Absentee Voting Underway for Nov. 3 Election

Rules for voter registration remain in effect for those who still need to sign up.

Voters who expect to be away on Nov. 3 or who meet one of several other eligibility conditions can now obtain absentee ballots from city and town clerks across New Hampshire, according to the N.H. Secretary of State’s office.

The state says absentee voting is also available for people with a religious observance, a physical disability or illness, or work and caregiving obligations that make in-person voting impossible. Additional qualifying situations include confinement in a penal institution after a misdemeanor conviction or while awaiting trial, participation in the Attorney General’s Address Confidentiality Program, and protection under a domestic violence order. Residents in areas covered by a National Weather Service winter storm, blizzard or ice storm warning on election day may also use absentee ballots if they believe travel would be unsafe.

In Keene, City Clerk Terri Hood said Wednesday afternoon that her office received ballots about a week earlier and has already completed 422 absentee requests. She said that pace is strong with three weeks still left before Election Day and expected the total to reach between 700 and 800.

Rules for voter registration remain in effect for those who still need to sign up. A person must be a U.S. citizen, at least 18 years old on election day and living in the community where registration is sought.

The Secretary of State’s website says student ID cards are not specifically listed as acceptable proof of identity, but an Oct. 2 federal court order allows them to be considered with other evidence. The issue stems from an April directive by N.H. Secretary of State David Scanlan tied to House Bill 323, which said only government-issued identification, such as a driver’s license or passport, could be used to register to vote or receive a ballot.

That directive was challenged in federal court, and U.S. District Court Judge Joseph Laplante in Concord issued an injunction finding that state law still contains a safety-valve provision allowing election workers to weigh other evidence when a voter cannot present the IDs named in statute. Laplante later rejected the state’s request to pause his ruling, saying the order does not create a new reading of the law but instead allows student identification to be considered as part of the identity review.

He also noted that most voters already arrive with qualifying government identification, and said the court order mainly restores access for those who do not.

Students attending college in New Hampshire from another state may vote here or at home, but not in both places.

The Secretary of State’s website provides absentee ballot information, registration guidance and a lookup tool for local municipal clerks who can answer additional questions. The Nov. 3 general election will decide seats in the U.S. Senate and House, along with a range of state and local contests.