Voting in New Hampshire
By Evan Gongalez and Anya Tang
On Nov. 3, 18-year-old Exonians will cast their first vote for the next president of the United States. As boarding school students, United States citizens in the student body have several methods to vote.
Those who live outside New Hampshire may choose to vote absentee or in person. Students voting absentee may send their ballot to their home state or to New Hampshire, depending on where they are registered.
Exonians who intend to register in New Hampshire must currently be domiciled in a New Hampshire town or city; boarding students fall under this categorization. Absentee voter registration has recently been expanded to include those voting absentee due to pandemic concerns.
To register to vote, students may contact the county clerk office and request absentee voter registration forms. Exeter’s county clerk, Andrea J. Kohler, can be reached via email (akohler@exeternh.gov) or via mail at 10 Front Street.
On-campus students planning to register in New Hampshire must provide documentary evidence that they are currently residing in Exeter. Any proof of dorm residency will suffice. This can include documents such as proof of a mailing address or a school email showing dorm assignment on campus.
After registering, Exonians can vote absentee by requesting a ballot from Kohler’s office. First, an application for an absentee ballot must be filled out, which can be found on the New Hampshire Secretary of State website. After the application is finished, it must be emailed, mailed or faxed to the Exeter County Clerk Office. If requested early, the absentee ballot can be received up to thirty days before election day, on Oct. 4.
Absentee voters must sign their ballot envelope and, if voting absentee due to pandemic concerns, should also write “COVID” in the section labeled “Absentee Because of Religious Observance or Physical Disability.” The absentee ballot is due by 5p.m. Eastern Standard Time on Nov. 3.
Exonians voting by absentee ballot for other states have the option to change their registration to that of New Hampshire. Alternatively, a boarder from out of state can visit their respective Secretary of State website, where they can find specific requirements and regulations for voting absentee.
To vote in person this November, Exonians must register within the state of New Hampshire. Like mailing an absentee ballot to New Hampshire, in-person voters should contact Kohler, following the previously outlined steps to register. Exeter’s in-person polling site is 40 Linden Street, at the Seacoast School of Technology. The polling place is within walking distance of campus.
All eligible voters are also permitted to vote early. Exonians are able to vote as soon as ballots are available, likely before the end of September or early October.