From ‘A Book, an Idea and a Goat,’ Andru Volinsky’s weekly newsletter on Substack is primarily devoted to writing about the national movement for fair school funding and other means of effecting social change. Here’s the link: https://substack.com/@andruvolinsky?utm_source=profile-page
If you are not already registered to vote, about half the states have same day registration at polling locations.
By ANDRU VOLINSKY
This is a special early edition of my Substack. I usually post on Wednesday mornings. I am posting on Sunday night to give you time to make a plan to vote on Tuesday, November 5, 2024, even if you are not currently registered to vote.
Please vote for Vice President Harris and please, please, please don’t skip the down ballot.
I won’t publish an audio version of this piece.
States control the details of voter registration and voting. That’s why control of state legislatures and governors’ seats are so important. They control voting for state and federal elections. Those candidates comprise the down ballot. In some states, the lead election official, the Secretary of State, is elected. The public elects the Secretary of State in Vermont. The Maine and NH Secretaries are elected by the members of the state legislature.
Check your state’s Secretary of State office for details on where and how to register and vote. States differ in their requirements. About half the states permit registration on Election day. The time for absentee voting by mail has passed. In some states, you may vote early at your town hall or city hall on Monday, November 4, 2024 or absentee vote in person at your town hall or city hall on November 4, 2024. Most states have universal absentee voting. In NH, you may only vote absentee if you have one of the specified approved reasons for not voting in person on the day of the election (e.g., absent for work or religious reasons).
Here are the details on same day voter registration for the three northern New England states with a deeper dive on NH. Click on the name of the state for a link to that state’s secretary of state’s website.
Voting should be accessible in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act everywhere. Most election supervisors diligently work hard to make voting accessible on Election Day. Report problems to your Secretary of State if you cannot resolve the issue with the onsite voting supervisor.
Vermont has same day registration at polling locations. You may register to vote in person in advance of an election at your town hall or city hall clerk’s office. Although it is too late now, Vermont also has mail in and online registration. Both require weeks to get registered because registrant’s bona fides must be checked out. Finally, Vermont permits registration at their Division of Motor Vehicle (DMV) offices. Renew your license or register a car and register to vote.
Maine has same day registration at polling locations. You may register to vote in person in advance of an election at your town hall or city hall clerk’s office. You may also vote early. Maine has mail in registration, but voters are advised to mail in the registration form at least 21 days before the election. Like Vermont, Mainers may register to vote at their motor vehicle offices, called BMVs. (“B” is for bureau.) Mainers may also register at social service agencies or during voter registration drives. As many people know, Maine has also adopted rank choice voting that permits the voter to indicate a second and third choice, for example, even in federal elections.
New Hampshire has same day registration at your polling location. You may register to vote in person in advance of an election at your town hall or city hall clerk’s office. New Hampshire has mail in registration but this, like Maine, must occur weeks before an election. New Hampshire does not permit voter registration at DMV or social service agency offices.
To register in NH, you must prove:
- Domicile (that you intend the state in which you are living to be your primary home);
- Age (that you will be 18 at the time of voting);
- Citizenship (born in the US or naturalized); and
- Identity (that you are not impersonating another).
NH is the strictest state in northern New England in which to register. Hysterical Republicans worry that hordes of pretend voters are shipped in from other states to take over NH elections and, as a result, make voting hard for everyone.
You must bring documentation with you to register. A photo ID is best. If you don’t present a photo ID, you will be photographed. Use your driver’s license or other government issued ID. Bring a passport or naturalization papers to establish citizenship. A utility bill in your name or something similar can prove your address to meet the domicile requirement.
If you don’t have documentation with you, you may complete an affidavit that attests to your meeting the requirements.
Don’t fib. Someone will check.
Under a new law, if you are a first-time registrant in NH AND you don’t have the required documentation with you, you will vote with a provisional ballot. You will then be mailed a provisional ballot package that you must return with proper documentation within seven days in order for your vote to count. This cumbersome new requirement is likely to have some kinks. NH’s secretary of state should have opposed the use of provisional ballots because they are fraught with potential problems, but he didn’t.
Electioneering is prohibited in NH polling locations. Most election supervisors clearly delineate a line within which no electioneering should occur. If you see activity that makes you uncomfortable in this regard, ask to speak with the supervisor or moderator.
College students in NH may vote in the town where they live while attending college if they choose but then they may not also vote in the town where they are from. While working as a legal observer in Durham, where the University of New Hampshire is located, I found that many students came to the Durham polling location because that is where they attended school even if they lived off campus in a surrounding town. They could not vote in Durham and had to go to the town where their off campus apartment was located.
Second home owners vote where their primary residence is located. They do not get to vote twice because they own two homes. Ironically, the few voters who tried this stunt and were caught were Republicans.
Generally, voting hours are 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Some polling locations vary these hours a bit. Plan ahead. If you are in line when the clock strikes 7 p.m. you are permitted to vote.
GO VOTE ON TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2024.
IF YOU ARE NOT REGISTERED AS A VOTER, GO REGISTER AT YOUR POLLING LOCATION.
THEN,
GO VOTE ON TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2024.
Editor’s Note: THEN WATCH THE VOTE TOTALS AS THEY ARE COUNTED NOV. 5 after 8 p.m. on InDepthNH.org.
