State primaries: Who is running in your district and what do they stand for?

On Sept. 13, voters throughout the state will cast ballots in the state primary elections to determine which candidates will advance to the general election.

While voters may be familiar with candidates running for federal office, now is a good time to consider lesser-known candidates running in down-ballot races. Those include state representatives, state senators, and executive councilors who will set state policy for the next two years.

Here’s how to figure out who is running in your district and where you can find more information on their platforms.

Redistricting took place this year, so your city ward and polling place may have changed. Citizens Count, a nonpartisan nonprofit, has an online map where you can look up which ward you’ll be voting in at citizenscount.org/nh-ward-map. Enter your address in the search bar at the top of the map to see your ward. 

You can find your polling place at app.sos.nh.gov/viphome. Select “Search Polling Places and Sample Ballots by Address.” Enter your address and the search will display your polling place.   

Once you’ve determined your ward, you can use that information to see a sample ballot, available on the website of the Secretary of State’s Office at sos.nh.gov/elections/sample-ballots. After you click on “Primary Election,” you’ll choose whether you want to view a sample ballot for the Republican or Democratic race. Once you use the drop-down menu to choose your town or city ward, you’ll be able to click to see a sample ballot.

This will show all the offices you will be voting for on election day and the candidates running in each race.

There are a few places that include more information about who is running for office.

On the Secretary of State’s website, you can also view all the candidates who have filed their intent to run for office and which party they belong to at sos.nh.gov/elections/elections/2022-election-information. 

Citizens Count also has some information on the six upcoming primary races: governor, U.S. Senate, U.S. House, N.H. Executive Council, N.H. Senate, and N.H. House. This information, which includes candidate positions, is available online at citizenscount.org/elections. 

For candidates who have served in the state Legislature before, you can view their voting record on the General Court website, gencourt.state.nh.us/. Under the tabs for both House and Senate, click on “Voting Records.” From there, you’ll select the session year you’re interested in, and then click search. This will give you the option to search by representative and then display their voting record for that session.

Some candidates also publish a website that includes information about their platform and policy positions. You can also check for local media coverage on candidates.

If you have additional questions, you can contact your town or city clerk for more information on the upcoming election.