Role of Secretary of State in New Hampshire
The Secretary is elected biannually by New Hampshire General Court. This position dates to 1680. On the first Wednesday of December after an election day, the Court selects a secretary of state by a joint session of the Senate and House.
Primary Elections in New Hampshire
Primary elections are where voters select a candidate to be the party’s nominee for an elected office to run in the general election. New Hampshire uses a semi-closed primary system. Unaffiliated voters may vote but have to choose a party first.
Current State and Issues
As Secretary, Dave Scanlan oversees election processes for the first time. NHPR Host Rick Ganley spoke with him about steps officials are taking to ensure Tuesday’s election runs smoothly.
Constitution enacted on June 2, 1784, provides the Department of State with the secretary elected by the legislature and the deputy appointed by them. Before the Civil War, Secretary William Gardner served in the Army for 15 years, a Mexican-American War veteran. The head of the New Hampshire government is Governor Chris Sununu.
Levesque wants to advocate legislation to introduce online voter registration and automatic registration. Over six years, Republican lawmakers passed laws adding requirements citing potential fraud concerns. Democrats opposed them as onerous, deterring, or disenfranchising voters.