Filing Period For 2025 Municipal Candidates In Portsmouth Runs Through Sept. 16​

PORTSMOUTH, NH — Filing is underway for municipal candidates for the 2025 cycle in Portsmouth for nine city council positions, five school board seats, and two commission positions for both the fire commission and police commission.

The filing period closes on Sept. 16.

Requirements for Filing

The city said any candidate filing for the municipal election must be a qualified voter in the city of Portsmouth, must have been a resident of the city for at least two years immediately preceding the last municipal election, and may not hold any other municipal office once elected.

Declarations of candidacy will be accepted in the Portsmouth City Clerk’s office during regular business hours. All the filings must be made in person. The filing fee is $5, or it is free with the submittal of a petition with fifty signatures of qualified voters in the city.

Partisan Offices

Partisan ward officials seeking a declaration of candidacy (moderator, ward cerk, selectman, and registrar of voters) should contact their party chairmen, as party caucus decides these candidates.

The filing fee is $1.

Voter Registration

Residents who are not yet registered to vote in Portsmouth are invited to take advantage of Voter Registration opportunities:

• Portsmouth Public Library from 5:30 to 7 p.m. on Sept. 18.
• Portsmouth Farmers’ Market from 8 a.m. to noon on Sept. 27.
• Portsmouth Farmers’ Market from 8 a.m. to noon on Oct. 11.
• Portsmouth Public Library from 5:30 to 7 p.m. on Oct. 15.

Voters participate by ward, depending on their home address. For details on Portsmouth’s five Wards, please visit the voting information page on the City’s website. The last day to register to vote in the Municipal Elections is Oct. 22.

Voter Registration Requirements

To register to vote in Portsmouth, you need to be a U.S. citizen, at least 18 years old on election day, and a Portsmouth resident. You will need proof of identity, age, U.S. Citizenship, and a Portsmouth domicile. Some examples of proof documentation include, but are not limited to:

• Identity: Driver’s license, government-issued ID, U.S. passport.
• Age: Driver’s license, government-issued ID, U.S. passport.
• U.S. Citizenship: Birth certificate, naturalization certificate, U.S. passport/passcard.
• Portsmouth domicile: Driver’s license, government-issued ID, vehicle registration, tax document, government-issued check (all with current domicile address listed).

City Clerk Office Hours

The City Clerk’s office is open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Mondays, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Wednesdays, and 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Fridays. The office will have extended hours on Tuesday, Sept. 16 — from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. for candidates wishing to file.

For more information, visit: portsnh.co/votinginfo.

Free Candidate Profiles

As we have in past city elections, Portsmouth NH Patch will be offering candidates the opportunity to file free candidate profiles after the filing period and before the Nov. 4 election. Please email me, Tony Schinella, at tony.schinella@patch.com, for more information.