This originally appeared as a special edition of The Rundown, our daily newsletter that aims to help you stay informed — but not overwhelmed. Want to sign up? Subscribe here!
To close out our procrastinator’s guide series, we’re walking you through the entire voting process — whether you’ve been close-reading all of our voter guides or have no idea who’s up for election.
Need to catch up? Here are our guides to NH’s 1st Congressional District, 2nd Congressional District, governor, and U.S. Senate.
Before you vote…
Step one: Make sure you’re registered.
You can double check your registration status here. If you don’t see anything, no sweat — you can still register at your polling place on Election Day with the proper documentation. And remember: If you’ve moved recently, you will probably need to update your registration with your new address. Here’s how.
Step two: Make a plan.
That's the Secretary of State’s advice — don’t just take it from us! If you’re voting in person, you’ll want to double check your designated polling place, which you can find here. In New Hampshire, polling hours vary, but all polls must open by 11 a.m. and cannot close before 7 p.m.
Remember: So long as you’re in line to vote before the polls close, you have the right to vote!
Step three: Know who and what you’re voting for.
Check out a sample ballot here, then consult our voter guides and reporting:
Top-of-the-ticket races: Here are our guides to NH’s 1st Congressional District, 2nd Congressional District, governor, and U.S. Senate.
Down-ballot races for State House and county roles: Here’s an overview of what’s at stake in these races. For information on specific candidates, Citizens Count is a helpful resource.
Ballot questions: Ballot Question 1 asks whether to eliminate New Hampshire’s defunct “register of probate” position from the state constitution. Here’s more details on what that would mean. Ballot Question 2 asks whether to cap increases in local school taxes to the rate of inflation and new construction. Here’s an overview of the arguments on both sides.
Step four: Bring an acceptable ID.
All voters will need to bring a form of photo ID to the polls in order to cast a ballot. A driver’s license, passport, or a non-driver ID card issued by the DMV are all good, but — per the U.S. Supreme Court — a student ID is not. Here’s a full list of acceptable documents.
Step five: Head to the polls!
Remember, you can look up your polling location here. It’s also a good idea to double check the details directly on your town or city website, in case of any late changes.
While you’re at the polls…
Election officials expect a smooth voting day. Despite some chaos and confusion in recent weeks, local election workers have expressed nothing but confidence in the state’s ability to pull off a secure, accurate, and drama-free election.
You might notice some extra spectators. As part of what one official called “the ‘largest monitoring effort in the Justice Department’s history,’” the Trump administration will be sending over 1,000 federal election monitors to polls across the country — including in Manchester and Nashua. Poll observers aren’t unusual, but considering the scale, plus the Trump administration’s other efforts to gain more control over state elections, the move is raising some eyebrows.
If you do run into any issues: Help is available. Call New Hampshire’s Election Day Hotline 1-866-868-3703. New Hampshire’s Disability Rights Center also runs its own Election Day Hotline at 603-410-5200, plus a toolkit for voters with disabilities.
After you’ve cast your ballot…
Tell us how it went! Our news teams will be checking in at polling places across the state, but we can’t get to every community — so we’d love your help reporting on the voting process. Was it busier or quieter than you expected? Did you run into any issues, or was it pretty straightforward? Did you notice any election monitors at your polling place? Send us an email at voices@nhpr.org.
Stay tuned for scenes from the polls, election night parties and more. My colleagues and I will be working to share them out on the radio, our live blog, and on social media … not to mention in this very newsletter on Wednesday morning! Here’s how to tune in.
Any other questions? Here’s more voter info from the Secretary of State’s office, and here’s NHPR’s official voter guide.
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Illustration using NHPR file photosGov. Kelly Ayotte is in a strong position, but her opponents aren’t going down without a fight. -
Illustration using NHPR photosThis might be NH’s tightest — and most consequential — race of all. -
Mark Bolton/Granite State News CollaborativeThis race is tight, and the result could have huge impacts. -
Illustration using NHPR file photosThis race isn’t quite as competitive as the 1st Congressional District. But as they say, it ain’t over ‘til it’s over!
