Elections

League of Women Voters^®
of New Hampshire

How to be an informed registered voter

Elections for town and school board offices are held in many towns in March. Some towns vote in May instead. Deliberative sessions in SB2 towns are held earlier (call your town clerk to confirm dates). Town meeting may be held on the same or a subsequent date. Elections in major cities for city offices and school board are held in the fall.

If you are already registered but can't make it to the polls on Election Day, you may use an absentee ballot to vote at the Town Clerk's office up until 5:00 P.M. on election day. If you plan to mail an absentee ballot, it must be received at the Town Clerk's office by 5:00 P.M. on Election Day. If you are going to vote absentee, please contact your Town Clerk about obtaining and casting an absentee ballot. You are not required to have a photo ID to vote absentee. Your signature will be checked against your registration signature.

If you are not registered to vote yet, you may register at the your city or town clerk's office up to 10 days before Election Day. You may also register at the polls on Election Day. The following information is based on information from the Attorney General's office, the Secretary of State's website, http://www.sos.nh.gov, and state law. If you have questions about your voting rights, you may contact the Secretary of State, 603-271-3242, the Attorney General, 603-271-3658, or the League.

New Hampshire doesn't have a length of residency requirement for voting. Nor does the state require a photo ID to vote, at this time. Even if you moved here recently, you may vote if this is the place where you are living now, not just vacationing or visiting. You may claim only one place as your home for voting purposes.

When you register, you will fill out a form giving your name, age, place of birth, local residence, previous voting address if you were registered to vote somewhere else, and a driver's license identification number or the last four digits of your social security number if you have one. You will be asked to read and sign a statement saying you understand voting fraud is a crime. You will also be asked for documents to confirm your identity, age and residence in the voting district.

There are several ways to prove your identity, age and residence. The easiest is to bring a current driver's license or non-driver photo ID, a current passport or current military photo ID to the polls with you. If you are a naturalized citizen, you should bring your naturalization papers if you have them. If not, you can sign a citizenship affidavit.

If you don't have a current government photo ID, there are other ways to meet the requirements. As a last resort, you can sign an affidavit saying you are who you say you are and you live where you say you live. Other common documents you can use to register include a student ID, employee ID, birth certificate, rental lease, tax bill, utility bill, bank statement or any other document that would reasonably establish your identity and local residence.

If you are qualified to be a voter in your voting district, you cannot be denied the right to vote. You should bring the best available documentation with you if you register on Election Day but you cannot be turned away or required to leave the polling place to get any documents on Election Day.

Once you have registered to vote, you will be directed to the Ballot Clerk to receive your ballot. The next time you vote, you can go straight to the Ballot Clerk and announce your name. The Ballot Clerk will ask you to confirm your address and then give you a ballot.

Voter Information. Register to Vote.

Voter Information

STATE INFORMATION
To learn the identity of, and acquire contact information for, your State Representatives or Senator, use the search engine at the New Hampshire General Court's web page. To examine current state legislation or research the voting records of state legislators, see the New Hampshire General Court's web page.
FEDERAL INFORMATION
Click on these links to learn the identities of, and acquire contact information for, your United States Representative or United States Senators. View the Library of Congress' web page for comprehensive information on current and past federal legislation.

Register to Vote

Are you registered to vote? Do you want to change your party, your address, your name?
WHO CAN REGISTER
New Hampshire residents who will be 18 years of age or older on election day, and a United States citizen, may register with the town or city clerk where they live up to 10 days before any election. You may also register on election day at the polling place. The town clerk's office can inform voters of what proof of qualification they should bring to register.
HOW TO REGISTER
1. Apply to your town or city clerk's office. You will be required to fill out a standard voter registration form and will be required to show proof of age, citizenship and domicile.
2. It may be easier for you to register with your community's Supervisors of the Checklist. By law they are required to meet on the Saturday 10 days prior to each election. Check the local newspaper(s) or call your clerk's office for the date and time of such meeting.
3. Qualified individuals may also register to vote at the polling place on election day at all elections. You will be asked to show proof of age, citizenship and domicile.
For further registration information, including that related to absentee registration and ballots, college students, overseas citizens and armed services, please see the Secretary of State, Elections Division web page.
Because of confusion about pending bills requiring different forms of identification for voters, the state Attorney General's office has given this clarification for voter registration in 2011 and at least the first part of 2012. If your city or town clerk demands you present a very specific photo ID to register, you may challenge it with this document from the AG's office: How to Register to Vote in NH

Comments, suggestions, questions? Contact our webmaster. Last revised: May 17, 2012 13:33 PDT.