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    • Big turnout at local polls
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    Big turnout at local polls

    Vaseline Posted on

    New Hampshire voters head to the polls today along with the rest of the nation to cast their presidential ballot for either Vice President Kamala Harris or former President Donald Trump.

    It’s been a long, unprecedented race that has seen a sitting president drop out of the race, two assassination attempts on a former president, and the first Black and South Asian woman to be nominated for president on a major party ticket.

    Seacoast NH voter guide: Read about candidates before going to polls

    Granite Staters will choose between former U.S. Sen. Kelly Ayotte and former Manchester Mayor Joyce Craig in the most competitive governor’s race in the country. They will also choose representatives for Congress in both districts with Democratic incumbent Chris Pappas challenged by Republican Russel Prescott in District 1, which includes the Seacoast.

    They will also vote in state House, state Senate, and state Executive Council races to determine whether Republicans keep control of power in state government.

    Follow election coverage here all day and live results from New Hampshire after the polls close.

    Voter challenge at polls in Durham

    DURHAM — A voter was challenged Tuesday by an observer at the polls at Oyster River High School, where many University of New Hampshire students were voting.

    Voter registration is a hot topic in the college town, as some students who vote are from out of state, which is legal but opposed by some. According to Todd Selig, town administrator, the town typically has about 3,000 same-day voter registrations for presidential elections, and he had been anticipating challenges.

    According to town moderator Chris Regan, a voter with an out-of-state driver’s license had previously voted in the presidential primary election in January, and had the same license when voting Tuesday. Observers of the voter registration process flagged this, arguing the person should have obtained a New Hampshire license to vote.

    Secretary of State David Scanlan, who visited the Durham polls Tuesday, confirmed voters who claim a New Hampshire address as their domicile, meaning they live in the state the majority of the year, are expected to have a New Hampshire driver’s license.

    “It may or may not have violated motor vehicle laws, (but) it does not disqualify you to vote in the election,” said Regan.

    Scanlan agreed, but noted laws are complicated and each voter registration that requires review needs to be considered on a case-by-case basis.

    Dick Swett, a former New Hampshire U.S. congressman, accompanied Scanlan at the Durham polls.

    Swett said he is working on a project called Defend Democracy, a mission to re-instill confidence in voters that elections are accurate and fair with New Hampshire as a model for having a high rate of voter confidence.

    “Local voting officials keep our trust in New Hampshire,” Swett said.

    — Sarah Donovan

    Rochester, Somersworth voting wards randomly chosen for NH audit

    Two wards in local communities have been randomly selected by the New Hampshire secretary of state for post-Election Day audits.

    Ballot counting devices from Ward 2 in Rochester and Ward 4 in Somersworth will be reviewed. The Rochester audit will be conducted on Wednesday at 1 p.m. in Concord, while the one for Somersworth will be held Thursday at 8 a.m., according to Secretary of State David Scanlan.

    The announcement states: “The moderators in each location were notified after polls opened on November 5. Just one device from each location will be audited. The audits are open to the public and media.”

    Several Seacoast and Strafford County area election moderators – Rochester state Sen. Jim Gray, Portsmouth state Rep. Joan Hamblet and Durham moderator Chris Regan – have been chosen for the audits.

    Ballot counting devices from Bedford, Hudson, Laconia, Manchester, Moultonborough and Walpole were also selected at random for the audits. 

    A report on the audits will be published online by the secretary of state’s office on Friday.

    — Ian Lenahan

    Kelly Ayotte, Joyce Craig both upbeat on NH governor’s race

    After casting her vote at Webster Elementary School in Manchester, Democratic candidate and former Mayor of Manchester Joyce Craig said she feels “great.” She said voters know what is “on the line” and that they are “ showing up to make sure that we are addressing what needs to happen in New Hampshire.”

    At McLaughlin Middle School in Manchester, Republican candidate and former US Sen. Kelly Ayotte was not taking questions from the press, but her campaign spokesman John Corbett said that they are having a “great response” wherever they go and that the enthusiasm is high.

    Manchester Mayor Jay Ruais, a Republican who was out supporting Ayotte at the middle school, said that the turnout is “sky high.”

    “I’ve never seen anything like it,” he said, referring to the lines. “I went to (Wards) 7, 12, 10 and 1, and they’ve all been like: this around the corner outside the block.”

    The polls have shown a very close race between the candidates, with Ayotte maintaining a slight lead in polls.

    “We’ve worked hard the last year and a half,” Craig said, when asked whether the tight polls give her any concern. “We’ve done our job, and now, you know, we’ll see what the voters have to say.”

    — Margie Cullen

    Long lines have Hampton voters waiting

    HAMPTON — Since 7 a.m., hundreds of people lined up around Winnacunnet High School to carry out their civic duty. The one-hour line, which wraps nearly half-a-mile around the building, is the longest one Police Chief Alex Reno said he has witnessed in his 23 years in town.

    “They are waiting in line for about 40-50 minutes, but so far everything has been civil and no issues,” he added.

    By 11 a.m., Town Moderator Mark Gorayeb said 2,234 votes had been cast with nearly 600 new registered voters.

    Clad in a red jacket and MAGA hat while holding a “Trump” sign, Jim Bennett’s hope for this election was clear, noting he wants “a stronger economy, lower fuel prices… safer border.”

    “We’re either gonna become pretty much a socialist country if Kamala Harris gets in, and if Trump gets in, we’re gonna still have our freedom and we’ll remain a republic… where everybody’s votes count under a democracy,” he said. “We need to remain a Republican where everybody is involved in the process.”

    On the other side of the electioneering section, Julie Moore said her support for Vice President Kamala Harris stems from her concern for democracy as well as women’s reproductive rights.

    “It’s going to be paramount,” she said, referring to the outcome of the election. “I don’t want to quote the other side, but it’s just been scary with all the tactics that have been put up for us to see and to read and look at,” referring to Project 2025.

    However, if the election results were to swing to Trump, Moore doesn’t think that there will be trouble.

    “It won’t be the Democrats, that isn’t who we are at the core,” she said. “We have to accept the outcome.”

    — Aqeel Hisham

    First-time voter cheered at Portsmouth High School polls

    PORTSMOUTH — Sharon Nichols bustled through three long lines of voters in the Portsmouth High School gymnasium to find a young man donning a maroon sweatshirt Tuesday. Her mission? Confirming he was a first time-voter.

    After he answered in the affirmative, Nichols put her hands high in the air and yelled out, “First-time voter!” Her cheers were met with clapping and whooping from other voters.

    Every election, she seeks out young people throughout the day and praises them for their civic engagement.

    “I love it. I love the fact that people are affirming their privilege to vote. We’re lucky to live in a country where it’s a democracy, and everybody has the right to vote, and every vote counts,” Nichols said.

    It’s the third time Nichols, a moderator for the last eight years, is leading the Ward 4 election process during a presidential election. 

    Voter turnout is expected to be high in Ward 4 on Tuesday, with Nichols and her team of volunteers prepared to see 80% of registered voters cast ballots. The presidential race between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump is the key reason for the anticipated high turnout and the main reason the polling place was moved to the high school, rather than at the smaller Mary C. Dondero Elementary School, where the ward’s elections are typically held.

    New voter registrations spiked in the ward during the September primary, according to Nichols. 

    “Typically in Ward 4, we’re lucky if we get 40% (turnout), but during the primaries, we had a lot of people register as first-time voters. A lot of young people, and we had a lot of women register during the primary,” Nichols said. “So we knew it was going to be a high turnout with first-time voters, and it’s definitely a high turnout with women. We have a lot of older voters, too.”

    A steady stream of residents moved in and out of the Andrew Jarvis Drive school Tuesday morning. By 9:45 p.m., 405 ballots had been submitted, and the team was preparing to begin counting the roughly 160 mail-in ballots cast in the ward. 

    This is a consequential election,” Nichols said. “It’s tighter than I’ve ever seen in terms of the numbers.”

    Portsmouth is historically liberal-leaning in state and presidential elections. Tuesday morning, just two men held signs outside, both encouraging down-ballot votes for Democrats.

    The polls in Portsmouth opened at 8 a.m. Tuesday and will close at 8 p.m.

    — Ian Lenahan

    New Hampshire election results will be reported live

    Live results, including winners being called, will be updated live as follows after polls close and votes are counted:

    NH races to watch: Live results from president to state government

    NH governor: Live results for Kelly Ayotte vs. Joyce Craig

    NH U.S. House: Live results from Pappas vs. Prescott and Goodlander vs. Williams

    NH state Senate: Live results in all districts

    NH state House: Live results in all districts

    NH Executive Council: Live results for District 1 and District 3

    ‘I Voted’ stickers brought to you by NH fourth-graders

    PORTSMOUTH — The in-person Election Day voting experience in New Hampshire can include buying treats from bake sales, catching up with neighbors and leaving with “I Voted” stickers.

    This year’s stickers look a little different.

    In summer of the 2023, New Hampshire Secretary of State David Scanlan and his team started the inaugural “I Voted” student sticker contest for fourth-graders across the Granite State. Over 1,000 entries from New Hampshire fourth grade students were submitted, and three were selected as the winners.

    A Milton student drew the legendary late Old Man of the Mountain backdropped by the American flag in her design. A fourth-grader from Auburn was selected for his cartoon of New Hampshire fishing, while the third winner, a Mont Vernon student, drew a moose overlooking a valley amid fall foliage. All have the phrase “I Voted.”

    Scanlan’s office announced the three winners in October 2023. Each of the three students’ designs have been distributed on stickers throughout the 2024 election cycle.

    — Ian Lenahan

    Sen. Shaheen speaks out on reproductive rights at Dover polls

    DOVER — Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-New Hampshire, made an appearance at Woodman Park Elementary School Tuesday morning, the city’s Ward 3 for voting, with her supporters.

    “I think people are concerned by reproductive rights,” Shaheen said, touting the issue Democrats have been focusing on this election cycle. Shaheen is out supporting Democrats as her term runs through 2026.

    Shaheen noted she has daughters and granddaughters, and she wants to ensure they have the same reproductive rights that were protected by Roe v. Wade before it was overturned in 2022 by the U.S. Supreme Court. Shaheen said she is seeing a gap of understanding between women over 65 who knew what things were like before Roe, where legal abortions were not protected and there were deaths from “back alley” abortions, versus younger people who had not previously experienced a nation with about the guaranteed right to an abortion in every state.

    “I think it’s a big issue not just for women, but for husbands and sons,” said Shaheen.

    Republicans have countered New Hampshire’s law allowing abortions up until 24 weeks is appropriate.

    Moderator Gary Gilmore said the turnout was the highest he’s seen in the 20 years he’s been an election worker.

    As of 10 a.m., Ward 3 had seen 1,100 ballots cast, which is already a 40%-50% turnout, said Gilmore.

    — Sarah Donovan

    Dover Ward 1 voters share views on Trump, Harris and future of nation

    DOVER — Affordable housing, lowering crime, the border, social welfare and global affairs were issues voters were focused on Tuesday morning at the heavily Democratic city’s Ward 1 polls at Frances G. Hopkins at Horne Street Elementary School.

    Candace Williams and Andy Holtz, both on the executive committee for the Dover Democrats, shared why they were supporting Kamala Harris.

    “She’s showed not just a vision for America, but the world. That vision isn’t just for the world, but for our Democratic allies,” said Holtz.

    Holtz referenced Harris’ support of Ukraine, and allies such as NATO in addition to her support of tax credits for families, the economy and small businesses.

    David Huppe, who said he is retired Rochester police officer, stood outside the school with signs in support of Donald Trump for president, and Kelly Ayotte for governor.

    “He’s done great on the border and he’ll do it again,” said Huppe, stating border patrol as one of his main reasons for supporting Trump.

    Shannon Merrill said, “I came out because I want the next four years to better.” Merrill referenced wanting to be able to buy a home, lowering crime and the economy as to reasons why she’s voting.

    “I’d like to be able to buy a house at some point,” said Sully Freer, a young voter new to Dover and New Hampshire, originally from North Carolina.

    According to moderator Chris Haugen, there were about 450 ballots cast by 8:15 a.m. With 3,350 registered voters in the ward, he’s expecting about an 80% turnout.

    — Sarah Donovan

    Manchester voters line up with city at heart of Craig vs. Ayotte NH governor’s race

    The line was already out the door, down the stairs and headed out onto the sidewalk at Webster Elementary School in Manchester at 7:30 a.m. Tuesday.

    Manchester has been a focal point of the New Hampshire governor’s race, with Republican Kelly Ayotte heavily criticizing the way Democrat Joyce Craig ran the city as mayor. For her part, Craig has touted her achievements in the city.

    Interest in the competitive races for governor and president, along with down-ballot races, was evident. Manchester Ward 1 Selectman Jim Townsman said that the turnout was “quite robust” and “exciting.” He said that more than 400 people cast their ballots in the first hour.

    Standing in line, Ashley Marcoux said she is voting for Craig.

    “I really appreciate everything that she did in the city,” said Marcoux, a registered Democrat. “I think that she’s going to be an incredible governor and protect women’s rights and also bring our economy into the future.”

    Eric Brown, a registered Republican, was holding a sign for Ayotte along the stairs into the polling place.

    “I’ve lived in Manchester now for over 10 years. So before Joyce Craig, during Joyce Craig when she was mayor, and now after, and I saw the decline in our city, the homelessness crisis, the drug epidemic, and I didn’t think that her solutions were working,” Brown said. “So I’m supporting Kelly, because I think, especially as a former prosecutor and attorney general, she’ll be someone that’s good to help clean up our streets and a good partnership with with our current mayor, Jay Ruais.”

    Kelly Ayotte vs. Joyce Craig: 6 issues may decide close NH governor’s race

    Both voters said as the biggest city in the state, they understood Manchester being a central part of the race. Marcoux said that voters in Manchester are focused on economic and social issues. Brown said that it’s good to highlight the issues in the city.

    — Margie Cullen

    Trash talk hits polls in Manchester

    Camille Craffey stood outside McLaughlin Middle School in Manchester offering mini trash cans to people waiting in line to vote.

    “I am a big fan of making something negative positive,” said Craffey, a realtor and veteran. “So when our current President, Joe Biden, supposedly, said that all Trump supporters are garbage, I thought, what better way to flip the script?”

    She put the tiny red garbage cans in bags with an American flag, a Trump sticker, and her business card.

    The “trash” talk has been circulating among both parties since comedian Tony Hinchcliffe called Puerto Rico a “floating island of garbage” at a Trump rally at Madison Square Garden on Oct. 27.

    In a video call with Latino activists, Biden responded to those comments, saying, “The only garbage I see floating out there is his supporters — his — his demonization of Latinos is unconscionable, and it’s un-American.”

    Debate has swirled about whether Biden was referring to Hinchcliffe or Trump’s supporters.

    On Sunday at a rally in Derry, New Hampshire, Republican vice-presidential candidate JD Vance criticized Vice President Kamala Harris for Biden’s “garbage” rhetoric, and then referred to her as “trash.”

    “In two days, we are going to take out the trash in Washington, D.C., and the trash’s name is Kamala Harris,” he said. 

    — Margie Cullen

    Rochester voters line up early, Trump supporters speak up

    ROCHESTER — At 8 a.m., there was no parking readily available at the James W. Foley Memorial Community Center and a long line of voters already had formed. People were circling the lot looking for a space. 

    Deputy Mayor Don Hamann said there was already a line when he arrived at 7:30, a half hour before the polls opened. 

    “I am 73 and I have never missed an election. I think this one will be really busy all day. It has been nonstop since it started,” Hamann said, adding he had no predictions on results.

    Naomi LaBonte, 12, is too young to vote but said, if she could, she would vote for Trump. Her mom, Jessica, agreed. “We need to get back the America we love. We need to stop living paycheck to paycheck.”

    Waiting in line, Clyde Holland said “When the turnout is this big, it means change and that is what we need.”

    First-time voter Dylan White said he has been watching the politics and the speeches, deciding Trump was the best choice. No one wanted to predict the governor’s race, saying it was too close to call. Most thought Ayotte’s name recognition would give her the edge. 

    — Karen Dandurant

    Dixville Notch, NH vote: Donald Trump and Kamala Harris tie

    DIXVILLE, N.H. — The voting in Dixville Notch fell in line with the national polls on Tuesday night in a race that couldn’t be any closer. Republican candidate Donald Trump and Democratic candidate Kamala Harris split the vote 3-3 to open Election Day in the 2024 race.

    The tie is the first in Dixville Notch since 2012, when Democrat Barack Obama and Republican Mitt Romney split the vote 5-5 among the 10 registered voters.

    Voting took place at midnight in Dixville Notch on Tuesday, a unique tradition in New Hampshire that began in 1960. Six voters, including four registered Republicans and two undeclared, cast their ballots.

    The results are declared first at Dixville Notch, the “first in the nation” vote for the presidential election. The press flooded into The Balsams Resort at the Tillotson House in Dixville, covering a nationally televised event on stations like CNN and Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), as there were more media covering the event than there were voters casting their ballots.

    What is New Hampshire midnight voting?: The history of one town’s quirky tradition

    Donald Trump has typically struggled in Dixville Notch but this year earned a split in the tight battleground state of New Hampshire. The split goes against a common trend at Dixville Notch. President Joe Biden won all five votes cast by Dixville Notch voters in the 2020 presidential election. Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton defeated the Republican candidate 4-2 in the 2016 presidential election.

    Harris and Trump aim to carry their momentum from Dixville Notch into today’s rambunctious Election Day. As the candidates made their final arguments, the nation is one day closer to knowing the final results of this incredibly tight race.

    — Colin Struckman, Franklin Pierce University

    Report from Dixville Notch is shared by partners in the Granite State News Collaborative. For more information, visit collaborativenh.org.

    When do polls open and close?

    Most polls on the Seacoast open between 7 and 8 a.m and close between 7 and 8 p.m.

    You can find your polling place on the Secretary of State’s website.

    Local voting: Seacoast NH and Maine polling places and times

    Can you register to vote on Election Day?

    If you are at least 18 years old, a U.S. citizen, and domiciled in a New Hampshire town or city ward, you may register to vote on Election Day at your polling location. You must fill out a voter registration form and show proof of identity, age, citizenship and having established a domicile. If you don’t have the documents with you on Election Day, you may prove those qualifications by completing an affidavit.

    New Hampshire Secretary of State David Scanlan is expecting a high number of voters to register at the polls on Election Day.

    What should I bring to the polls?

    If you’re registering to vote for the first time at the polls, you’ll need to bring electronic or printed copies of documents that prove you meet the age, citizenship, identity, and domicile requirements. A New Hampshire driver’s license with your current address would prove many of these requirements, but you’ll still need a form of birth certificate, U.S. passport, naturalization papers, or a record confirming that you are a US citizen who was born abroad to satisfy the citizenship requirement.

    However, if you don’t have proper identification, you can still vote with something called an “Affidavit Ballot.”

    What can I wear to the polls?

    You can wear anything you want, as long as nothing suggests support of a certain candidate or party. A MAGA hat or a Harris T-shirt, for example, would not be allowed at a polling place.

    That’s because it would be considered a form of electioneering, which means to work for the success of a particular candidate, party, or issue in an election, and it is not permitted inside a polling place under New Hampshire law. 

    Violators are subject to a fine of up to $1,000. More details on electioneering can be found here.

    Will there be lines at my polling place?

    Local election officials say there may be lines when registering to vote or voting at polling places. However, the secretary of state has directed all polling places to keep wait times under 30 minutes.

    When will we see election results?

    The results tallying process takes place in the polls immediately after they close. A continuous process, the moderator will publicly announce the results after they have been tallied and reconciled. Any member of the public can observe this process.

    Scanlan expects polling places to announce results the night of the election or into the early hours of the following morning.

    However, it’s possible the national result of the presidential election will not be announced on election night. Polls show the election between Harris and Trump to be very tight, and, in some states, counting the votes and certifying the results can take days, or even weeks.

    Vaseline
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