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Election | Voter Information

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1. How do I register to vote in Lebanon?

If you are a Lebanon resident and 18 years of age or older you can register to vote in the City of Lebanon. For a list of what is required to register to vote and for more information, please visit our Registering to Vote page.

2. Where do I register to vote?

You can register to vote at any of the following locations:

• City Clerk's Office - Appear in person at the Clerk's Office in City Hall during our regular business hours. Please note, there is a 10-day cut-off period prior to each election when the City Clerk's Office is unable to process voter registrations. If you're not able to visit our office prior to the cut-off, don't worry, there are still other opportunities for voter registration. Please continue reading this section.
  
  
• Supervisor of the Checklist Sessions - Supervisor Sessions are held in the City Clerk's office. For a list of dates and times for 2016 Supervisor Sessions, please consult our Election Information page.
  
  
• Absentee - If you are unable to come to our office, attend a Supervisor Session, or appear in person at your polling place, please contact our office for information on how to register to vote by absentee or visit our Absentee Ballots and Voting page.
  
  
• Same-day Voter Registration - The State of New Hampshire allows for residents to register to vote at their polling location on Election Day. (These voters are permitted to vote that day as well.) To determine your polling location, you can: contact our office, use the City Wards by Street List or visit the State of New Hampshire Voter Information Look-Up website.

3. What documentation do I need to register to vote?

To register to vote, you must prove your identity, age, and residency. The following documents can be used for proof. 

To prove identity: 

• Driver’s License
• Birth Certificate
• Passport
• Any photo identification 

To prove age: 

• Driver's License
• Birth Certificate
• Passport

To prove residency:

• Driver's License
• Auto Registration
• Dated Rent Receipt, pay stub, utility bill
• Water/Sewer or Property tax bill
• Hunting or Fishing License
• Bank Statement 

For more information view NH Voter ID Law RSA 659:13.

4. Can you register to vote without a Photo ID?

If you do not have photo ID and you need to register to vote, you will be asked to show a birth certificate to confirm your identity. If you do not have your birth certificate, you will be asked to sign a Qualified Voter Affidavit attesting to your identity. 

Like the Challenged Voter Affidavit (CVA), the Secretary of State’s office will follow-up after the election, with any voter who signs a Qualified Voter Affidavit. 

In order to receive a ballot, you will still need to either complete a CVA (with photograph or Affidavit of Religious Exemption) or have your identity verified by an election official.

5. What if I do not have photo ID?

One of the acceptable forms of ID is personal verification by certain election workers. If an election worker can personally identify you, that will serve as your photo ID. The election worker will sign a statement as to their personal knowledge of you. Please keep in mind, only certain election officials are allowed to identify you. Those officials are the Moderator, Supervisors of the Checklist, Ward Clerk, City Clerk and Deputy City Clerk. No other election worker is approved by law to identify you. 

If an election worker cannot identify you and you do not have a photo ID, you can complete a Challenged Voter Affidavit (CVA). Part of completing the affidavit requires you to have your photograph taken. If you cannot allow your photograph to be taken due to religious beliefs, you will be asked to also complete a Religious Exemption Affidavit in lieu of having a photograph taken.

If you do not have a Photo ID, please tell one of the Greeters working at the polls. The Greeters will then direct you to the proper Election Official for assistance. It is important to know that if an election worker cannot identify you and you refuse to complete any portion of the Challenged Voter Affidavit or refuse to either have your photograph taken or sign an Affidavit of Religious Exemption, you will not be permitted to vote.

6. What if I moved wards?

If you moved from one ward in Lebanon to a different one, you will need to register in that ward. For a list of what is required to register to vote and for more information, please visit our Registering to Vote page.

7. What if I moved addresses within my ward?

If your address has changed within the same ward, please complete and return an address change form. 

8. Can I register to vote at the polls on Election Day?

Yes, qualified voters can register and vote on Election Day at their polling location. Please review the documentation you will need to provide in order to register to vote. To determine the correct polling location please consult our Ward-by-Street list or visit the Secretary of State’s Voter Information Look-Up.

9. How do I remove a name from the Voter Checklist?

If you are registered to vote in Lebanon and move to a different state and register, your name will automatically be removed. If someone in your family who was registered in Lebanon, dies in New Hampshire, their name will automatically be removed. 

You can also submit in writing that you wish to be removed from the voter checklist to the City Clerk's Department by emailing cityclerk@lebanonnh.gov or mailing to

Lebanon City Hall
ATTN: City Clerk
51 N. Park Street
Lebanon, NH 03766

10. In which voting ward do I reside (ie. where do I vote)?

The City of Lebanon has three separate voting wards. Polling locations for the wards are as follows: 

Ward 1
Kilton Public Library
80 Main Street
West Lebanon, NH 03784
View the map for Ward 1

Ward 2
United Methodist Church
18 School Street
Lebanon, NH 03766
View the map for Ward 2

Ward 3
AVA Art Gallery (Temporary Location for all 2020 Elections)
11 Bank Street
Lebanon, NH 03766
View the map for Ward 3 

Polling hours for all three wards will be 7:00 a.m. until 7:0 p.m. If you do not know which voting ward you are in, please use the State’s Voter Look-Up System or consult our Ward Street Name Database. You may also contact our office at 603-448-3054 and we will check for you.  

11. Why is there an election official stationed at 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.

12. If I was interested in helping out at the polls on Election Day, whom should I contact?

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

13. How do I properly put the ballot into the voting machine?

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.

14. How can I learn more about elections?

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.

15. Can I vote by absentee ballot simply because I don’t want to go to the polls on Election Day?

No. New Hampshire State Law allows for absentee voting only for the following reasons:
- Disability
- Religious observance
- Absence from city/town on election day
- Work obligations that prohibit a voter from getting to the polls while they are open

16. When requesting an absentee ballot, can my spouse or someone else sign the absentee ballot request form for me if I am not available to do it myself?

No. The process for verifying an absentee voter is for the voter’s signature on their request for an absentee ballot to match the voter’s signature on the affidavit envelope which the voter inserts his or her ballot. If those 2 signatures do not match, the ballot is “challenged” by the Moderator at the polls on election day and is not counted. For every election, there are at least 3 - 6 voters whose ballots are not counted because the signatures do not match or the affidavit envelope is not signed at all.

17. Will I be notified if my absentee ballot is not counted?

Yes. Any absentee voters whose ballots are challenged by the Moderator will receive a letter within 30 days after an election letting them know that their ballot was not counted and the reason why it was not counted.

18. Can I email my request for an absentee ballot to the City Clerk’s Office?

Yes, however, your emailed request must contain your signature.

19. When I request an absentee ballot, how can I find out when my request was received and when my ballot was mailed to me?

The State of New Hampshire has what is called a State Voter Information Look-up website where voters can check on the status of their absentee ballot. The voter can also see what party they are affiliated with on the voter checklist as well as information about their polling location. For more information view the State Voter Information Look-up website.

20. Can my spouse or parent return my absentee ballot for me?

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)

21. Why does the Ballot Clerk ask for me to speak my name and address?

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.”

22. At times, why are there people sitting behind the ballot clerks watching voters check in?

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.

23. What if I make a mistake on my ballot?

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.

24. Is the Moderator looking to see how a voter voted when they process the absentee 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.

25. When inserting my ballot into the voting machine, do I put the ballot in face up or face down?

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.

26. Why is there an election official stationed at the voting machine watching me put my ballot in the 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.

27. What happens after completing a Challenged Voter Affidavit (CVA)?

After the election, completed Challenged Voter Affidavits (CVA) along with photographs or religious exemption forms are returned to the City Clerk’s Office after the Supervisors of the Checklist notify the Secretary of State as to the names of the voters who completed the CVA’s. The forms stay in the City Clerk’s Office for the same amount of time that we are required to keep the ballots for an election. This timeframe is dictated by NH Law (RSA 33-A:3-a) and for this election, they will be held on file for 22 months.

If you complete a Challenged Voter Affidavit (CVA), you will receive a verification letter from the Secretary of State requesting confirmation that you voted in the election. If you do not respond in writing to the Secretary of State within 90 days of the date it was mailed, the Attorney General will conduct an investigation to determine whether fraudulent voting occurred.

28. What is Electioneering?

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.

29. How many election officials are there per ward?

Each polling location has 9 election officials:

- 1 Moderator
- 1 Ward Clerk
- 3 Supervisors of the Checklist
- 4 Ballot Clerks.

For a large election, such as this one, we often have several extra election workers to help with the various duties. For this election, we expect to have 4-6 extra workers per ward helping the voters get their ballots cast in an efficient manner as possible.

30. How do you accommodate voters with disabilities?

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.

31. What do the Election Officials do?

- 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.