New Hampshire has an enviable record in terms of voter turnout relative to much of the United States. However, the way districting is arranged for the New Hampshire House of Representatives, in many districts voters are able to vote for more than one candidate.
For example, in Carroll County District 4 (Moultonboro, Sandwich and Tuftonboro), voters should vote for two candidates, and the ballot makes this clear with the instruction “Vote for not more than 2.”
Evidence from the recent primary suggests that many voters do not exercise their right to vote for more than one candidate. Preliminary results for Moultonboro tabulated blanks, that is, votes not cast, as well as tallies for individual candidates. On both the Republican and the Democratic side, there were fewer than 5 percent of blanks for the races for governor and U.S. Senate, and fewer than 20 percent for state Senate, whereas for the New Hampshire House races there were more than 30 percent.
This might be attributed to voters not bothering to get to the bottom of the ballot for races perhaps seen as less important, except for the fact that the proportion of blanks for the next race on the ballot below the N.H. House dropped back below 20 percent again.
The evidence is clear that many voters do not realize that they can, in many cases, cast more than one vote in the election of members of the N.H. House. Come election time, read the ballot carefully, and cast the number of votes you are allowed to cast.
KENNETH HILL
Moultonboro