YOUR VOTE IS ONE WAY YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE!
Elections provide a crucial opportunity to engage in systems-level advocacy by voting for candidates and ballot measures that best represent your values and the values of survivors.

Local and state elections are just as important as the general election!
Most local elections are decided by only a few votes because turnout is often lower for local and state elections. This means that your vote can be a deciding factor on issues you care about. Make sure you take time to research the candidates running in your district or for elected positions within your county, such as sheriff, county attorney or county commissioner.

Powers that are not granted to the federal government are reserved for the states or to the people. Most government employees are employed by your local and state governments. Local politics directly affect the daily lives of survivors. By exercising your right to vote, you can make your voice heard on these important issues. Your vote matters!

---

​2024 Election Dates

State Primary Election
Tuesday, September 10, 2024

General Election
Tuesday, November 5. 2024
​
Find your polling place here!

REGISTERING TO VOTE
Survivors have many practical reasons to worry about the impact voting could have on their safety, but there are ways that you can safely exercise your right to vote here in New Hampshire!

Please read our section below entitled "WHAT ARE MY OPTIONS" on how to safely register to vote and keep your address private:

Step 1: REGISTRATION 
If you are not currently registered to vote, you have two options:

1. ​You can either register to vote at your town hall before the deadline, which is typically between 6 to 13 days prior to the election.
2. You can register to vote at your polling place on election day.

To register, you will need to provide proof of your identity, age, citizenship, and domicile, and you will be required to complete a voter registration form. Proof can be either documents (in paper or electronic form) or by affidavit if you do not have the required documents with you. There is no minimum period of time you are required to have lived in New Hampshire before being allowed to register.

You can access a list of city and town clerks offices here or by calling the Secretary of State's Office at (603) 271-3242.

Unless you use one of the procedures outlined below, your name, address, and political party affiliation will be placed on the public "voter checklist" once you officially register. This checklist is used for various purposes when elections are held. Because this is a public checklist, anyone can gain access to the information it contains by requesting it from a town or city clerk.

For victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking who need to keep your address private, please see information below in "WHAT ARE MY OPTIONS?"
​
Additional information on how to register to vote in NH can be accessed through the NH Department of Justice and the NH Secretary of State's Office here.

Step 2: MAKE YOUR VOTING PLAN AND CAST YOUR VOTE!
Whether you are voting in person or by absentee ballot, it is important to have a plan in place to make your voice heard. If you plan on voting by absentee ballot, make sure you contact the town you are registered to vote in at least one month prior to the election to process and complete an application.

Not sure where to go on election day? You can find your polling place, your voting status, absentee ballot status, and other information here.

---

Any New Hampshire resident, who will be 18 years of age or older on Election Day, and is a United States Citizen, may register to vote in the town or city where he or she lives. There is no minimum period of time you are required to have lived in the state before being allowed to register.

here are 3 ways you can register to vote:

1. At the town or city clerk’s office where you live.
2. With the supervisor of the checklist.
3. At the polling place on election day at all elections.

​for more information about voting rights for victims & survivors in NH
​
download the voting rights brochure

Download Voting Brochure

---

for Survivors: What are my options?

New Hampshire law has several options available for victims and survivors who need to keep their information safe when considering whether to vote and what steps to take.

Protective Order
If you are a victim of domestic violence, stalking, or sexual assault and have a valid protective order (under RSA 173:B or 633:3-a), you may request that your name and address be removed from the “public checklist” (under RSA 654:25) in the town where you are currently registered to vote.  This will also enable you to vote using an Absentee Ballot, which means that you will not have to go and vote in person on the day of the election.  You will need to register to vote using a special Absentee Voter Registration Form (RSA 654:16), so you should contact the town clerk’s office at least one month prior to the election to complete and process the application.  You will also need to provide proof of the valid protective order.

Absentee Ballot
Any person who is legally qualified to vote in a town or city in New Hampshire, who has a protective order, who participates in the Address Confidentiality Program (see below for more information), is unable to make it to the polls by reason of having a physical disability, religious practice, employment obligation or because he or she is temporarily absent, may register to vote using a special Absentee Voter Registration Form, (RSA 654:16).  According to the Secretary of State’s Office, this could apply if you are living in a domestic violence shelter.  Because there is an application process in order to get an absentee ballot, make sure you contact the town you are currently registered to vote in at least one month prior to the election to process and complete an application. ​Learn more about requesting an absentee ballot here.

Address Confidentiality Program (ACP)
Participants in the ACP designate the Attorney General as their legal agent for service of process of legal documents and receipt of mail.  They will receive a substitute address that state and local agencies must accept as though it were the participant’s legal address, making it harder for them to be tracked down through public records.
​
Additionally, ACP participants who are otherwise qualified to vote may apply as an absentee voter and neither their name nor address will be available to the public.

There are requirements that someone must meet to eligible for the ACP.  In order to apply to the ACP, individuals must go through a screening and application process through one of the domestic or sexual violence crisis centers in New Hampshire.  This process can take at least a week.  If you are interested in the ACP, please contact your local domestic or sexual violence crisis center in your area.

Living in Shelter
If you currently live in a domestic violence shelter in New Hampshire, you may be able to register to vote in the town that the shelter is located, since the shelter is considered your current residence.

This is explained in part by RSA 654:1. Under state law, the terms "residence" and "domicile" are equivalent. An inhabitant’s domicile for voting purposes is that one place where a person, more than any other place, has established a physical presence and manifests an intent to maintain a single continuous presence for domestic, social and civil purposes relevant to participating in democratic self-government.

You can only register and vote in one town. Therefore, if you are already registered in New Hampshire and wish to vote in the town where the shelter is located, you must re-register in that town to vote.

Other Things to Consider
While these protections can go a long way in helping to keep your information safe, there are two other things that you should keep in mind when voting:

1. Announcement by the Moderator: One election day, the moderator is required to publicly announce the names of those who voted by absentee ballot. However, if you are a participant in ACP or if you have a valid protective order under RSA 173-B, the moderator will not announce your name, and will identify such voters as "confidential voter 1" or "confidential voter 2." To ensure that this happens, you must provide proof when you register to vote of a valid protective order or participation in ACP.
2. Candidate Requests: Candidates whose names appear on the ballot and persons who have received notarized requests from such candidates, may obtain a list of absentee voter applicants from the supervisor of the checklist. This does not apply to those voters who have a valid protective order under RSA 173-B. Therefore, it is important that if you have a protective order, you show it to the supervisor of the checklist when you register to vote.

---

Additional resources:
NH Secretary of State: Elections
League of Women Voters: Voting in My State

important tips to Remember

Voting is your right - As long as you are 18 years old and an American citizen, you have the right to vote in the town or city where you live.

Your vote can make a difference - Don’t let anyone tell you that your opinion and vote don’t matter.

You can only vote once per election - Please be sure you understand where and how you can vote to make sure that you do it correctly and that your vote will be counted!

This information was adapted from a brochure created by the New Hampshire Department of Justice.