The New Hampshire Primary Election is on Tuesday, September 13.
As a recent article in the New York Times about events in Croydon pointed out, one of the enemies of democracy is complacency. Don’t take democracy for granted: be informed, be involved, and vote!
You may register to vote at Town Hall up until Saturday, September 3, when the Supervisors of the Checklist finalize the checklist for the Primary on Tuesday, September 13. If you miss that deadline, you may register on Election Day at the polls at Andover Elementary/Middle School from 8 AM to 7 PM.
In order to register, you need to bring proof of identity, age, citizenship, and residency with you. A driver’s license, passport, or other photo ID will work for ID and age. Tax or utility bills addressed to you will show where you live. A birth certificate, passport, or naturalization papers will prove citizenship. You may also register to vote by mail by contacting Lisa Meier, our Town Clerk.
When you register you will need to register as an “undeclared” voter, a Republican, or a Democrat. On Primary Election Day, if you are a registered Republican or Democrat, you will be handed a ballot for the party for which you are registered.
If you are registered as “undeclared,” you will need to “declare” as a Republican or Democrat in order to receive a ballot for the Primary Election. After you have voted, you may then go to the table where the Supervisors of the Checklist are located to change back to “undeclared.”
If you will not be able to vote in person in Andover on Election Day, you may request an absentee ballot. Reasons for requesting an absentee ballot include not being in Andover on Election Day, religious reasons, family care reasons, or medical reasons.
You may request an absentee ballot in person from the Town Clerk. You can call the Town Clerk and ask that an absentee ballot application be mailed to you, or you may download an absentee ballot application from the Secretary of State’s website at sos.nh.gov/sites/g/files/ehbemt561/files/documents/Election%20Documents/absentee-ballot-application-state-election.pdf, fill it out, and bring it or mail it to the Town Clerk.
Be sure to allow enough time to receive the ballot and return it by mail if you are returning it by mail. If you are returning your absentee ballot in person, your ballot must be handed to the Town Clerk in person when Town Hall is open. You may also complete the entire absentee ballot process in person at Town Hall once the ballots have been mailed to the Town Clerk.
The Town Clerk’s office will be open on Monday, September 12, from 3 to 5 PM to receive absentee ballots. Absentee ballots may also be submitted on Election Day to the ballot clerks up until 5 PM. This is usually done by a family member for the absent voter.
Voters with mobility issues may request curbside voting on Election Day, and an absentee ballot application and ballot will be brought to them.
Please note: An important change from the 2020 election is that we are no longer under a state of emergency due to COVID-19, so fear of COVID-19 is no longer an accepted reason for requesting an absentee ballot. However, if a voter has a medical condition, such as a respiratory condition or being immunocompromised, which puts them in a much higher risk category should they contract COVID-19, then they should request an absentee ballot for medical reasons.
Please contact Lee Wells, Deputy Moderator, at LeeWells.LocustFarm@nullgmail.com or 603 735-5756; or Lisa Meier, Town Clerk, at TCTC@nullAndover-NH.gov or 603 735-5018, if you have any questions.
See you on Tuesday, September 13. The polls will be open from 8 AM to 7 PM. Be sure to be informed and vote!