By Tom Jarvis
New Hampshire experienced a historic voter turnout for the 2024 general election, with a record-breaking 834,651 ballots cast across the state. This figure, which surpassed the previous high of 814,499 in 2020, included 737,355 in-person ballots and 99,296 absentee ballots, marking over 60 percent of New Hampshire’s population. Despite record turnout, Election Day in the Granite State unfolded smoothly, with minimal disruptions.
New Hampshire also saw a significant number of same-day voter registrations on Election Day, further contributing to the high turnout. According to the New Hampshire Secretary of State’s (NHSOS) website, a total of 92,730 voters registered at the polls.
The NHSOS’s office worked closely with local election officials and poll workers to ensure that voting sites ran smoothly and efficiently.
New Hampshire Deputy Secretary of State Erin Hennessey noted the exceptional turnout across the Granite State, where some polling stations saw up to 92 percent participation among registered voters.
“It was definitely a record turnout here in New Hampshire, and considering that turnout, it was a very, very smooth day,” says Hennessey. She adds that to handle the high volume, towns like Derry, which had previously faced challenges with long lines, received additional poll pads and utilized law enforcement to manage traffic and direct parking. “Everybody did a great job, and voters were very patient when they did have to wait.”
Attorney Bradford Cook, who has been the chair of the New Hampshire Ballot Law Commission for 14 years, agrees.
“The election, with very few minor blips, went totally smoothly as most New Hampshire elections do,” he says. “I was looking at the results this morning on the Secretary of State’s website and it’s remarkable – with all the elections that New Hampshire has – that the results are posted so soon.”
A long-standing tradition continued in the township of Dixville Notch, where voting began just after midnight. In this tiny community of six residents, the vote split evenly between former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris, reflecting a deeply polarized nation.
New Hampshire ultimately favored Harris, although Trump’s supporters came out in strong numbers statewide, contributing to a significant “red wave” that influenced down-ballot races. Republican candidates dominated, with Kelly Ayotte elected as the new governor and the GOP capturing a majority of state legislative and executive council seats.
This election also saw Trump achieve a rare historical feat. His win in the national race will make him the only president besides Grover Cleveland to serve non-consecutive terms. Cleveland, a former New York governor and the 22nd and 24th president, faced a turbulent second term after a devastating economic recession and battles over high tariffs. Much like Cleveland, Trump will return to office with a nation that is politically and socially divided.
“You have to factor in the totally unusual circumstance of Vice President Harris’s nomination,” says Cook. “She didn’t go through the primary process and therefore didn’t build up a head of steam that way. It’s also a unique set of circumstances to have the former president with all his pluses and minuses being the alternative … It appears, across the country, there were strong turnouts, and exit polls indicate many of those voters were first timers.”
At the state level, New Hampshire’s own political landscape experienced a transformation. Kelly Ayotte’s win for governor marked a return to public office for the former US Senator. As the first and only woman to serve as New Hampshire Attorney General, Ayotte is a well-recognized figure and member of the New Hampshire Bar and will be stepping into the state’s highest executive role following Governor Chris Sununu’s retirement from his four-term tenure.
“In the state, I think you saw two things,” says Cook, reflecting on the Republican majority now poised to shape state policy. “I think you saw a coattail effect, because if I read the tea leaves properly – there’s no final count yet – you have a Republican governor, four out of five seats on the Executive Council, a two-to-one majority in the Senate, and it looks like a substantial Republican majority in the House. So, on the one hand, that’s strong Republican performance. On the other hand, when you have that kind of dominance, you don’t have any place to hide.”
Local, neighbor-driven polling is a hallmark of New Hampshire elections, reinforcing public trust in the process.
“The beauty of our system primarily is that it’s our friends and neighbors who are conducting the election where we go,” Cook says. He adds that New Hampshire elections are managed locally, unlike in other states that use centralized, county-level counting, which can erode confidence. “We don’t have any of that. It’s been reported that New Hampshire elections have the highest voter confidence in the country.”
Even with the record turnout, there were fewer campaigners outside the polling stations compared to past elections, according to Hennessey.
“I was in the House for six years and the New Hampshire Senate for two, and I used to be one of those people that would stand out there,” says Hennessey. “Usually, they are fighting for room in the little cordoned-off area to hold their signs but when I got to the polling place in Littleton, there were just two people. I saw larger groups in Windham and Derry, but I would definitely say there were fewer people than there have been in the past.”
New Hampshire’s post-election process includes canvassing – which is the method of proofing and finalizing the results – and audits of ballot counting devices. Once the process is complete, the House and Senate are sworn in on the first Wednesday in December. They then elect their leaders, the state treasurer, and the secretary of state. In January, Kelly Ayotte will take the gubernatorial seat.
Before that, the Ballot Law Commission will meet on November 25 to address any recount appeals or other post-election issues, completing the final steps in the state’s electoral process.
In the end, New Hampshire’s record-setting 2024 general election was a testament to the state’s robust and community-centered election system. From the midnight votes cast in Dixville Notch to the final ballot tabulations, the Granite State’s election process reflects a deep tradition of civic engagement and community-driven oversight.
“We would like to thank our election officials,” says Hennessey. “There are thousands of them that made Tuesday go extremely smoothly. They are very hardworking, dedicated people, both elected and volunteers, and we couldn’t do it without them. And that’s what makes New Hampshire different.”