Everything (well, many things) you wanted to know about Tuesday’s party primary election – Concord Monitor

Published: 9/11/2022 10:04:13 AM

Modified: 9/11/2022 10:00:17 AM

The primary election will be held Tuesday, Sept. 13. Times vary among polling places. You can find where and when polls are open in your town as well as see a sample ballot by checking the Secretary of State website (sos.nh.gov/elections/voters).

Because 2020 had a decennial census, boundaries of districts have changed, so you may not be voting for the same office that you did two years ago. Note that boundaries of the 10 wards in Concord changed a bit so theres a chance city residents wont be going to the same polling place as they did the previous election. Check the website to find out. The boundaries of Franklins 3 wards did not change.

Q. Judging from all the campaign signs, theres an election coming up but I havent been paying attention. Whats it all about?

This is the party primary. It chooses which people will be the Republican and Democratic candidates on the ballot in the general election in November.

They are the only two parties on the state ballot, by the way. The Libertarian Party was on it for a couple of elections but it fizzled out and many of its candidates moved to the GOP.

Q. Sounds like fun. Can I vote in it?

Any U.S. citizen living in New Hampshire who is at least 18 years old can vote. That includes people attending college in the state as long as this is your legal domicile. Its a little complicated; check details at the Secretary of State website (sos.nh.gov/elections/information/faqs/voter-registration-and-motor-vehicle-law).

You dont even need to have a permanent residence; the homeless are allowed to vote.

If youre a registered Republican or Democrat you have to vote in that partys primary. If youre an independent, like roughly 40% of New Hampshire voters, you can vote in either party primary only one, however; you cant vote in both and then re-register as an independent before leaving the polling place.

You can register as a voter at your polling place on the day of the election but bring the correct paperwork. That includes a legal ID such as a drivers license, proof of citizenship such as passport, naturalization papers or birth certificate, and evidence of living in the state such as a utility bill with your address on it or a rental agreement.

If you dont have access to the paperwork you can fill out an affidavit that affirms your status. Next year that will force you to vote on a so-called affidavit ballot but this controversial new law is not in effect in 2022.

You can vote also by absentee ballot if you have a legitimate reason not to be at the polls on Tuesday, such as being out of town or having a disability. The Legislature decided, however, that concern about COVID-19 exposure is no longer a legitimate reason.

Dont dawdle, however. Your ballot needs to physically be in the hands of your local town or city clerk by 5 p.m. on Election Day. New Hampshire no longer counts ballots postmarked on Election Day if the post office delivers them after the 5 p.m. deadline.

Q. This is just a party primary, though. Does it matter?

You bet it does.

Party primaries are at least as important as general elections because they shape the direction that the two political parties want to take. For people who vote straight party tickets in the general election, the primary is really the only time they can make a choice.

Thats especially true for New Hampshire Republicans this year, who have a number of wide-open races for seats high up on the ballot such as U.S. Senate and Representative. Democrats have more choices down lower on the ballot, where more GOP incumbents hold sway.

Many argue that party primaries are a big reason for the divisiveness that has infected American politics.

The number of people who vote in party primaries is relatively low turnout well below 20% is common in New Hampshire which gives more weight to people whose desire to push their comparatively extreme opinions means they never miss an election. This means that moderate candidates have a harder time getting on the ballot in November.

That is one argument for ranked-choice voting, a system used in Maine and Alaska. Ranked choice and other similar systems count a secondary vote when nobody wins a majority, forcing candidates to appeal to a wider range of people even in party primaries.

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Everything (well, many things) you wanted to know about Tuesday's party primary election - Concord Monitor