Michael Epright is so fed up with the federal government, he’s not voting for any of the Senate or congressional candidates on his primary ballot.
“I'm disgusted with all of them,” the Epsom voter said. Instead, he’ll write his own name on the ballot for the state’s 2nd Congressional District and U.S. Senate races.
“When I don't believe anybody could do a better job than I do, I write myself in,” Epright said, citing division in Congress. “I don't like the inability to come to a conclusion or a solution.”
While voters might not all decide to write themselves onto the ballot, many Granite Staters expressed a deep distrust or ambivalence towards politicians at the federal and local level. Some told NHPR they're at the polls because it's their civic duty, not out of deep support or enthusiasm for any one candidate.
“There's a little voice in the back of my head that says, ‘Nobody's going to really do this the right way,’ ” said Steve Rue of Pembroke.
Rue said he wants state legislators to get involved in oversight of Education Freedom Accounts. So far, no candidate has earned his confidence that they’ll make real change in the state house.
“I can only hope, based on what I've heard and read, that people will do the right thing,” Rye said. “But I don't have a definite good feeling about anyone.”
Several town moderators around the state said primaries often have a light turnout, especially when it isn’t a presidential election year. And while voters cited a general ambivalence at their polling places, several issues did motivate some voters to cast their ballots.
Who can win a general election fight
Sen. Jeanne Shaheen is retiring from her seat, and Bob Lyon of Loudon said he’s banking on Congressman Chris Pappas to beat the Republican candidate in November. He said other Democrats running may have good policies, but he wants a proven winner like Pappas in the running.
“I'm comfortable with him, and I know that he will be the candidate in the fall,” Lyon said. “I just want to have strong numbers behind him.”
Bill Horan of Epsom believes former senator John E. Sununu is the right candidate to face a Democrat in the general election, not Scott Brown, also a former senator.
“Years ago he was in Congress, but now he's been out, he's been in industry business,” Horan said of Sununu’s background. That background, he thinks, will be important in the election and in governing the country.
Van Mosher of Bow said he also supports Sununu, but is ready to back Brown if he wins.
“The Senate race is the biggest one and I went with Sununu, but I have Brown stickers and Sununu stickers so I am ready to go either way."
He wore a red shirt to the polls to send a message of support for all Republican candidates on the ballot.
Public education funding and property taxes
Voter Betty Nichols of Concord was one of many voters who said they were concerned that the state’s school voucher-like program was taking money away from public education. She also thinks that property owners shouldn't shoulder the lion’s share of school funding.
“Public education is huge for me,” Nichols said. “I don't agree with the way it's being funded.”
High property taxes motivated several voters to get out to the polls. Michael Epright of Epsom said with his property taxes already so high, he voted for state lawmakers who he believes will fend off any attempts to increase or add additional taxes.
“We have a unique position in the country where we don't have income or sales tax, and I would really like to keep it that way,” Epright said. “You give [politicians] unlimited pocketbooks and they have a tendency to spend and ask [for] more.”
Immigrations and Customs Enforcement in New Hampshire
Tom Murphy of Goffstown said he wants a candidate who will focus on removing ICE officers from the state. That means he decided not to vote for the establishment candidate, Chris Pappas, in the Democratic primary for Senate.
“Chris Pappas doesn’t seem like a fighter, and I needed to send a message to that effect,” Murphy said.
The presence of ICE nationally and in New Hampshire motivated Epsom voter Molly Petrilli to vote for progressive candidates on the Democratic ballot.
“Mainly, it's human rights issues that are getting me out here today,” Petrilli said.
She doesn’t think Epsom will be a liberal town any time soon, but she wants to get the ball rolling by voting for progressive candidates at the state and federal levels.
Big money in politics
Laura Urie of Bow said the influence of money in politics is a major concern for her.
"Like AIPAC, and PAC money and that kind of thing,” Urie said. “I’m a Democrat so I voted for Karishma [Manzur] and Paige [Beauchemin] just to try to get money out of politics because I think that's a big problem for us."
U.S. Senate candidate Karishma Manzur has attacked Pappas’ “big money” campaign and backing by pro-Israel donors. Voter Steve Rue also considered who received corporate and PAC funding to help him decide between Democratic candidates.
“If there's any indication of corporate funding and political action committees or organizations that have donated against what I'm standing behind, then I might look at those candidates who have done otherwise,” Rue said.
Additional reporting for this story by NHPR's Josh Rogers, Imaan Moin and Olivia Richardson.
