting others' content.
Mar 20, 2025 · Passed 201–169 · with most DemocratsOfficial record ↗
prohibiting the sale of location and other sensitive data regarding children.
As introduced, bars businesses covered by the state's consumer data privacy law from selling location data and other sensitive data about children, starting January 1, 2027.
Feb 12, 2026 · Passed 214–145 · with most DemocratsOfficial record ↗
establishing consumer protections for digital access transaction kiosks.
Apr 23, 2026 · Passed 214–140 · with most DemocratsOfficial record ↗
Voted against most of their party on 11 of 486 party-divided votes on file.
Most often on: Housing & rent (4), Health & care (3), Jobs & cost of living (2)
(Third New Title) establishing a school district local tax cap question for the state general elections of 2026 and 2028 and related limitations on central office administrative expenses in school districts.
Voted yes · most Democrats voted no · Democrats 1–159, Republicans 181–10
Jun 4, 2026Official record ↗
relative to on-premises licenses for licensed barbershops and salons.
What it does: Splits the liquor license for barbershops and salons into two tiers: a $100 license to serve one free drink per customer appointment and a $480 license to sell one drink per appointment, and requires an annual state r…
Voted yes · most Democrats voted no · Democrats 40–113, Republicans 133–57
May 7, 2026Official record ↗
reducing the minimum allowable speed limit on locally controlled roads.
Voted yes · most Democrats voted no · Democrats 46–105, Republicans 171–5
Apr 23, 2026Official record ↗
relative to the practice of optometry and authorization to perform ophthalmic laser procedures.
What it does: Lets optometrists certified by the state optometry board perform three eye laser procedures (capsulotomy, trabeculoplasty and peripheral iridotomy) after approved training and a set number of supervised procedures, wi…
Voted yes · most Democrats voted no · Democrats 31–122, Republicans 114–83
Apr 9, 2026Official record ↗
relative to the practice of optometry and authorization to perform ophthalmic laser procedures.
What it does: On the version voted Apr 9, 2026: Lets optometrists certified by the state optometry board perform three eye laser procedures (capsulotomy, trabeculoplasty and peripheral iridotomy) after approved training and a set n…
Voted no · most Democrats voted yes · Democrats 78–76, Republicans 55–128
Jan 7, 2026Official record ↗
The votes in their chamber that came out closest and most divided by party, among those they voted on. How we rank
With most of their party · Passed 170–164 · Yes 170–No 164 · Democrats 0–156, Republicans 169–8
Mar 11, 2026Official record ↗
With most of their party · Failed 156–171 · Yes 156–No 171 · Democrats 154–1, Republicans 2–169
Mar 11, 2026Official record ↗
With most of their party · Passed 172–161 · Yes 172–No 161 · Democrats 0–155, Republicans 171–6
Mar 11, 2026Official record ↗
enabling counties to change the dates of their biennial budgets.
With most of their party · Passed 164–145 · Yes 164–No 145 · Democrats 0–144, Republicans 163–1
May 14, 2026Official record ↗
relative to parental notice for non-academic surveys in public schools.
With most of their party · Failed 181–170 · Yes 181–No 170 · Democrats 0–163, Republicans 180–7
Dec 17, 2025Official record ↗
With most of their party · Passed 179–166 · Yes 179–No 166 · Democrats 0–160, Republicans 178–6
Feb 5, 2026Official record ↗
With most of their party · Passed 181–164 · Yes 181–No 164 · Democrats 0–160, Republicans 180–4
Mar 5, 2026Official record ↗
relative to the reductions from the default budget for official ballot town meetings.
With most of their party · Failed 178–175 · Yes 178–No 175 · Democrats 0–163, Republicans 177–12
Dec 17, 2025Official record ↗
Substantive votes concern legislation or nominations; procedural votes concern how the chamber considers them. A Yes vote applies to the motion shown, which may not be final passage.
Motion: Veto Override
Motion: Veto Override
Motion: Veto Override
Requires health care institutions to notify employees who provide abortion services each year that they may request an accommodation for religious or moral objections to directly participating in abortions and may complain to the attorney general, who must report substantiated complaints annually.
Motion: Veto Override
Motion: Veto Override
Requires the labor commissioner to give employers at least 30 days' notice before a visit or inspection and at least 30 days to answer document or interview demands, with exceptions for recent violators, imminent safety risks, likely evidence destruction, certain safety inspections and owner consent.
Motion: Veto Override
Motion: Veto Override
Motion: Veto Override
Lets public bodies issue emergency no-trespass orders for public property lasting up to 35 days, with longer orders needing a roll call vote, a one-year maximum, and a right to a hearing and appeal to superior court.
Motion: Veto Override
Requires school boards and charter school trustees to adopt a policy barring non-school persons, and school-employed attorneys, paralegals or law enforcement, from questioning a minor student without written parental permission, and to ask adult students whether to notify parents; child-welfare inquiries excepted.
Motion: Veto Override
Lets landlords accept an extra deposit of up to one month's rent from applicants who fail disclosed screening criteria such as credit score, income, prior evictions, unpaid judgments or references, with written notice and a right to re-screening; also says advance rent need not be escrowed.
Showing 10 of 571 votes in this collection. Coverage may be incomplete; each entry links to the official record.
