New Hampshire voters trust voting machines, support greater voter access
To better understand New Hampshire voters’ views on election processes and administration, The Saint Anselm College Survey Center conducted a statewide survey of general election voters on behalf of Secure Democracy Foundation. Our findings, summarized below, show broad consensus around election security, administration, and accessibility.
Election Security & Administration
New Hampshire voters trust voting machines over hand counts.
The poll found that 72% of New Hampshire voters support using secure tabulation equipment to achieve accurate election results more quickly than a hand count. Secure tabulation equipment is supported by a majority of Republicans (55%), undeclared voters (69%), Democrats (92%), and voters older than 65 (78%).
Not only do New Hampshire voters support the use of secure tabulation equipment – they also see potential harm in requiring ballots to be counted by hand instead. 60% of New Hampshire voters believe that mandating hand counts could open the door for human error or corruption, including 66% of Democrats, 53% Republicans, and 59% of undeclared voters.
New Hampshire voters strongly support post-election audits to confirm results.
According to the poll, 84% of New Hampshire voters support requiring election officials to conduct post-election audits to confirm that votes were tabulated accurately. Support for post-election audits spans all party affiliations – including 77% of Democrats, 91% of Republicans, and 84% of undeclared voters.
New Hampshire voters strongly support voter list maintenance through ERIC.
According to the poll, three in four voters believe New Hampshire should join the Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC) – a nonpartisan multi-state program designed to help states keep their voter rolls up-to-date. Significant support for ERIC spans all party affiliations (Republican: 63%, undeclared: 74%, Democrat: 87%), age groups, and regions of the state.
New Hampshire voters support measures to speed up reporting of election results.
The poll found that 61% of New Hampshire voters support allowing local election officials to open, verify, and process absentee ballots before Election Day in order to get faster results. Forty states currently have such a process in place – including Maine, Vermont, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island.
Voter Access
New Hampshire voters want opportunities to vote before Election Day.
New Hampshire is one of three states that does not allow eligible voters to vote early, in-person, before Election Day. The poll found that 61% of New Hampshire voters believe the state should offer in-person early voting. Notably, support for early voting spans all age groups and the four major regions of the state – including the North Country & Lakes (68%), Monadnock & Dartmouth (64%), the Merrimack Valley (59%), and the Seacoast & border (60%).
New Hampshire voters want opportunities to fix minor mistakes on their ballot.
Thirty-two states – including Maine, Vermont, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island – allow voters to fix minor mistakes, such as a missing signature, on their absentee ballot envelope. New Hampshire does not currently provide such an option. According to the poll, 73% of New Hampshire voters believe election officials should be able to contact voters and provide them the opportunity to correct minor mistakes on their ballot. Support for this policy spans all party affiliations (Republican: 57%, undeclared: 71%, Democrat: 90%), age groups, and regions of the state.
New Hampshire voters support electronic ballot return for overseas military voters & their spouses.
The poll found eight in 10 New Hampshire voters believe active duty military personnel stationed overseas should be able to cast their ballot electronically. The poll additionally shows that 73% of New Hampshire voters believe the option should be available for military spouses and dependents living overseas, as well. Support for both policies spans all party affiliations, age groups, and regions of the state.
Methodology
These results are from a Saint Anselm College Survey Center poll based on online surveys of 2,304 New Hampshire likely voters. Surveys were conducted between November 8-9, 2023, from cell phone users randomly drawn from a sample of registered voters reflecting the demographic and partisan characteristics of the voting population. The survey has an overall margin of sampling error of +/- 2.0% with a confidence interval of 95%. The margin of sampling error for both the Democratic and Republican breakouts is 3.0%. The data are weighted for age, gender, geography, and education based on a voter demographic model derived from historical voting patterns, but are not weighted by party registration or party identification. This survey was commissioned by Secure Democracy Foundation.
About Secure Democracy Foundation
Secure Democracy Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that produces research and analysis focused on voting and elections. We work to educate the public on how our election systems are secure and trustworthy.