New Hampshire voters who are in line at their polling place when it closes on Nov. 3 must still be allowed to cast a ballot, Secretary of State David Scanlan said as the general election approaches.
Scanlan said election officials are required to identify the last person in line at closing time. Voters who are behind that person remain eligible to vote, even if they must wait beyond the posted closing time.
“We want to make sure that every voter that turns out has an opportunity to cast their vote.”
The guidance applies when a line has formed at the end of Election Day. Scanlan said the procedure is intended to ensure that voters who reached their polling location before closing are not turned away because of the length of the line.
Election Day is Tuesday, and voters across New Hampshire will cast ballots in races for governor, the U.S. Senate, Congress, the Executive Council and the General Court. The ballot also includes statewide questions, including Question 2, which would place limits on increases in local school property taxes.
What voters should know
- Voters who are in line when their polling place closes can remain in line and cast a ballot.
- Election officials will identify the end of the line at closing time.
- The procedure applies to voters who reached the polling place before it closed.
Scanlan said the process is intended to preserve each eligible voter's opportunity to participate in the election. Long lines can occur on Election Day, and voters should plan for the possibility that voting may take longer than expected.
New Hampshire does not have no-excuse early voting. Voters who qualify for an absentee ballot may use that process under the state's election rules, while those voting in person on Tuesday can rely on the line procedure if they arrive before their polling place closes.
