As Election Day quickly approaches, it's important for Granite Staters to have a plan in place to cast their ballot. As the outcome of the November 5th election will have a significant impact on our communities, let’s take a look at how to make a plan to vote:
Step 1: Check Your Voter Registration
Ahead of election day, it’s important to check if you are registered to vote. Granite Staters can check their registration status online or by contacting their local town or city clerk. Remember, if you are not registered (or not registered at your current address), you can register at the polls on Election Day.
To be eligible to vote in New Hampshire, you need to be 18 years old, domiciled in New Hampshire, and a U.S. Citizen. When you are registering, you will be asked to prove your identity, age, citizenship and domicile (physical address). When registering to vote, you should bring a photo ID. This can be an ID issued by any state, the federal government, or a New Hampshire high school, college or trade school.
Examples of acceptable forms of photo ID include:
Driver’s license or non-driver’s ID from any state
Passport
Military ID
NH school ID
Voter ID
The photo ID may be expired, as long as the expiration or issuance date is less than 5 years ago. If over 65, the expiration date is irrelevant.
If you don’t have or forget your ID, affidavits are available to prove most of these qualifications. But it’s important to remember, NO ELIGIBLE VOTER WILL BE DENIED THE RIGHT TO VOTE FOR LACKING DOCUMENTATION.
If not already registered, New Hampshire voters can also register at the polls, as New Hampshire has same-day voter registration. If opting to register for the first time in person on election day and don’t present an ID, you will vote with an “affidavit ballot” and your vote will only count if you send a copy of your photo ID to the NH Secretary of State’s Office within seven days.
If you or someone you know is having trouble registering to vote, call New Hampshire’s voter hotline at 866-OUR-VOTE.
Step 2: Research Candidates
Before heading out to the polls, it can be helpful to research the candidates for the federal, state, and local offices on the ballot in order to make an informed decision. It can be helpful to view a sample ballot, which will show you the candidates that will be on your real ballot. Sample ballots for each town/city ward in New Hampshire can be found on the New Hampshire Secretary of State’s website.
To learn more about the candidates on the ballot, check out a voter guide, like this one from the Granite Post, prior to the election. You can bring a voter's guide or a sample ballot into the voting booth.
Step 3: Casting a Ballot On Election Day
Be sure to confirm where your designated polling place is located. That information can be found here. Additionally, check your local polling location’s hours of operation to plan your visit and determine a convenient time for you to go vote.
Once you arrive at your polling location, you’ll check in with the ballot clerk and show your photo ID. If you don’t have a photo ID, you’ll need to fill out an affidavit, and your photo will be taken.
If you’re already registered to vote, you’ll also state your name and address. The ballot clerk will then give you a blank ballot.
When in the voting booth, use the provided pen or pencil to completely fill in the ovals next to the names of your chosen candidates. Follow the instructions on the ballot carefully to ensure your vote is counted, and if you make a mistake, ask a poll worker for a new ballot.
After voting, you’ll place your ballot in the ballot-counting device or hand it to the moderator to place in the ballot box (depending on what your town/city uses).
If you need assistance voting, New Hampshire polling places are required to provide accessible voting options. Don’t hesitate to ask poll workers for help. Similarly, if you need help understanding the ballot, some polling places may provide ballots in multiple languages or offer translation services.
Can’t Make it in Person? How to Vote Absentee
While New Hampshire does not offer no-excuse early voting, absentee voting in New Hampshire is permitted for any Granite State voters who can’t make it to the polls on election day for one of the following reasons:
You need to be at work,
You will be away on Election Day,
You are responsible for childcare or caring for an infirm adult,
You have a disability or illness, or
You are observing a religious commitment on Election Day.
Absentee voting can be done in person at your local clerk’s office up to the day before Election Day. You can go to their clerk’s office, request your absentee ballot, fill it out, and return it during one visit.
Voters can also vote absentee by mail. To do so, follow these steps:
STEP 1: Request an absentee ballot. An absentee request application can be found here.
STEP 2: Fill out, sign and return the application to your town clerk. Return it to your clerk’s office by mail, email, fax, or in person. Absentee ballots start mailing about 30 days before the election, and tend to arrive a few days after you submit your application.
STEP 3: Fill out your absentee ballot and sign the envelope. You can expect your absentee ballot a few days after you send in the application. Make sure to follow the instructions and don’t forget to sign the inner envelope.
STEP 4: Return your absentee ballot to your town clerk either by mail or in person to arrive before election day. Close to the election? Drop your ballot off in person if you can. You can track your ballot here.
Granite Post’s Voter Guide is Now Live!
For the last 9 months, the Granite Post has been delivering factual, relevant, pro-democracy, local news to New Hampshire. Just in time for the fall election season, Granite Post has launched their Voter Guide, which will provide information on how to register and to vote, as well as information on the candidates in key races across the state.
Please make sure you check out the Voter Guide before you head to the polls! And if you haven’t signed up for Granite Post newsletter, please sign-up here. They are also on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter/X, and TikTok.
Thank you,
Ryan Mahoney
Executive Director