How do I register to vote and how do I know if I'm registered?

By Kay Bailey, The Clock/Granite State News Collaborative

Since New Hampshire does not allow online or third-party voter registration, and all things registration- related need to be done in person, the way for first-time voters to ensure they can vote in the Granite State is pretty old fashioned. However, it's relatively easy to do if you know exactly where to go and what to bring with you.

New voters are required to register through a visit to their local town office six to 13 days before an election, allowing time for the supervisors of the checklist in your town to meet. This panel of elected community members is responsible for all oversight of voter registration in a town. (In cities, those responsibilities are the city clerk’s.) New voters, past voters and current voters alike all need to be accounted for and updated by the supervisors or clerk before the election arrives. If you’re planning to register before the election in a town, it's important to keep track of when this committee is set to meet. This information can be found on any town website, listed under the town clerk’s department.

All new voters registering at the town office will be processed through the town clerk, the one person who will be the key to ensuring you’re ready to vote come Election Day. For in-person registration, you need to have with you a valid id, proof of citizenship – most commonly a birth certificate – and some sort of proof of residency. Acceptable proof of residency includes a driver’s license, rental agreements, utility bills in the voter's name or a document from a university serving as proof of attendance.

New Hampshire also allows same-day voter registration, letting you register at the polls on Election Day, though this will add extra time to your visit. You’d also have to have on hand all of the same documentation required for pre-election registration.

For younger voters who may not have the necessary documentation at the ready, New Hampshire still has a way for all voters to participate come Election Day. By signing an affidavit – a legal agreement with the state – that you are both 18 and a resident of the town you are voting in, you can register in person regardless of proof of residency or a birth certificate.

However, it is still necessary to bring a valid ID to the polls if you plan to register there, even if you plan on signing an affidavit to supplement the required document to register to vote.

Wondering if you’re already registered and don’t want to prepare yourself for the task of an in-person registration again? The Office of the Secretary of State has a quick avenue for finding your voter registration status. All you need is your name and date of birth, and you can ensure your information is up to date. Outside voter information resources, such as Vote.org. won’t work for voters in New Hampshire, so make sure to use the secretary of state’s site for the most accurate information.

The bottom line is that, as long as you carry a valid ID on you at all times, you will still be able to vote in a New Hampshire election one way or another. All you need to do is show up.

The Know Your Vote, youth voter guide project was designed, reported and produced by student and young professional journalists from The Clock,The Concord Monitor, The Equinox, Granite State News Collaborative, The Laconia Daily Sun, The Monadnock Ledger-Transcript and The Presidency and the Press program at Franklin Pierce University. See the full guide at collaborativenh.org/know-your-vote.

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