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  • New Hampshire elections, 2018
  • State legislative primary elections, 2018
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    New Hampshire state legislative Republican primaries, 2018

    From Ballotpedia - Reading time: 10 min
    2018 New Hampshire
    State Legislature elections
    Flag of New Hampshire.png
    GeneralNovember 6, 2018
    PrimarySeptember 11, 2018
    2018 elections
    Choose a chamber below:


    The Republican primary elections for the seats in the New Hampshire State Senate and New Hampshire House of Representatives were on September 11, 2018. For information about the Democratic primary elections in New Hampshire, click here.

    The general election was on November 6, 2018. The candidate filing deadline was June 15, 2018. In the state Senate, all 24 seats were up for election. In the state House, all 400 seats were up for election.

    HIGHLIGHTS
  • As of November 2017, New Hampshire was one of 26 Republican trifectas. A state government trifecta is a term used to describe a single-party government where one political party holds the governor's office and a majority in both chambers of the state legislature. To find out more about state government trifectas, click here.

    • Incumbents who did not advance to the general election[edit]

    Retiring incumbents[edit]

    Sixty-six state House Republicans did not seek re-election in 2018.

    One state Senate Republican did not seek re-election in 2018.

    Incumbents defeated[edit]

    Ten state House Republicans were defeated in the primaries.

    Competitiveness[edit]

    See also: 2018 primary election competitiveness in state and federal government and New Hampshire state legislative Democratic primaries, 2018
    Year Total seats Open seats Total candidates Democratic primaries contested Republican primaries contested Total contested Incumbents contested in primaries Total incumbents contested in primaries
    2018 424 105 866 34 36 15.4% 86 27.0%
    2016 424 117 865 25 52 16.9% 125 40.7%
    2014 424 122 878 20 57 16.9% 98 32.5%

    Partisan control[edit]

    The tables below show the partisan breakdowns of the New Hampshire House of Representatives and the New Hampshire State Senate as of September 2018:

    New Hampshire House of Representatives[edit]

    Party As of September 2018
         Democratic Party 173
         Republican Party 216
         Libertarian Party 2
         Vacancies 9
    Total 400

    New Hampshire State Senate[edit]

    Party As of September 2018
         Democratic Party 10
         Republican Party 14
         Vacancies 0
    Total 24

    Battleground races[edit]

    Ballotpedia identified battleground races in the 2018 New Hampshire state legislative Republican primary elections. These primaries had the potential to be more competitive than other races and could have led to changes in the membership of the Republican caucus or had an impact on general election races.

    To determine the New Hampshire state legislative Republican primary battleground races in 2018, Ballotpedia examined races that fit one or more of the three factors listed below:

    1. Identified by the media as a notable primary election.
    2. One or more of the candidates received a notable endorsement.
    3. The primary was known to be competitive based on past results or because it was a rematch of a primary that was competitive in the past.


    Media coverage[edit]

    This section provides an overview of media reactions to the New Hampshire state legislative Republican primaries.[7] Selected articles are presented as a jumping-off point for deeper exploration of media coverage and as an overview of narratives that have emerged surrounding the elections.


    Voter information[edit]

    How the primary works[edit]

    A primary election is an election in which registered voters select a candidate that they believe should be a political party's candidate for elected office to run in the general election. They are also used to choose convention delegates and party leaders. Primaries are state-level and local-level elections that take place prior to a general election. New Hampshire uses a semi-closed primary system. Unaffiliated voters may vote in the primary, but in order to do so, they have to choose a party before voting. This changes their status from unaffiliated to affiliated with that party unless they fill out a card to return to undeclared status.[8][9]

    For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, see this article.

    Poll times[edit]

    In New Hampshire, polling place hours of operation vary. According to state law, polling places must be open between 11:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. Eastern Time. Localities may set their own polling hours as long as they are open during those hours prescribed by state law.[10] Anyone in line when the polls close must be allowed to vote.[11] To search for the hours your polling place is open, click here.

    Registration requirements[edit]

    Check your voter registration status here.

    To register to vote in New Hampshire, each applicant must provide documentary proof of United States citizenship, be a resident of New Hampshire, and be at least 18 years old by the next election. Individuals may register to vote at the local clerk's office, with the community's supervisors of the checklist or registrar of voters, or at the polling place on the day of the election.[12][13] Absentee registration is allowed for those who meet the following criteria:

    “

    You may register to vote by absentee (by mail) if one of the following is true:

    • You will be absent from the town or city on the dates/times when the Supervisors of the Checklist meet to receive voter registration applications;
      • Absence includes an employment obligation that prevents you from attending a session of the supervisors. The term “employment” includes the care of children and infirm adults, with or without compensation.
    • You are unable to register in person due to a physical disability; or
    • You are confined to a penal institution for a misdemeanor or while awaiting trial but otherwise qualified.[14]
    		 ”

    Absentee registration requires mailing a voter registration form and a witnessed absentee voter registration affidavit to the local clerk. Absentee registrants must still provide proof of citizenship and age unless they were previously or currently registered to vote.[12][15]

    Automatic registration[edit]

    See also: Automatic voter registration

    New Hampshire does not practice automatic voter registration.[16]

    Online registration[edit]

    See also: Online voter registration

    New Hampshire does not permit online voter registration.

    Same-day registration[edit]

    See also: Same-day voter registration

    New Hampshire allows same-day voter registration.[12]

    Residency requirements[edit]

    In New Hampshire, citizens can register to vote the day they move to the state.[12]

    Verification of citizenship[edit]

    See also: Laws permitting noncitizens to vote in the United States

    New Hampshire requires voters to provide proof of citizenship when registering to vote. Gov. Chris Sununu (R) signed HB 1569 into law on September 17, 2024. The legislation required voter registration applicants to provide one of the following at the time of registration: "birth certificate, passport, naturalization papers if the applicant is a naturalized citizen, or any other reasonable documentation which indicates the applicant is a United States citizen."[17]

    All 49 states with voter registration systems require applicants to declare that they are U.S. citizens in order to register to vote in state and federal elections, under penalty of perjury or other punishment.[18] Seven states — Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, New Hampshire, and Wyoming — have laws requiring verification of citizenship at the time of voter registration, whether in effect or not. One state, Ohio, requires proof of citizenship only when registering to vote at a Bureau of Motor Vehicles facility. In three states — California, Maryland, and Vermont — at least one local jurisdiction allows noncitizens to vote in some local elections. Noncitizens registering to vote in those elections must complete a voter registration application provided by the local jurisdiction and are not eligible to register as state or federal voters.

    Verifying your registration[edit]

    The New Hampshire Secretary of State’s office allows residents to check their voter registration status online by visiting this website.

    Voter ID requirements[edit]

    New Hampshire requires voters to present photo identification while voting.[19]

    The following list of accepted ID was current as of December 2025. Click here for the New Hampshire Secretary of State page on accepted ID to ensure you have the most current information.

    “
    • Driver’s license issued by any state or federal government;
    • Non-driver ID card issued by NH DMV or motor vehicle agency of another state;
    • Photo ID card for “voting identification only” issued by NH DMV;
    • United States armed services identification card;
    • United States passport or passcard;
    • NH student ID card (Dated within the past 5 years. Must be from a school on the approval list provided to the Secretary of State each year by the Department of Education.)[14]
    		 ”

    To view New Hampshire law pertaining to voter identification, click here.

    Additionally, a moderator or other election official may verify the voter’s identity.[19]

    A voter may obtain a free photo ID for voting purposes by presenting a voucher from their local clerk or the New Hampshire Secretary of State to any New Hampshire Department of Motor Vehicles office that issues identification.[19]

    Early voting[edit]

    New Hampshire does not permit early voting.

    Early voting permits citizens to cast ballots in person at a polling place prior to an election. In states that permit no-excuse early voting, a voter does not have to provide an excuse for being unable to vote on Election Day. States that allow voters to cast no-excuse absentee/mail-in ballots in person are counted as no-excuse early voting states.

    Forty-seven states and the District of Columbia permit no-excuse early voting.

    Absentee voting[edit]

    A voter is eligible to vote absentee in an election if he or she cannot make it to the polls on Election Day for one of the following reasons:[20]

    • The voter will be absent from his or her polling location on the day of the election.
    • The voter is unable to visit the polls because of the observance of a religious commitment.
    • The voter is unable to visit the polls because of a physical disability.
    • The voter is unable to visit the polls because of an employment obligation.
    • The voter is confined in a penal institution for a misdemeanor conviction or is awaiting trial.
    • The voter is a member of the address confidentiality program or is protected by a domestic violence protective order.
    • The National Weather Service has issued a winter storm, blizzard, or ice storm warning for the area where the voter lives, and they have concerns about traveling safely to the polling place.

    Voters requesting an absentee ballot by mail must do so by 12:00 p.m. the day before the election. The deadline for in-person absentee ballot requests is 5:00 p.m. the day before the election.[20]

    The completed ballot must be received by a local clerk by 5:00 p.m. on Election Day.[21] A voter must include a photocopy of a valid photo identification or a notarized signature with the absentee ballot application. Voters may also present photo identification at a town clerk’s office to request an absentee ballot.[20][22]


    See also[edit]

    Footnotes[edit]

    1. ↑ Maloney resigned his seat on October 13, 2017.
    2. ↑ Jasper resigned on December 1, 2017.
    3. ↑ Belanger died in July 2017.
    4. ↑ Azarian resigned in February 2018.
    5. ↑ Doucette resigned in November 2017.
    6. ↑ Phinney switched from the Republican Party to the Libertarian Party in 2017.
    7. ↑ In selecting articles for inclusion in this section, Ballotpedia has drawn from a variety of sources and viewpoints to identify articles that are representative of broader trends in media coverage.
    8. ↑ New Hampshire General Court, "N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 659:14," accessed December 10, 2025
    9. ↑ New Hampshire General Court, "N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 654:34," accessed December 10, 2025
    10. ↑ New Hampshire General Court, "N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 659:4," accessed December 10, 2025
    11. ↑ New Hampshire Bulletin, "What to expect on Election Day in New Hampshire," November 4, 2024
    12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 New Hampshire Secretary of State, “How to Register to Vote,” accessed December 10, 2025
    13. ↑ New Hampshire Secretary of State, “Register to Vote,” accessed December 10, 2025
    14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
    15. ↑ New Hampshire Secretary of State, "Absentee Voter Registration," accessed December 10, 2025
    16. ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "Automatic Voter Registration," accessed December 10, 2025
    17. ↑ General Court of New Hampshire, "CHAPTER 378 HB 1569-FN - FINAL VERSION," accessed December 10, 2025
    18. ↑ Under federal law, the national mail voter registration application (a version of which is in use in all states with voter registration systems) requires applicants to indicate that they are U.S. citizens in order to complete an application to vote in state or federal elections, but does not require voters to provide documentary proof of citizenship. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the application "may require only the minimum amount of information necessary to prevent duplicate voter registrations and permit State officials both to determine the eligibility of the applicant to vote and to administer the voting process."
    19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 19.2 State of New Hampshire, "Voter ID Law Explanatory Document," accessed December 10, 2025
    20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 20.2 New Hampshire Secretary of State, "Absentee Ballots," accessed December 10, 2025
    21. ↑ New Hampshire General Court, "N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 657:17," accessed December 10, 2025
    22. ↑ New Hampshire Secretary of State, "Application for State Election Absentee Ballot-RSA 657:4," accessed December 10, 2025
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