Frequently Asked Questions

Yes. A recent law update will now allow your spouse, parent, sibling or child to return your absentee ballot on your behalf. The person you designate will be asked to sign an affidavit form which declares his or her relationship to you as well as your name and address. This person will also be asked to produce a government issued photo ID. Please remember, this does not allow for someone else to apply for an absentee ballot on your behalf, only to return the ballot. (RSA 657:17)

The word “electioneer” means to work for the success of a particular candidate, party, issue, etc in an election. Some folks are employed by candidates to electioneer and many folks simply choose to informally support a candidate by wearing a hat or putting a bumper sticker on a vehicle or any other means of showing their support.

Only 1 polling location, Ward 3, which votes at City Hall, does not have direct access into the polling room and is on a different level than where you enter the building. Voters are required to use either stairs or the elevator to get to the polling room on the 5th floor. The elevator can be accessed directly from the side entrance to City Hall (Rogers House side of building). It can also be accessed from the front entrance lobby; however, the voter must climb the front steps of City Hall if using that entrance. An election greeter will be located in front of City Hall to help direct voters to the polling room. All polling locations have wheelchair-accessible voting booths, space available at tables in the room and the “One4All Accessible Voting System.” This system utilizes a tablet, headphones, and a printer to assist voters who are hearing or visually impaired. This booth is also large enough to accommodate a wheelchair. If you require assistance at any time, please ask an Election Official for help. He or she will not be able to answer questions about or discuss the individual candidates, but they can assist you in filling out your ballot at your direction. Voters with a disability can also bring someone to assist them; they do not have to have an Election Official assist them. (The exception is the person assisting can’t be the voter’s employer or union representative.) Anyone who is assisting the voter must take an oath.

Consider signing up for the Citizens Academy through the City of Lebanon. Not only will you learn more about elections and other function of the City Clerk’s Office, but you will also learn about all other City departments and your local government. For more information, visit the Citizens Academy website or contact the City Manager’s Office.

For the busier elections, we are often looking for extra help at the polls on election day. Being involved in your community and the democratic process can be educational and rewarding. If you are a resident interested in helping out with elections, please contact the City Clerk’s office.

- Moderator: Presides over operations at the polling location for their ward. Some of their duties involve swearing in election officials, announcing opening and closing of polls, processing returned absentee ballots, overseeing the ballot box, processing end of day paperwork and handling any questions or situations that may arise throughout the day. - Supervisors of the Checklist: Register and approve new voters, address changes and party affiliation changes. They assist the Moderator with processing absentee ballots. On Election Day, they also assist folks who do not have Photo ID. - Ballot Clerks: Check in voters when they come in to vote. They check Photo Identification of voters entering polls and verify names and addresses of voters. At the end of the night, they tally up the number of voters who have cast ballots for this election and also help with hand counting of ballots for write-ins and ballots that would not go through the machine. - Ward Clerks: Ward Clerks are responsible for keeping count of the ballots used on Election Day and handing ballots to voters as they enter the polls. They also help to tally results and complete many of the results forms at the end of the night.

Each polling location has 9 election officials: - 1 Moderator - 1 Ward Clerk - 3 Supervisors of the Checklist - 4 Ballot Clerks. For a large election, there are often several extra election workers to help with the various duties, as well as help voters get their ballots cast in an efficient manner.

This is part of a New Hampshire Law (RSA 659:13) Obtaining a Ballot: “A person desiring to vote shall, before being admitted to the enclosed space within the guardrail, announce his or her name to one of the ballot clerks who shall thereupon repeat the name.”

The people behind the ballot clerks are called “Poll Watchers.” Poll Watchers can be appointed by Party Committees. The election is a public process and they are there to observe the process and to watch for violations of the laws that regulate voting. By law, they have to be seated where they can hear the voter announcing his or her name to the ballot clerks.

The voting machine must be attended by an election official at all times. The election official ensures the security of the machine and makes sure ballots are inserted properly so the voter’s ballot will be counted. At times voters have indicated concern that they felt the official attending the machine could see how they voted. Election officials are trained not to look at how ballots are marked by the voters, but only to ensure they go into the machine properly. Any voters who have concerns with the visibility of their marked ballot should turn their ballot over before inserting it into the voting machine.

The voting machine must be attended by an election official at all times. The election official ensures the security of the machine and makes sure ballots are inserted properly so the voter’s ballot will be counted. At times voters have indicated concern that they felt the official attending the machine could see how they voted. Election officials are trained not to look at how ballots are marked by the voters, but only to ensure they go into the machine properly. Any voters who have concerns with the visibility of their marked ballot should turn their ballot over before inserting it into the voting machine.

You can put your ballot through the machine in any direction (except sideways). When the voting machines are tested approximately 1 week prior to the elections, all of the ballots used for testing are put through the machine 4 different times, once for each direction, to ensure the ballots are properly read no matter what direction they are inserted.

You can put your ballot through the machine in any direction (face up top first, face up bottom first, face down top first or face down bottom first). When the voting machines are tested approximately 1 week prior to the elections, all of the ballots used for testing are put through the machine 4 different times (once for each direction) to ensure the ballots are properly read no matter what direction they are inserted.

If you make a mistake, you can spoil your ballot and request a different one. Please bring the ballot directly to the Moderator, who will further assist you with the process. You are only allowed up to 3 spoiled ballots.

The Moderator’s (and all election officials) are trained to not look at how the voter has voted when processing the ballots. They are simply comparing the signature of the absentee ballot requests forms to the signatures on the affidavit envelopes to ensure that they match. If the signatures match, the ballot is removed from the affidavit envelope and fed through the voting machine. If a signature doesn’t match or is missing, the Moderator will challenge the ballot and not remove the ballot from the affidavit envelope.

NH Law 669:36 states that in the case of a tie vote at any election, the winner is determined by lot, by the town, city, or school clerk. Simply put, in the event of a City office with a tie vote, the City Clerk will draw the winner's name “from a hat.” If it is a school office, the School Clerk draws the winner's name.