Election administration in New Hampshire

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Election Information
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Select a state from the menu below to learn more about its election administration.

Election administration encompasses a state's voting policies and methods of enforcing them. These include voter identification requirements, early and absentee voting provisions, voter list maintenance methods, and more. Each state's voting policies dictate who can vote and under what conditions.

THE BASICS
  • New Hampshire does not allow online voter registration.
  • New Hampshire does not permit early voting or no-excuse absentee voting.
  • In New Hampshire, poll hours vary, but local polls must open no later than 11:00 a.m. and close no earlier than 7:00 p.m. Eastern Time.
  • New Hampshire requires photo identification to vote.
  • New Hampshire holds semi-closed primary elections.
  • New Hampshire has online tools for verifying voter registration and checking the status of absentee ballots.


    • Below, you will find details on the following election administration topics in New Hampshire:

    Poll times

    See also: State poll opening and closing times

    In New Hampshire, polling place hours of operation vary. According to state law, polling places must be open between 11:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. Eastern Time. Localities may set their own polling hours as long as they are open during those hours prescribed by state law.[2]To search for the hours your polling place is open, click here.


    Voter registration

    Check your voter registration status here.

    To register to vote in New Hampshire, each applicant must be a citizen of the United States, an inhabitant of New Hampshire, and at least 18 years old by the next election. Individuals may register to vote at the local clerk's office, with the community's supervisors of the checklist or registrar of voters, or at the polling place on the day of the election. Applicants must fill out a voter registration form and either show proof of identity and citizenship or sign an affidavit witnessed by an election official.[3][4] Absentee registration is allowed for those who are “unable to register in person because of physical disability, religious beliefs, military service, or because of temporary absence.” Absentee registration requires mailing a voter registration form and witnessed absentee voter registration affidavit to the local clerk.[3]

    Automatic registration

    New Hampshire does not practice automatic voter registration.

    Online registration

    See also: Online voter registration

    New Hampshire does not permit online voter registration.

    Same-day registration

    New Hampshire allows same-day voter registration.

    Residency requirements

    In New Hampshire, citizens can register to vote the day they move to the state.[3]

    Verification of citizenship

    See also: Laws permitting noncitizens to vote in the United States

    New Hampshire requires prospective voters to either provide proof of citizenship or sign an affidavit in order to register to vote.

    Verifying your registration

    The New Hampshire Secretary of State’s office allows residents to check their voter registration status online by visiting this website.


    Early and absentee voting policy

    Early voting

    See also: Early voting

    New Hampshire does not permit early voting.

    Absentee voting

    See also: Absentee voting

    A voter is eligible to vote absentee in an election if he or she cannot make it to the polls on Election Day for one of the following reasons:[5]

    • The voter will be absent from his or her polling location on the day of the election.
    • The voter is unable to visit the polls because of the observance of a religious commitment.
    • The voter is unable to visit the polls because of a physical disability.
    • The voter is unable to visit the polls because of an employment obligation.
    • The voter is unable to visit the polls due to military service.

    There is no specific deadline to apply for an absentee ballot. The completed ballot must be returned either in person by 5:00 p.m. the day before the election or by mail. If returned by mail, the ballot must be received by 5:00 p.m. on Election Day.[5]

    Returning absentee ballots

    See also: Mail ballot collection and return laws by state

    Voters may return absentee ballots by mail or in-person to the clerk in the city or town in which he or she is registered to vote. Additionally, a voter’s spouse, parent, sibling, or child may deliver the ballot to the appropriate clerk on his or her behalf. The family member will have to show photo ID and complete a form provided by the secretary of state. Ballots must be received by the town or city clerk, no later than 5:00 p.m. on election day.[5]

    Signature requirements and cure provisions

    New Hampshire does not have a cure provision, or a law providing for a process where election officials follow up with voters whose absentee ballots contain a signature discrepancy or lack the requisite signatures. The voter is required to execute "an affidavit on the absentee ballot envelope. If the affidavit is not properly executed or not signed by the proper person, the ballot is rejected," according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.[6]

    Was your absentee ballot counted?

    Use the Absentee Ballot Search tool provided by the New Hampshire Secretary of State’s office to check the status of your absentee ballot.

    Voter identification requirements

    See also: Voter ID in New Hampshire
    See also: Voter identification laws by state

    New Hampshire requires voters to present photo identification while voting.[7]

    The following list of accepted ID was current as of November 2022. Click here for the New Hampshire Secretary of State page on accepted ID to ensure you have the most current information.

    “
    • Driver’s license issued by any state or federal government;
    • Non-driver ID card issued by NH DMV or motor vehicle agency of another state;
    • Photo ID card for “voting identification only” issued by NH DMV;
    • U.S. armed services identification card;
    • U.S. passport or passcard;
    • NH student ID card (Dated within the past 5 years. Must be from a school on the approval list provided to the Secretary of State each year by the Department of Education.);
    • Photo ID not mentioned above, but determined to be legitimate by the moderator, supervisors of the checklist,

    or clerk of a town, ward or city.[8]

    		”

    Additionally, a poll worker may verify the voter’s identity. If anyone authorized to challenge a voter objects to the poll worker’s verification, the voter would have to complete a challenged voter affidavit.[7]

    Voters without proper photo identification can complete a challenged voter affidavit. A poll worker will take a photo of the voter and attach it to the affidavit. The voter may then cast a regular ballot. If the voter objects to being photographed for religious reasons, he or she can complete an affidavit of religious exemption, which will be attached to the challenged voter affidavit.[7]

    Background

    As of August 2023, 34 states required voters to present identification in order to vote at the polls on Election Day. Of these states, 23 required voters to present identification containing a photograph, and 11 accepted other forms of identification. The remaining 16 states did not require voters to present identification in order to vote at the polls on Election Day. Valid forms of identification differ by state. Commonly accepted forms include driver's licenses, state-issued identification cards, and military identification cards.[9][10]


    Provisional ballot rules

    New Hampshire does not have a provisional voting process.

    Federal law requires most states to provide for a provisional balloting process (states that had enacted same-day voter registration processes as of 1993 were exempted from this requirement). As of September 2019, every state except Idaho, Minnesota, and New Hampshire had established a provisional voting process.[11]

    Local election officials

    U.S. Vote Foundation Logo.jpeg

    Do you need information about elections in your area? Are you looking for your local election official? Click here to visit the U.S. Vote Foundation and use their election official lookup tool.

    Primary election type

    See also: Primary elections in New Hampshire

    A primary election is an election in which registered voters select a candidate that they believe should be a political party's candidate for elected office to run in the general election. They are also used to choose convention delegates and party leaders. Primaries are state-level and local-level elections that take place prior to a general election. New Hampshire uses a semi-closed primary system. Unaffiliated voters may vote in the primary, but in order to do so, they have to choose a party before voting. This changes their status from unaffiliated to affiliated with that party unless they fill out a card to return to undeclared status.[12][13][14]

    For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, see this article.

    Time off work for voting

    Ballotpedia did not find a law specifying whether voters must be given time off from work to vote in this state. Nolo.com notes that states without such state laws may have administrative regulations or local ordinances pertaining to time off for voting and suggests calling your local board of elections or state labor department for more information.[15]

    If you know of a relevant policy in this state, please email us. As of 2020, 28 states had laws requiring employers to provide time off for voting under certain conditions.

    Voting rules for people convicted of a felony

    See also: Voting rights for convicted felons

    In New Hampshire, people convicted of a felony regain their voting rights automatically upon completion of their prison sentence. Felony is defined as, "A crime committed against the laws of this state or of the federal government for which a sentence of death or imprisonment in the state prison or a federal prison or penitentiary." Click here for more information about New Hampshire's policy regarding felony convictions and voting rights.

    Voting rights for people convicted of a felony vary from state to state. In the majority of states, people convicted of a felony cannot vote while they are incarcerated but may regain the right to vote upon release from prison or at some point thereafter.[16]


    Voter list maintenance

    All states have rules under which they maintain voter rolls—or, check and remove certain names from their lists of registered voters. Most states are subject to the parameters set by The National Voter Registration Act (NVRA).[17] The NVRA requires states to make efforts to remove deceased individuals and individuals who have become ineligible due to a change of address. It prohibits removing registrants from voter lists within 90 days of a federal election due to change of address unless a registrant has requested to be removed, or from removing people from voter lists solely because they have not voted. The NVRA says that states may remove names from their registration lists under certain other circumstances and that their methods for removing names must be uniform and nondiscriminatory.[18]

    When names can be removed from the voter list

    New Hampshire law authorizes election officials to remove the names of voters from the registered voting list if an individual:[19]

    • dies
    • is determined to have moved out of their voting jurisdiction
    • is convicted of a felony or a crime related to elections
    • Fails to respond to address and registration confirmation notices

    Inactive voter list rules

    State law authorizes election officials to contact individuals determined to have moved or been ineligible with a notice to reconfirm their registration qualifications. The individual has 30 days to respond. If they fail to respond, they are removed from the list of registered voters. In addition, New Hampshire election officials are required to conduct a voter verification program every 10 years. If a voter has not voted in the past four years prior to the 10-year verification program, their registration may be eligible for cancellation.[20]

    The Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC)

    See also: Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC)

    According to its website, ERIC is a nonprofit corporation that is governed by a board of member-states. These member states submit voter registration and motor vehicle registration information to ERIC. ERIC uses this information, as well as Social Security death records, to provide member states with detailed reports showing voters who have moved within their state, moved out of their state, died, have duplicate registrations in their state, or are potentially eligible to vote but are not yet registered. ERIC's website describes its funding as follows: "Each state pays annual dues, which are determined by a formula approved by the ERIC membership. The formula includes a state's citizen voting age population as a factor."[21]

    By 2022, 33 states and the District of Columbia had joined ERIC. As of August 2023, 26 states and the District of Columbia were members in the ERIC program.[22]

    As of August 2023, New Hampshire wasnot participating in the ERIC program.

    Post-election auditing

    New Hampshire state law does not require post-election audits.[23] Post-election audits check that election results tallied by a state's voting system match results from paper records, such as paper ballots filled out by voters or the paper records produced by electronic voting machines. Post-election audits are classified into two categories: audits of election results—which include traditional post-election audits as well as risk-limiting audits—and procedural audits.[16][24]

    Typically, traditional post-election audits are done by recounting a portion of ballots, either electronically or by hand, and comparing the results to those produced by the state's voting system. In contrast, risk-limiting audits use statistical methods to compare a random sample of votes cast to election results instead of reviewing every ballot. The scope of procedural audits varies by state, but they typically include a systematic review of voting equipment, performance of the voting system, vote totals, duties of election officials and workers, ballot chain of custody, and more.

    As of December 2023, 41 states and the District of Columbia required some form of post-election audit. Of these, 36 states and the District of Columbia required traditional post-election audits, three states required risk-limiting post-election audits, and two states required procedural post-election audits.[25]



    Noteworthy events

    2022

    On July 1, 2022, Governor Chris Sununu (R) signed SB366 into law, authorizing the secretary of state to conduct an audit of electronic ballot-counting devices used in the 2022 primary and general elections. The legislation mandated that the secretary of state conduct an audit of all applicable devices used in at least two towns or city wards in the primary election. The legislation granted the secretary of state discretion in determining whether to conduct an audit in the general election.[26]

    Election policy ballot measures

    See also: Elections and campaigns on the ballot and List of New Hampshire ballot measures

    Ballotpedia has tracked the following ballot measures relating to election and campaign policy in New Hampshire.

    1. New Hampshire Modifications Related to Elections Amendment (1976)
    2. New Hampshire 18 Year Old Voting Age Amendment (1974)
    3. New Hampshire Remove Provision Disqualifying Women From Voting for State Offices, Question 1 (1958)
    4. New Hampshire Legislative Representation, Question 5 (1930)
    5. New Hampshire Legislative Representation, Question 4 (1920)
    6. New Hampshire Voting Rights for the Convicted, Question 7 (1912)
    7. New Hampshire Election by Plurality, Question 8 (1912)
    8. New Hampshire Voters Required to Read and Write English, Question 1 (1903)
    9. New Hampshire Right to Vote for Untaxed Amendment (1968)
    10. New Hampshire Right to Vote Amendment (1968)
    11. New Hampshire Right to Vote Amendment (1921)

    Recent legislation related to election administration in New Hampshire

    The table below lists bills related to election administration that have been introduced during (or carried over to) the current legislative session in New Hampshire. The following information is included for each bill:

    • State
    • Bill number
    • Official name or caption
    • Most recent action date
    • Legislative status
    • Topics dealt with by the bill

    Bills are organized alphabetically, first by state and then by bill number. The table displays up to 100 results by default. To view additional results, use the arrows in the upper-right corner of the table. For more information about a particular bill, click the bill number. This will open a separate page with additional information.

    Ballotpedia's Election Administration Legislation Tracker

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    The Ballot Bulletin

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    The Ballot Bulletin is a weekly email that delivers the latest updates on election policy. The Ballot Bulletin tracks developments in election policy around the country, including legislative activity, big-picture trends, and recent news. Each email contains in-depth data from our Election Administration Legislation Tracker. You'll also be able to track relevant legislation, with links to and summaries of the bills themselves.

    Click here to view recent issues and subscribe.


    Ballot access

    See also: Ballot access requirements for political candidates in New Hampshire
    A cardboard ballot box at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History

    In order to get on the ballot in New Hampshire, a candidate for state or federal office must meet a variety of state-specific filing requirements and deadlines. These regulations, known as ballot access laws, determine whether a candidate or party will appear on an election ballot. These laws are set at the state level. A candidate must prepare to meet ballot access requirements well in advance of primaries, caucuses, and the general election.

    There are three basic methods by which an individual may become a candidate for office in a state.

    1. An individual can seek the nomination of a state-recognized political party.
    2. An individual can run as an independent. Independent candidates often must petition in order to have their names printed on the general election ballot.
    3. An individual can run as a write-in candidate.

    This article outlines the steps that prospective candidates for state-level and congressional office must take in order to run for office in New Hampshire. For information about filing requirements for presidential candidates, see "Ballot access requirements for presidential candidates in New Hampshire." Information about filing requirements for local-level offices is not available in this article (contact state election agencies for information about local candidate filing processes).

    Redistricting

    See also: Redistricting in New Hampshire
    "Gerrymandering"

    Redistricting is the process by which new congressional and state legislative district boundaries are drawn. Each of New Hampshire's two United States Representatives and 424 state legislators are elected from political divisions called districts. United States Senators are not elected by districts, but by the states at large. District lines are redrawn every 10 years following completion of the United States census. The federal government stipulates that districts must have nearly equal populations and must not discriminate on the basis of race or ethnicity.[27][28][29][30]

    New Hampshire was apportioned 2 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives after the 2020 census, the same number it received after the 2010 census. Click here for more information about redistricting in New Hampshire after the 2020 census.

    HIGHLIGHTS
  • Following the 2020 United States Census, New Hampshire was apportioned two congressional districts, which was unchanged from the number it had after the 2010 census.
  • New Hampshire comprises 24 state Senate districts and 204 state House districts (some districts elect multiple representatives).
  • In New Hampshire, congressional and state legislative district boundaries are drawn by the state legislature.

    • State process

    See also: State-by-state redistricting procedures

    In New Hampshire, both congressional and state legislative district boundaries are drawn by the state legislature. These lines are subject to veto by the governor.[31]

    State law requires that state legislative districts "be contiguous, and maintain the boundaries of towns, wards, or unincorporated places." There are no such requirements in place for congressional districts.[31]


    Election administration agencies

    Election agencies

    Seal of the U.S. Election Assistance Commission
    See also: State election agencies

    Individuals seeking additional information about voting provisions in New Hampshire can contact the following local, state, and federal agencies.

    New Hampshire Town Clerks

    Click here for a list

    Secretary of State

    107 North Main Street
    Concord, New Hampshire 03301
    Telephone: 603-271-3242
    Email: elections@sos.state.nh.us

    U.S. Election Assistance Commission

    633 3rd Street NW, Suite 200
    Washington, DC 20001
    Telephone: 301-563-3919
    Toll free: 1-866-747-1471


    Ballotpedia's election coverage

    Click the tiles below to navigate to 2023 election coverage, or use the map below:


    Democratic primaries 2024
    Republican primaries 2024

    See also

    Elections in New Hampshire


    External links

    Footnotes

    1. ↑ We use the term "absentee/mail-in voting" to describe systems in which requests or applications are required. We use the term "all-mail voting" to denote systems where the ballots themselves are sent automatically to all voters. We use the hyphenate term for absentee voting because some states use “mail voting” (or a similar alternative) to describe what has traditionally been called "absentee voting."
    2. ↑ New Hampshire Revised Statutes - Title 63, Chapter 659.4," accessed April 25, 2023
    3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 New Hampshire Secretary of State, “How to Register to Vote,” accessed April 25, 2023
    4. ↑ New Hampshire Secretary of State, “Register to Vote,” accessed April 25, 2023
    5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 New Hampshire Secretary of State, "Absentee Ballots," accessed April 25, 2023 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name "nheav" defined multiple times with different content
    6. ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "How States Verify Voted Absentee Mail Ballots," accessed April 25, 2023
    7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 State of New Hampshire, "Voter ID Law Explanatory Document," accessed April 25, 2023
    8. ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
    9. ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "Voter Identification Requirements|Voter ID Laws," March 9, 2023
    10. ↑ The Washington Post, "Do I need an ID to vote? A look at the laws in all 50 states," October 27, 2014
    11. ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "Provisional Ballots," accessed April 25, 2023
    12. ↑ NCSL,"State Primary Election Types," accessed April 25, 2023
    13. ↑ Ballotpedia research conducted December 26, 2013, through January 3, 2014, researching and analyzing various state websites and codes.
    14. ↑ New Hampshire Secretary of State,"Voting in Party Primaries," accessed April 25, 2023
    15. ↑ NOLO, "Taking Time Off to Vote," accessed September 13, 2019
    16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 National Conference of State Legislatures, "Felon Voting Rights," April 6, 2023 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name "ncsl" defined multiple times with different content
    17. ↑ The Justice Department notes, "Six States (Idaho, Minnesota, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Wisconsin, and Wyoming) are exempt from the NVRA because, on and after August 1, 1994, they either had no voter-registration requirements or had election-day voter registration at polling places with respect to elections for federal office."
    18. ↑ The United States Department of Justice, "The National Voter Registration Act of 1993," accessed Aprl 4, 2023
    19. ↑ New Hampshire Statutes, "654.37, 654.36, 654.5-6, and 654.36," accessed Apri 25, 2023
    20. ↑ New Hampshire Statutes, "654.36, 654.36-a, 654.36-b, 654.37, and 654.39," accessed April 25, 2023
    21. ↑ ERIC, "Home," accessed April 4, 2023
    22. ↑ ERIC, "Who We Are," accessed August 7, 2023
    23. ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "Post-Election Audits," accessed April 25, 2023
    24. ↑ Election Assistance Commission, "Election Audits Across the United States," accessed August 15, 2023
    25. ↑ Ballotpedia research conducted in June 2023, researching and analyzing various state websites and codes.
    26. ↑ BillTrack50, "NH SB366," accessed April 25, 2023
    27. ↑ All About Redistricting, "Why does it matter?" accessed April 8, 2015
    28. ↑ Indy Week, "Cracked, stacked and packed: Initial redistricting maps met with skepticism and dismay," June 29, 2011
    29. ↑ The Atlantic, "How the Voting Rights Act Hurts Democrats and Minorities," June 17, 2013
    30. ↑ Redrawing the Lines, "The Role of Section 2 - Majority Minority Districts," accessed April 6, 2015
    31. ↑ 31.0 31.1 All About Redistricting, "New Hampshire," accessed May 5, 2015
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