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New Hampshire | Voting Guide

Registration Deadlines and Election Dates
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Registration Deadlines and Election Dates

Voter Registration Deadline: Voter registration closes after local election officials’ last checklist session 6-13 days before Election Day. Check with your local clerk for the exact date for your community.


Eligible voters can also register to vote and cast a ballot at the same time at their assigned voting location on Election Day. More information on same-day registration is available at: https://www.sos.nh.gov/elections/register-vote/polls-election-day


2024 Election Information

Primary Election: January 23

  • Registration Deadline: 6-13 days before Election Day, please check with your local clerk’s office.


General Election: November 5

  • Registration Deadline: 6-13 days before Election Day, please check with your local clerk’s office.

Official Election Websites
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Official Election Websites

More election information at:

sos.nh.gov/elections

Register at School or Home
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Register at School or Home

Students have a decision about where to register to vote.


You have a right to register to vote at the address you consider the place where you live, whether that is your family's home or the place where you attend school. You should update your registration anytime this home address changes.


You may only be registered and vote in one location.

What Type of ID Do I Need to Register?
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What Type of ID Do I Need to Register?

All registrants—whether registering before or on Election Day—must show proof of identity, domicile, age, and citizenship. These requirements may be satisfied by providing the following documents:


  • Identity & Domicile: A driver’s license or non-driver ID issued by New Hampshire that bears your current address satisfies proof of identity and domicile. Identity can be proved by other documents issued by the United States government as well, such as a passport. Domicile may be proved by using a piece of mail sent to your address by a government entity, a lease, or documents proving an on-campus address for students.

  • Age: Any reasonable documentation indicating the applicant will be 18 years of age prior to the next election will satisfy proof of age.

  • Citizenship: A birth certificate, U.S. Passport, or naturalization document satisfies proof of citizenship


If you do not have these documents, you can prove your identity, age, domicile, and/or citizenship by signing a Qualified Voter Affidavit.

What Type of ID Do I Need to Vote?
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What Type of ID Do I Need to Vote?

New Hampshire requires proof of identity to vote. If you do not have ID, you may vote an affidavit ballot if you sign an affidavit and have your photo taken at the polls. After voting an affidavit ballot, the voter will receive an affidavit verification letter that they must sign and return with a copy of a proof of identity document. Acceptable IDs are:


  • Valid driver’s license or non-driver ID card issued by any state or the federal government

  • Military ID

  • U.S. Passport

  • NH student ID card issued by a college, university, or career school approved or licensed to operate in NH, a public high school in NH, a non-public accredited high school in NH, Dartmouth College, or a college or university operated by the university system of NH or the community college system of NH. The card must contain either an expiration date or an issuance date.

Where Do I Vote?
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Where Do I Vote?

Make a plan. Look up your voting site and hours at:

app.sos.nh.gov/viphome

How Can I Vote?
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How Can I Vote?

By Mail: New Hampshire requires an excuse to vote by mail. You may cast a mail ballot for one of the following reasons: (1) You plan to be absent from your city or town of domicile on Election Day; (2) you cannot appear in public on Election Day due to observation of a religious commitment; (3) you are unable to vote in person due to a disability; (4) you cannot appear at any time during polling hours at your polling place due to an employment obligation, which includes the care of children and infirm adults, with or without compensation; (5) you are confined to a penal institution for a misdemeanor while awaiting trial.


  • Absentee Ballot Application Deadline: You may request an absentee ballot from your town clerk in person or by submitting an application by mail or fax. Voters with print disabilities may request that their absentee ballot be electronically delivered. The Secretary of State’s office encourages voters to request their absentee ballots as early as possible to ensure you have enough time to complete and return your ballot by the return deadline.

  • Completed Absentee Ballot Return Deadline: Completed absentee ballots must be received by your town clerk no later than 5 p.m. on Election Day. You may return a completed absentee ballot in-person at your municipal clerk's office or polling place, or by mail.


You can track your absentee ballot here: https://app.sos.nh.gov/viphome


Election Day: Voting sites will be open at different times depending on the town, but all will close at 7 p.m. on Election Day. If you are in line by the closing time, then you have the right to vote.


Voters with disabilities may vote curbside. For more information, visit:  https://www.sos.nh.gov/elections/learn-about-voting-disabilities

Common Questions/Concerns
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Common Questions/Concerns

Does Registering to Vote Affect my Federal Financial Aid?

Where you register to vote will not affect federal financial aid such as Pell Grants, Perkins or Stafford loans, or your dependency status for FAFSA.


Does Registering to Vote Affect my Status as a Dependent on My Parents’ Taxes?

Being registered to vote at a different address from your parents does not prevent them from claiming you as a dependent on their taxes.


Does Registering to Vote impact my Tuition Status?

Being deemed out-of-state for tuition purposes does not prevent you from choosing to register to vote in your campus community.


Will registering to vote in New Hampshire affect my driver’s license or car registration?

If you register to vote in New Hampshire, you will be a considered a resident for motor vehicle purposes, which means you must obtain a New Hampshire driver's license and update your car's registration if you drive or maintain a vehicle in New Hampshire.

 

Fair Elections Center and Campus Vote Project intend the information contained herein to be used only as a general guide. This document should not be used as a substitute for consultation with a licensed New Hampshire legal professional.


Last updated January 2024

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