Voting in
New Hampshire

Upcoming Election Dates & Deadlines

Upcoming Election: Primary Election

Election Day: November 5, 2024

Registration Deadline: November 5, 2024

Vote By Mail: no

Early Voting: -

How to vote in New Hampshire

New Hampshire's election schedule

New Hampshire's Election Overview

In New Hampshire, you can register to vote by mail or in person. Voting can be done in person or by absentee ballot. Bring a photo ID if you’re voting in person.

Important Voting Links for New Hampshire

How to vote in New Hampshire

Absentee Ballot Process

Absentee ballots are available from your local official approximately 30 days before an election. A person may vote by absentee ballot if:

They will be absent from the city/town in which they are qualified to vote on the day of an election
You are physically disabled and unable to vote in person
You are a member (or a spouse or a dependent of a member) of the uniformed services who will be absent on election day
Your observance of a religious commitment prevents you from voting in person
You are unable to appear at any time during the polling hours at your polling place because of a work obligation that requires you to remain physically at work or be in transit to or from work from the time the polls open until after the polls close. Work can include unpaid care of children or infirm adults.

To request an absentee ballot, you may download the application . You can also submit a request in writing. You must include all the information that is on the application. Don’t forget your name, voting address, mailing address and your signature. You can return your absentee ballot request form through the mail or in person. All absentee ballots must be received by 5pm on Election Day to be counted. You can sign up to track your absentee ballot on your State website. Absentee ballots begin being counted on Election Day. If you have any questions please contact your local official. Those who requested an absentee ballot but end up voting in person: Do not mail a ballot and vote in person. For specifics, you can find your local local official contact info here. Request your Ballot

ID Needed for Voter Registration

When registering to vote, you are required to provide proof of identity, age, citizenship, and domicile (where you live). Proof of identity, age, citizenship and domicile can be shown by providing one or more of the below options:

Current driver’s license or non-driver’s license
Current passport
Current military photo ID
Naturalization papers
Student ID
Employee ID
Birth Certificate
Rental lease
Evidence of a home purchase
Vehicle registration
Tax bill
Utility bill
Proof that you’ve asked the Post Office to use your street address as your mailing address
Any other document that reasonably establishes your identity and local domicile

Identity, age, and citizenship can be proven by affidavit if you do not have documents for these.

ID Needed for Voting

A photo ID will be requested of you, but you may sign a simple affidavit and have your photo taken. Acceptable Federal and State Photo IDs (may be expired within the last five years, unless you are over 65 and then no expiration restrictions apply)

Driver’s license issued by any state
Non-driver’s photo ID from any state
US Armed Services photo ID
US passport or passport card
NH photo ID issued by the DMV for voting purposes only

Student Photo IDs (issued or expiration date within 5 years)

NH schools including public and private colleges and universities, community colleges and licensed career schools
Public high schools and private high schools that are approved by the NH Department of Educations

Other

A photo ID deemed acceptable by a Supervisor of the Checklist, Moderator or Town or City Clerk
Verification of a person’s identity by a Supervisor of the Checklist, Moderator or Town or City Clerk
An affidavit filled out and signed by the voter and an authorized election officer

If you are over 65 years old you may use a photo ID regardless of its expiration date. Voters younger than 65 years old may not use a photo ID that has been expired more than 5 years. If you do not have an approved photo ID you may get a free photo ID for voting purposes only by presenting a voucher from your town/city clerk to any New Hampshire DMV office that issues identification. Voters can call or text 844-338-8743 at any time to reach VoteRiders Voter ID Helpline

Overseas and Military Voting

You are a Military or Overseas voter if you are in uniformed services, living overseas OR a spouse or dependent of a uniformed services voter. To get registered and vote, you can utilize Overseas Vote Foundation. If you have additional questions about elections and voting overseas you can use our state specific elections official directory or contact the Overseas Vote Foundation.

Primary Election Process

Primary Election Date: Tuesday, September 13, 2022 New Hampshire has a hybrid primary system. If you are registered to with a particular party, you must vote in that parties primary. However, if you are unaffiliated with any political party, you can declare affiliation with a party at the polls in order to vote in that party’s primary. If you have any questions about your state’s primary election, please contact your local election officials.

Provisions for Voters with Disabilities

The state of New Hampshire requires that all polling places be accessible and that absentee voting be available to voters who are unable to vote in person. Suppose a voter is unable to enter the polling place. In that case, an election official will assist the voter in casting their ballot from a vehicle parked curbside using the Absentee Voter procedure. Voting absentee in this manner is for use only if an unforeseen accessibility issue arises. The Application for an Accessible Electronic Absentee Ballot can be read with NVDA and JAWS screen readers using Adobe Reader; a free download is available here. To fill out the Application, download it and open it in Adobe. For more information, you can utilize the American Association of People With Disabilities (AAPD) resource.

Voting Machines

The voting systems used in New Hampshire are optical scan and paper ballots. Optical Scan: With this system, you will receive a card or sheet of paper, which you take over to a private table or booth. The card has the names of the various candidates and ballot measures printed on it. With a pen or pencil you fill in a little box or circle or the space between two arrows. When you are finished filling out all the cards, you may bring the cards over to a ballot box, where poll workers will show you how to put the cards in the box. Or in some places, you may feed the completed cards or papers into a computer device that checks your card or paper right there at the polling place to make sure you have voted the way you want to and counts the votes. Paper Ballots: Paper ballots are one of the oldest ways of voting in America. They are still used in a few places on Election Day. When you come to the polling place, you will get a paper ballot from the poll worker. You take it to the voting booth, and use a pen or pencil to mark a box next to your candidate and issue choices. You then drop the marked ballot into a sealed ballot box. You can learn more about voting systems by checking out the Elections Assistance Commission’s (EAC) resource.