This story was originally produced by the Concord Monitor. NHPR is republishing it in partnership with the Granite State News Collaborative.
The serious business of democracy has gone to the dogs in Hopkinton, where the only contested race is for the title of ‘Dog of the Year’ and voting power rests entirely with the town’s youngest residents.
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, kids in Hopkinton had the chance to step into the polls during general elections and cast a ballot for their favorite candidates. Public health concerns put an end to that tradition, but now, several years later, the town’s children are returning to the polls.
In March, kids will exercise their civic duty and vote for their favorite four-legged candidate. Age is the only criterion to be eligible to vote: Residents must be between 0 and 17 years old.
Sara Persechino, the town moderator, said voting in Hopkinton is a “family affair.”
With schools closed on election day, children will have the opportunity not just to observe democracy in action but to take part in it, making the experience of voting exciting and less intimidating when they cast their first official ballot at 18.
“It is important for building that civic sense of responsibility, but also demystifying it,” Persechino said. “Hopefully, if we can make it a little more exciting for the whole family, that will be a trip that’s worth making to the polls.”
For a finishing touch of pride, Hopkinton voters, even the littlest citizens, will get to sport “I Voted” stickers designed by the town’s fourth- and fifth-graders in 2023 and 2025.
The idea for the inaugural dog election came from Emily Ceriello, the town’s new clerk, after she noticed that the town often had to make repeated phone calls to track down residents who hadn’t registered their dogs by the state’s April 30 deadline.
“We were hoping that maybe doing something fun like this might encourage people to do it sooner. It’s such an easy thing to forget to do,” she said. “We wanted to involve the kids and let the kids be part of the process, and what better way than including them in the town and school elections?”
The candidate filing deadline closed on Friday at noon, with 18 dogs having thrown their collars into the ring. Town employees will vote to narrow the pack, and the top five pups will earn a spot on the ballot for Election Day on March 10.
The rules stipulate that if a household has multiple dogs, only one can run in the race, and each canine candidate must be registered and have up-to-date rabies vaccination records.
With no other contested races for town or school offices this year, the canine competition takes center stage.
Some residents have asked whether cats might get their moment in the spotlight, but for Hopkinton’s inaugural dog election, it’s strictly paws-only — though Persechino hinted that felines could get their turn in the future.
The winning dog won’t just earn bragging rights. Their victory will be celebrated on Hopkinton’s social media, announced at Town Meeting and displayed proudly in Town Hall for a full year.
The winner will also receive a gift basket full of dog goodies from local businesses.
“I have not heard of any robust campaigning that has begun yet, although I will say, we still don’t know who those final top five dogs will be to make it onto the ballot,” Persechino said. “We’ll see what happens after that. It’ll be fun to see what people do with it.”
Election Day in Hopkinton is March 10. See the human candidates running for town election and school candidates in Hopkinton.