Voting Update from Dover City Hall
The following update is copied from Dover’s COVID Daily Updates for today (4/14/20). Voters can vote absentee in this fall’s elections. We continue to have discussions about options for voter registration given the need for social distancing and will provide updates when they are available.
Secretary of State, Attorney General say safety first at the polls, open absentee ballots to all
Due to the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, New Hampshire Secretary of State William Gardner and Attorney General Gordon MacDonald recently released guidance on additional provisions for voters in upcoming elections.
In the memorandum, Gardner and MacDonald specifically addressed the two upcoming elections in September and November.
"It is reasonable to anticipate that voters may feel apprehension about voting in person in the September 2020 Primary and November 2020 General Elections," they write in the memorandum. "Voters should not have to choose between their health and exercising their constitutional right to vote."
As a result of the guidance from the state, all voters can now request an absentee ballot if they do not want to travel in person to the polls.
"Any voter may request an absentee ballot for the September 2020 Primary and November 2020 General Elections based on concerns regarding COVID-19," the memorandum states. Gardner and MacDonald said additional guidance will be forthcoming for election officials to help plan and accommodate an expected significant increase in absentee ballots.
The absentee ballot can be downloaded here from the City of Dover's website.
In addition, voters can now change party affiliation through June 2. The party affiliation change form can be downloaded here at the City of Dover's website.
Absentee ballots and party affiliation change forms must be returned by mail to the City Clerk's Office at City of Dover, NH, City Clerk, 288 Central Avenue, Dover, NH 03820.
The entire memorandum from the Secretary of State and Attorney General can be viewed here.
For more information, including questions about how to vote in upcoming elections, call the City Clerk's Office at 516-6018.