2026 Midterms State GuideNew Hampshire
Hold on to your maple candies and lobster rolls.
Polls are closed
Polls are closed in New Hampshire, and results aren’t finalized yet.
Ballots are still being counted, close races can take days to call, and no result is official until it’s certified.
A prayer for New Hampshire
Rock of Ages, the Granite State is in Your hands. Sharpen New Hampshirites’ attention, help them see the ballot with Your eyes, and help them vote with both conviction and humility.
Read the whole prayerUpdated
Hi! It’s me, Shadrach. Apparently, I’m your civic guide today. If you’ve been complaining about how things are going (and I’ve heard you... the walls are thin), this guide will help you feel informed and able to vote in this year’s midterms. Now, hold on to your maple candies and lobster rolls, and let’s get into it.
New Hampshire at a glance
New Hampshire votes on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026, for governor, U.S. Senate, both U.S. House seats and one statewide ballot measure.
- Election Day
- Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026
- Voter registration
- Oct. 21 to 28: In-person voter registration deadline (varies by town)
- Governor
- 3 candidates
- U.S. Senate
- 3 candidates
- U.S. House
- 2 seats
- Statewide ballot measures
- 1
What happens next
The counting continues
Election-night numbers are unofficial. Mail, provisional, and military ballots are still being counted, so close races can take days to call.
Officials double-check the count
Local election officials review the ballots and the tallies (the canvass). A very close race can go to a recount.
New Hampshire certifies the results
Results become official once New Hampshire certifies them, usually a few weeks after Election Day.
Winners take office
The new Congress takes office in early January. Governors and other state officials take office on dates set by state law, most of them in January too.
Important dates
- Sept. 8Primaries This date has passed.
- Oct. 21 to 28In-person voter registration deadline (varies by town) This date has passed.
- Nov. 2Absentee ballot request deadline (noon by mail, 5 p.m. in person); last day to return a completed absentee ballot in person (5 p.m.). This date has passed.
- Nov. 3Election Day; in-person registration available. Mailed absentee ballots must reach town clerk by 5 p.m. This date has passed.
What’s at stake
Things are shaking up in New Hampshire’s Senate race. It was considered as leaning Democratic, but now it’s thought to be a toss up. Several pollsters show Chris Pappas (D) and John Sununu (R) neck-and-neck for points. New Hampshire has had a Democrat in that seat since 2009, and given that Dems need every seat they can get to flip the Senate, this race is becoming a nail biter for the blue party. 26% of voters rank housing as the number one issue facing the state, followed by taxes (18%), cost of living (15%), education (6%), and jobs and the economy (6%). Voters are nearly split on their governor thoughts: 49% approve of incumbent Kelly Ayotte’s handling of her job while 42% disapprove. Those who approve primarily thumbs-up her handling of taxes (14%), and those who disapprove thumbs-down her handling of education (21%).
Who’s on your ballot
Tap a race to see the candidates.
New Hampshire is choosing a governor
See whose priorities line up with yours
Here are the top priorities each candidate lists, in their own words. Pick the 3 that matter most to you. Names stay hidden until you see your results.
0 of 3 picked
Kelly AyotteRepublicanincumbent
Top accomplishments (cited by their campaign)- Keeping New Hampshire safe by reforming the bail system and banning sanctuary cities
- Keeping state government efficient and funding programs without new taxes
- Increasing per-student school funding and signing a Parental Bill of Rights
- Top priorities
Cinde WarmingtonDemocrat- Placing a temporary moratorium on large data centers while regulations are written
- Temporarily suspending the state gas tax to give drivers immediate relief
- Assessing the impact of federal tariffs on New Hampshire and repairing relations with Canada
- Top priorities
Stephen VilleeLibertarian- Adopting approval voting in New Hampshire elections
- Fully legalizing cannabis for adults
- Requiring a congressional declaration of war before the National Guard can be deployed
- Get to know ’em
Chris PappasDemocrat - Get to know ’em
John SununuRepublican - Get to know ’em
Edmond LaplanteConstitution Party
All U.S. House of Representatives seats are up for election every two years. Find your district here.
- Shadrach’s big picture
New Hampshire will elect two candidates to represent The Granite State in the U.S. House. Democrats are expected to hold both of those seats, but New Hampshire is a purple state. Republicans hold the trifecta (governor and both legislative chambers) as well as the Attorney General and Secretary of State, but the state leans blue at the federal level.
- Open seats
One: Rep. Chris Pappas (D-1) is running for U.S. Senate.
- Competitive districts
Neither New Hampshire district is considered competitive. NH-1 is ranked likely Democratic and NH-2 is solidly Democratic. Candidates in both parties filed to run in both districts so neither is guaranteed to either party; the last time a Republican flipped a U.S. House seat was in 2014.
Statewide ballot measures
1 to read before you go. Tap one to open it.
This amendment would abolish the Office of Register of Probate and remove references to the Register of Probate in the state constitution. This is an elected office in some states, and historically handles wills, the administration of estates, trusts, guardianships, adoptions, and name changes.
Voting yessupports abolishing the Office of Register of Probate, an elected county office, and removing references to it from the state constitution. A 2011 restructuring of the courts already removed nearly all of its official duties. The amendment needs a two-thirds vote to pass.Voting noopposes this constitutional amendment, keeping the elected Register of Probate in the constitution as a largely ceremonial position. Voters kept it in 2022, when the same change won 62.9% of the vote but fell short of the two-thirds it needed.
Also on the ballot
Other races New Hampshire voters will decide.
- State Executive Council (5 seats)
- State Senate
- State House
- Special state legislative
- Municipal government
Whose job is it?
Ten things government does. Tap the office that does each one.
Whose job is it to…
1 of 10
Declare a state of emergency after a hurricane or flood?
Pass it on
Know someone voting in New Hampshire?
Send them the guide. It takes one tap, and it saves them an evening of arguing in a group chat.
A prayer for New Hampshire
Rock of Ages, the Granite State is in Your hands. Sharpen New Hampshirites’ attention, help them see the ballot with Your eyes, and help them vote with both conviction and humility.
May candidates campaign with integrity. Remind them that the office is not a mere prize to be won, but a profound responsibility to steward carefully. If they win, surround them with wise counsel and guide them toward decisions that serve their constituents. For those who lose, bring comfort and give them grace for their actions.
Draw near to all Granite Staters tempted toward anxiety, anger, or despair. Grant by Your Spirit an unshakeable peace that politics can never supply.
Amen.