Election Day · Tuesday, November 3, 2026
How to vote in New Hampshire
The deadlines, early voting, mail ballots and ID rules for New Hampshire, and what happens after the polls close. Every fact links to the New Hampshire Secretary of State or the law it comes from. Rules change, and courts sometimes change them close to an election, so confirm anything you are relying on with the state.
Checked against official sources on October 7.
Key dates
- Register online by
Online registration is not available
No online registration — register in person with your town or city clerk, at the polls, or by absentee registration if you qualify
- Register by mail by
Not confirmed yet — check with the New Hampshire Secretary of State.
- Register in person by
Wednesday, October 28
Varies by town: clerks stop taking applications after the supervisors of the checklist's last session, which each town sets 6 to 13 days before the election (October 21–28) (RSA 654:8, 654:27). After that, register at your polling place on Election Day.
- Same-day registration
Yes
Register at your polling place on Election Day with proof of identity, age, U.S. citizenship and domicile; affidavit options exist for some of them. A U.S. District Court order of October 2 2026 lets officials consider student IDs along with other evidence.
- Early voting
No in-person early voting
No early voting.
- How early voting works
New Hampshire has no early voting. If you qualify to vote absentee, you can apply and vote at your clerk's office until 5 p.m. on November 2.
- Request a mail ballot by
Monday, November 2
By mail: 12 p.m. (noon) the day before the election. In person: 5 p.m. the day before (apply and vote on the spot).
- Return your mail ballot by
Tuesday, November 3
Received, not postmarked: by the town or city clerk by 5 p.m. on Election Day, whether mailed or brought by a delivery agent (RSA 657:22).
- Election Day polling hours
11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Polls must close no earlier than 7 p.m.; many towns and cities stay open until 8 p.m. City councils set city hours at least 30 days before.
Voting by mail
- Who can vote by mail
You need a reason to vote by mail
Absent from town on Election Day; religious observance; disability or illness; work or caregiving commitments during all polling hours; confined for a misdemeanor or awaiting trial; Address Confidentiality Program or a domestic-violence protective order; or a winter storm warning for your town on Election Day.
- Ballots arriving after Election Day
Not counted — your ballot must arrive by the deadline
Absentee ballots received after 5 p.m. on Election Day are rejected.
ID at the polls
- The rule
Photo ID required
Every registered voter must show ID to get a ballot: a driver's license, non-driver ID, free voting-only ID from the DMV, U.S. armed services ID, or U.S. passport or passcard. A voter without one is referred to the supervisors of the checklist, who may verify identity through personal knowledge or other evidence (including a student ID, under an October 2 2026 court order).
- What to bring
Bring a driver's license, state ID, military ID or U.S. passport. Expired IDs work for 5 years past expiration, and any time if you're 65 or older. If you have none, election officials may still be able to verify who you are. You can get a free voting ID at the DMV with a voucher from your clerk.
When will we know results in New Hampshire?
How fast results come in depends mostly on when the polls close and when election officials are allowed to start on mail ballots. Totals shown on election night are unofficial until the state certifies them.
- Last polls close
Not confirmed yet — check with the New Hampshire Secretary of State.
- Mail ballots can be processed from
Tuesday, November 3
Absentee ballots are processed at the polling place on Election Day, from 1 p.m. unless the moderator posts an earlier time (no earlier than 2 hours after polls open). Outer envelopes may be opened earlier that day in public (RSA 659:49-b).
- Mail ballots can be counted from
Tuesday, November 3
Absentee ballots may not be counted until polls close.
- Automatic recount
None
No automatic recount.
- Requested recount
margin under 20% of ballots cast
Any candidate within 20% may apply to the Secretary of State by the Friday after the election (November 6). Fees rise with the margin: under 1% costs $500 for governor or U.S. Senate, $250 for U.S. House; 1–2% doubles that; wider margins cost more (RSA 660:2).
- Runoff
No runoff — the candidate with the most votes wins
N.H. Const. pt. II, art. 42: the governor is elected by a plurality of votes statewide. There is no popular runoff; only if no one has a plurality does the legislature choose between the top two by joint ballot. RSA chapters 656-661 (the general-election chapters) contain no runoff provision.
- Ranked-choice voting
Not used
Candidates elected are those with the highest number of votes (RSA 659).
- Votes needed to pass a ballot measure
Two-thirds of the qualified voters present and voting on the amendment
N.H. Const. pt. II, art. 100(c): a constitutional amendment proposed by the general court (three-fifths of each house) or a convention "shall become a part of the Constitution only after approval by two thirds of the qualified voters present and voting" on it.
What’s on your ballot
Every contest you will vote on, from Congress to school board, with each candidate’s positions and record and the arguments for and against them.
Confirm this with the official source
Your ballot is determined by your election authority, not by us. Verify your registration, precinct, and sample ballot at New Hampshire Secretary of State.