How to Register to Vote

You can vote in local, state, and federal elections in New Hampshire if you are:

      •    A United States citizen;
      •    At least 18 years old;
      •    A New Hampshire inhabitant domiciled in the town or ward where you seek to vote.

There is no minimum period you are required to have lived in NH before registering to vote. You may register as soon as you move into your new community.
 

To register to vote, you need to fill out a Voter Registration Form and provide proof of your citizenship, age, primary residence address (domicile), and identity in paper or electronic form.

Some examples of proof:

• US Citizenship – Birth Certificate showing birth in the US, US Passport, naturalization papers
• Identity and Age – driver’s license, government-issued photo ID
• NH Residence – photo ID with current NH address listed, rental agreement or utility bill listing current NH address, a note signed by a New Hampshire school official  

A full list of acceptable forms of ID can be found here: https://www.sos.nh.gov/sites/g/files/ehbemt561/files/documents/2023-02/5-2023-voter-id-explanatory-document.pdf

If you do not have the necessary proof, you can sign an affidavit form provided by your local election official. In elections, an affidavit is a written statement sworn to or affirmed before an election official, notary public, or justice of the peace.

If you are an out-of-state student attending college in NH, you can either vote in NH or your home state. You cannot do both (RSA 659:34)

More information on registering to vote as a student can be found here:
If I attend college in New Hampshire, can I register to vote?

1)  Register at your local town/city clerk's office up to 6 to 13 days before the election.  

2)  Register with your local supervisors of the checklist.  By law, the supervisors meet once, 6 - 13 days before each state election.  Check your town/city website or call your clerk's office for the date, time, and location of the supervisor's meeting. Click on the Secretary of State’s Voter Information Lookup to find your clerk’s contact information.

3)  Register at your polling place on election day.

You can register and vote absentee in any election if you are unable to vote in person because:

•    You will be out of town on election day; or
•    You have a religious observance, physical disability, or illness that prevents you from voting in person; or
•    You have an employment commitment or must care for an adult or child during the entire time polls are open; or
•    You are confined in a penal institution awaiting trial or serving time for a misdemeanor: or
•    You are a member of the Attorney General’s Address Confidentiality Program or you are protected by a domestic violence protective order. You must request confidential status with your town or city clerk. 

To register to vote absentee, you should request an Absentee Voter Registration Affidavit, Voter Registration Form, and instructions from your town or city clerk. The completed Absentee Voter Registration Affidavit must be signed by a witness. You must return the completed affidavit, Voter Registration Form, and copies of documents showing evidence of qualifications to your town or city clerk.

If you are a qualified NH voter who lives overseas or serves in the military, you can vote through absentee ballot as a UOCAVA voter. Visit our UOCAVA page for more info. 
 

No. Once you have registered in your town or city ward, your name is added to the checklist for that town/ward for all future elections.  If you move to a different town or ward, you will need to re-register.

You may register at your polling place on election day. Before the election, the last day to register is the last meeting of the supervisors of the checklist. By law, the supervisors meet once, 6-13 days before each state election. Check your town/city website, or call your clerk's office for the date, time, and location of the supervisor's meeting. Click here for a list of town/city clerks and their contact information.