We do NOT have a problem with our elections
Recounts occur often and they confirm the accuracy of our results again and again.
Peter showed us a large book showing the election laws in NH. It’s a big book!
A huge team is needed to help elections run smoothly: Town Clerk, Supervisors of the checklist, select board and town officials, volunteers, and the town moderator.
Supervisor of the Checklist: there are 3 of them, elected by voters, they are tasked with assuring the accuracy of the list, registering new voters, and purging voters off the list if they move, register elsewhere, or pass away. They stay up to date on election law training all year long. They hold meetings to register voters, they maintain a master contact list and help the Moderator to schedule election day volunteers.They also record change of affiliation info prior to the deadline before an election.
Town Clerk: She maintains our election records all year long. Responds to Right to Know requests. Assists the supervisor of the checklist with admin support. Attend regular training sessions to keep up with current info and changes in the law. She receives and verifies candidates’ declarations of candidacy. Transmit candidate info to the ballot printer and tabulator company. Verifies ballots for accuracy. Test and re-seal ballot tabulators. Receive and process absentee ballots.
Absentee Ballots: Voter submits a written application for an absentee ballot. Ballot, affidavit envelope, and return envelope sent to voter. Voter signs ballot, seals affidavit envelope, signs affidavit, then seals it in the return envelope, and sends it to the Town Clerk’s office.
Town Clerk verifies the returned ballot matches our records. The ballots sit unopened and uncounted until election day when they are then opened and counted.
Select Board and Town Officials: They are responsible for providing a location to have the election. They plan the election. Coordinate with fire/police for safety, traffic flow, and any other safety concerns/plans.
Facilities manager - address all building/facility matters.
DPW assists with setting up the polling place the day before the election. They also prepare any necessary outdoor signage.
Recreation Dept. - cancels activities in the community center.
The Town provides food and coffee for election volunteers and officials.
Selectboard members are present all day (unless they are on the ballot) helping the Moderator.
Volunteers - review training videos as needed. Assist with pre-counting of ballots. All are sworn in prior to working on an election. Volunteering is the best way to learn how an election is run!
Day of the election, they greet voters, get people into the correct lines by last name, verify IDs prior to releasing ballots, process absentee ballots, count write-in ballots, 40 to 50 volunteers needed for an election.
Moderator (Peter’s job!) - attend training session year-round. Participate in Moderator discussion group regarding issues facing other towns. He and the Town Clerk recently reviewed and made recommendations to selectboard regarding the purchase of new voting machines.
Election prep - he assures the facility complies with the law, coordinates getting the correct number of ballots that are needed, pre-count ballots to be used, communicate with various groups to assure a smooth process, set up the voting area, provide and outdoor area for electioneering, assure a mix of both parties and unaffiliated volunteers. He oversees elections on election day. He monitors the ballot box and appoints others to help as well. He enforces rules regarding electioneering. He helps to process absentee ballots, oversees counting of write-in and hand-count ballots. Resolves issues with ambiguous markings on ballots.
We ran out of time, but if you have any questions, contact Peter! He is also open to feedback on his presentation as well, thank you!
President Elect Tanya closed the meeting with a toast to Rotary the world over.
