As Expected, Huge 2022 Midterm Election Turnout In New Hampshire

CONCORD, NH — Long lines are being reported at polling locations all around New Hampshire as hundreds of thousands of voters go to the polls during the 2022 midterm election cycle.

At two polling locations in Concord on Tuesday morning, traffic was brisk, with anywhere from 13 to 15 percent of voters in Ward 4 and 5 coming out to vote in the first two hours.

Jeffrey Hastings of Frame of Mind Photography reported long lines in Merrimack in the morning as well as Londonderry in the late morning. He said it took about 30 minutes to get through the line in Londonderry.

First District candidate Karoline Leavitt, a Republican, was greeting voters at the polls in Londonderry.

Hundreds of voters were in line to vote at the Mastricola School in Merrimack as the polls opened at 7 a.m. Credit: Jeffrey Hastings/Frame of Mind Photography.

Similar reports were heard from the Seacoast, including heavy turnout in Hampton.

U.S. Rep. Chris Pappas, a Democrat, voted at the Ward 1 Manchester polling location around 8:30 a.m., Hastings said.

Around 10 a.m., cars were lined up outside Goffstown High School, where dozens of people held signs for their favorite candidates.

In Bedford, around 10:30 a.m., vehicles were lined up between Route 101 and the high school for the better part of 45 minutes attempting to get in to vote.

Gov. Chris Sununu stopped to pose for pictures and shake hands as voters entered and exited the polls.

Karoline Levitt met with voters in Londonderry. Credit: Jeffrey Hastings/Frame of Mind Photography.

NH Voter Guides

Scanlan Says 591K Will Vote

Secretary of State David Scanlan said turnout would be higher than in previous midterm elections.

Scanlan expected 591,000 voters to cast ballots on Tuesday, representing a record midterm turnout.

“We have several hotly contested races at the top of the ballot,” he said, “and this is generating a lot of enthusiasm among voters to participate in the election.”

As of Thursday, there were 883,035 registered voters, including 278,681 Democrats, 276,034 Republicans, and 328,320 Undeclared voters.

A large number of same-day voter registrations were expected Tuesday due to the 10-year purge of voters who were inactive and had not cast ballots for two full election cycles in a row.

Checking AccuVote Counting Devices

Not unlike after the September primary, the Secretary of State’s Office will be running checks on voting machines on Thursday.

The department will check Pembroke, Durham, Somersworth Ward 3, and Tilton machines. In September, machines from Hopkinton and Laconia Ward 1 were checked and were found to be accurate, matching a hand count in one and being off by a single vote in another.

Thursday’s recount results will be released at noon on Friday. Several officials will be in attendance to witness the recount.

The recount will take place at 8:30 a.m. on Nov. 10 at the New Hampshire Archives and Records Management, 9 Ratification Way.

Students Vote In Mock Election

More than 650 students in New Hampshire voted in the 2022 NH PBS Student Mock Election.

Students chose Sununu by 54 percent over Democrat Tom Sherman, who received 31 percent. Libertarians Kelly Halldorson and Karlyn Borysenko also received votes: Students gave Halldorson 11 percent of the vote while Borysenko received 4 percent.

In the Senate race, U.S. Sen. Maggie Hassan received 54 percent of the vote, while former Gen. Don Bolduc got 28 percent. Jeremy Kauffmann received 18 percent.

Students also picked Pappas over Leavitt, 66 percent to 33.5 percent, and U.S. Rep. Ann McLane Kuster over Robert Burns, 59 percent to 41 percent.

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• Kuster And Burns Go Toe To Toe In 2nd Congressional District Debate
• Trump's Endorsement Of Bolduc Isn't Pretty, But It Could Still Give Him A Boost
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• Sununu And Sherman Spar Over Abortion, School Funding, Energy Policy
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Voter ID Law

New Hampshire has same-day voter registration. Here is the Voter Identification Law, linked in .pdf format, and the Explanatory Document. For more information about Voter ID, visit this state website.

Primary Election Day Issues

The New Hampshire Attorney General's Office will be operating an Election Day hotline from 7 a.m. until 8 p.m.

The AG encourages voters and election officials with concerns or questions to call 1-866-868-3703. In the event a caller receives voicemail, they should leave a message and attorneys in the office will address each message received.

Additional information on voting can be found here.

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