1 week Ago
SINCE New Hampshire’s state motto is “Live Free or Die,” it follows that we take our first-in-the-nation presidential primary status seriously. That took place this year on January 23rd. Tomorrow, September 10th, we will hold our state primary for our U.
S. House of Representatives, state and local government offices. This opportunity and responsibility to select the candidates we want to vote for in the general election is just as important as voting in the presidential primary and on November 5th.
Those we elect to serve us in Congress and in New Hampshire will directly impact the quality of life we have here in our Granite State. With that in mind, how can we research the various candidates so that we know who we want to represent us? First of all, you can look up your local ballot on the internet at sos.nh.
gov/elections/sample-ballots , which will show you (based on your mailing address) who is running for the available positions. Another site, MyFaithVotes.org , not only tells you who is running but provides information about them, sourced from each candidates’ websites and social media.
Alternatively, you can check out the candidates individually on CitizensCount.org . For instance, this year there are six candidates running for governor on the Republican ballot and three candidates running for governor on the Democrat ballot.
That is consistent in every town in the state, but the candidates running in other categories can differ considerably. In the 1st Congressional District, there are seven Republican candidates and two Democratic candidates running for the U.S.
House of Representatives; in the 2nd District, there are 13 Republican candidates and two Democrats running for U.S. Congress.
Other races include executive councilor, state senator, state representatives, sheriff, county attorney, county treasurer, register of deeds, register of probate and delegates to the State Convention. Some candidates may be running unopposed but in many categories, the voter needs to choose between the aspiring applicants. That’s when the voter will want to “check things out” before they go into the voting booth.
This past week, I checked out the competing candidates for governor, U.S. Congress, Executive Council and for sheriff.
I also looked up the responsibilities and duties of executive councilors: “The Executive Council of the State of New Hampshire has the authority and responsibility, together with the Governor, over the administration of the affairs of the State as defined in the New Hampshire Constitution, the New Hampshire statutes, and the advisory opinions of the New Hampshire Supreme Court and the Attorney General...
The Councilors participate in the active management of the business of the state.” Pretty important! Also strategically important are state senators and representatives. These are the people who work out the legislation that directly impacts our lives here in New Hampshire on a daily basis.
If you are not sure which candidates best align with your views and values, you can check out their information on MyFaithVotes.org or individually on CitizensCount.org .
Abraham Lincoln spoke of our constitutional republic as a “Government of the people, by the people, for the people.” It is incumbent upon us, the people, to exercise our civil right to vote and to do whatever research is necessary so that as informed citizens, we can participate in ensuring that the freedoms of America “shall not perish from the Earth.”.
