For those town meetings that were postponed Tuesday, voters can still get absentee ballots for traditional reasons until March 28, Secretary of State David Scanlan said.
The law was changed in 2019 after a couple of blizzards occurred on Town Meeting Day and disputes prompted the legislature to take action so this is the first year it will be effective because of a Nor’Easter.
Town meetings that postponed voting March 14 because of the Nor’Easter will be held March 28, but under certain circumstances you can vote absentee between now and then under the following situations:
*If you will be absent from your city/town on election day March 28
*Are unable to appear in person due to a religious observance
*Have a disability
*Have an employment commitment (including caregiving) during the entire time the polls are open.
Absentee ballots must be returned to the voter’s clerk in person by 5 p.m. the day before the election or by mail by 5 p.m. on election day.
In accordance with RSA 669:1 V, below is a list of Towns that have notified the Secretary of State of postponements.
Acworth, Alstead, Alton, Amherst, Andover, Antrim, Barrington, Bedford, Bennington, Bow, Bradford, Brookline, Charlestown, Chester, Chesterfield, Conval School District, Conway Village Fire District, Deerfield, Deering, Durham, Effingham, Farmington, Francestown, Gilford, Gilmanton, Goffstown, Grantham, Greenfield, Greenville, Hancock, Harrisville, Hart’s Location, Hillsborough, Hollis, Hooksett, Hopkinton, Hudson, Jaffrey, Keene School District, Langdon, Lee, Lempster, Lyme, Lyndeborough, Madbury, Marlborough, Marlow, Mason, Milford, Milton, Mont Vernon, Nelson, New Boston, New Ipswich, New London, Newbury, Northwood, Nottingham, Raymond, Rindge, Salisbury, Sharon, South Hampton, Springfield, Sullivan, Sutton, Tamworth, Temple, Wakefield, Walpole, Warner, Washington, Westmoreland, Wilmot, Wilton, Winchester, Windsor
This list will be updated as required. Call your local clerk for more information.
669:1 Election Dates. –
V. (a) If the National Weather Service issues a weather event warning applicable to a town on a date when an election is scheduled, which the moderator reasonably believes may cause the roads to be hazardous or unsafe, or if an accident, fire, natural disaster, or other emergency occurs that the moderator reasonably believes may render use of the election location unsafe on the date of the election, then the moderator may, after consulting with town officials, postpone the election. To the extent practical, prior to making a decision to postpone, the moderator shall consult with the governing body, the clerk, and as appropriate for the circumstances the police chief, the fire chief, the road agent, and the local emergency management director. The moderator shall document any decision to postpone the election and notify the secretary of state by phone or electronic mail of the postponement within 2 hours of the decision to postpone.
