Monadnock Votes!
A community site for voters in northern Monadnock towns:
Alstead, Gilsum, Harrisville, Keene Ward 2, Marlborough, Marlow, Nelson, Roxbury, Stoddard and Sullivan
Latest local news & commentary
NO KINGS rallies October 17
-- John McCollister, email, Oct 19
The October 17th NO KINGS rally promoted voter turnout
with the message that every ballot gives citizens a voice. Organizers reported more than 2,500 protests nationwide and nearly 20 official protests across New Hampshire, including events in Charlestown, Concord, Dover, Enfield, Exeter, Keene, Hanover, Lancaster, Lincoln, Littleton, Meredith, Nelson, New London, Orford, Nashua, Portsmouth, and Bellows Falls, Vermont. The demonstrations aimed to turn civic action into electoral
participation.
In Walpole, 100 people gathered outside Jouvay Chocolate for the fourth protest under the No Kings banner. Supportive honks from passing drivers added to the rally’s joyful, spirited, and defiant atmosphere.
Speakers included Executive Councilor Karen Liot Hill and New Hampshire Representatives Lucy Weber, Nick Germana, Jim Gruber and David Luneau of Hopkinton. Other attendees included Zoë Hill, a first-time New Hampshire House
candidate from Lebanon who had spent years driving her mother to rallies, and Rep. Terri O’Rorke of Keene.
Although the elected officials at the Walpole rally were
Democrats, national commentators described the October No Kings event as nonpartisan and focused on encouraging everyone to vote on November 3rd .
No Kings rallies have become a prominent outlet for widespread dissatisfaction with the current administration. Against a backdrop of the unnecessary war in Iran, rising inflation, and doubled gas prices, Trump’s approval ratings are among the lowest in presidential memory. With the election two weeks away, experts expect opponents of the administration to perform strongly.
Signs at rally in Walpole
Jim Gruber: It always seems impossible until it's done
-- by Jim Gruber, email, Oct 23
Six months ago, it seemed to many of us that it was nearly impossible to take back our country from the strong MAGA trifecta in DC that controlled the House, Senate, and Presidency...and far too frequently, the Supreme Court.
Similarly, in New Hampshire, it seemed nearly impossible to break the trifecta of the House, and Senate, and Governor that was controlled by the Free Staters/Liberty Caucus.
But...I am optimistic for November 3rd. My optimism comes not just from the recent encouraging polls but also from working with so many of you who have courageously stepped forward.
Read Jim's latest emails here.
Donovan Fenton: NH at a tipping point
--Jessica Timmons, The Keene SEntinel, Oct 19
New Hampshire is “at a tipping point” when it comes to affordability and the state’s ability to attract and retain young people and new businesses.
“If we don’t turn things around, they will get worse, and then it will be a lot harder to fix the problems we have when it comes to school funding, when it comes to attracting a workforce that wants to live here, when it comes to taking care of our seniors and when it comes to the healthcare issues that we have in this state.”
Read the full article here.
Terri O'Rorke: Who did this, John?
--Terri O'Rorke, Substack, Oct 19
Sununu claims he is going to slash wasteful spending in Washington, cut taxes (never says for who or even how he’ll accomplish this) and eliminate job killing regulations. But who is behind the dysfunctional Congress and rising costs?
Read the full article here.
Terri O'Rorke: The human cost of reducing state revenue
--Terri O'Rorke, Substack, Oct 22
The Department of Transportation (DOT) is in dire shape because of repeated cuts to state revenue. These cuts in turn mean low wages for DOT employees, who often quit in order to take higher wages in the private sector.
Read the full article here.
Ballot Questions 1 and 2
Ballot Question 1: register of probate
Question 1 text
“Are you in favor of eliminating the office of register of probate by amending articles 71 and 81 of the second part of the constitution to read as follows: [Art.] 71. [County Treasurers, County Attorneys, Sheriffs, and Registers of Deeds Elected.] The county treasurers, county attorneys, sheriffs and registers of deeds, shall be elected by the inhabitants of the several towns, in the several counties in the State, according to the method now practiced, and the laws of the state, provided nevertheless the legislature shall have authority to alter the manner of certifying the votes, and the mode of electing those officers; but not so as to deprive the people of the right they now have of electing them. [Art.] 81. [Judges Not to Act as Counsel.] No judge shall be of counsel, act as advocate, or receive any fees as advocate or counsel, in any probate business which is pending, or may be brought into any court of probate in the county of which he or she is judge.” (Passed by the N.H. House 325 Yes 15 No; Passed by the Senate 23 Yes 1 No) CACR 13
What does a YES vote on Question 1 mean?
A YES vote would eliminate the office of Register of Probate.
Prior to 2011, the Register of Probate office handled simple wills. Following a reorganization of the state court system approved by the state legislature, there is now a Probate Division of each Court District that handles probate matters. Since 2011, the primary duty of the Register of Probate office is to preserve files with potential historical significance.
In 2022 62.9% of NH voters approved a similar amendment, and 37.1% of voters voted against the amendment. Because constitutional amendments in New Hampshire require a two-thirds (66.67%) vote to be approved, the measure was defeated.
See Ballotpedia for the full article.
Ballot Question 2: school funding
Question 2 text
“Shall the Town of (NAME) limit property tax growth for (SCHOOL DISTRICT/SAU) under RSA 32:5-i? If adopted for a two-year period: (1) the local property tax levy may not grow beyond the prior year’s amount, adjusted for inflation and new construction; (2) SAU central office spending may not exceed 6 percent of total school district appropriations; and (3) bonded capital costs are excluded from both limits. These caps apply only to administrative operations of the SAU central office and do not affect classroom instruction, school-based services, or other municipal expenditures. These limits may be overridden as provided in RSA 32:5-i. Adoption requires a three-fifths (3/5) majority vote.”
What does a YES vote on Question 2 mean?
Question 2 requires that 60% of those who vote on the question vote YES in order to pass. Skipping the question does not count as a vote against it. If you want simply to maintain the status quo--your town's control over local school funding--vote NO.
Steve Marchand has written a series of articles on Question 2:
School budget cap is the wrong tool
--Susan Kane, The Keene Sentinel, Oct 20
School administrative costs deserve scrutiny, and taxpayers should demand efficient, accountable districts. But pointing to rising costs and declining enrollment ignores what actually drives school budgets.
Most school administration is not optional overhead, so declining enrollment does not erase these obligations.
Read the full article here.
Terri O'Rorke: why we need to vote NO on Question 2
Property taxes are high because Republicans control the Governor's seat, the Executive Council, the State House, and the State Senate, and they refuse to pay the state’s share for public schools, instead putting millions of dollars into school vouchers and giving business tax cuts.
Despite Republicans' claim otherwise, the school tax cap proposed by Question 2 will impact the quality of our public schools.
Read the full article here..
Joe Schapiro: Three reasons to vote NO
--Joe Schapiro The Keene Sentinel Oct 18
Joe Schapiro is the former Democratic N.H. House for Cheshire County District 16.
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The State Legislature's proposed tax cap is unnecessary and redundant: districts already have the power to impose tax caps.
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The language of Question 2 is misleading: it promises not to impact classroom instruction, services or other town expenditures.
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Question 2 does nothing to address educational inequality and spiraling property taxes.
Read the full article here.
NH School Admins. Association video on Question 2
An eight-minute video on possible unintended consquences of voting YES on Question 2 here.
November 3 Voting
Is it too late to register to vote?
Check with your town clerk to find out the deadline for registering at the town clerk's office. You can also register to vote at the polls on election day. You will need to provide proof of your identity, age, U.S. citizenship and domicile (primary residence address). Visit the NH Secretary of State website to see what types of documents are required.
The NH Secretary of State is appealing to the U.S. Supreme Court a recent ruling by the NH First Circuit Court of Appeals that allows the use of a student ID to prove identity. In the meantime, your town clerk may accept a current student ID to establish identity, but you still need to present documents showing age, U.S. citizenship and domicile.
Scanlon: school IDs cannot be used as identification
Because of the U.S. Supreme Court ruling this week, student IDs cannot be used in NH:
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To register to vote
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To vote by absentee ballot
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To check in to vote on election day.
The Office of the Secretary of State has released two new voting guides for students:
See the full article here.
--Nancy West, InDepthNH.org, Oct 23
Absentee Ballots are available
Absentee ballots for the November 3 General Election are available from your town clerk.
Can I vote by absentee ballot?
You can vote by absentee ballot if:
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You will be out of town on election day; or
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You have a religious observance that prevents you from voting in person; or
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You have a physical disability or illness that prevents you from voting in person; or
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You have an employment commitment or must care for an adult or child during the entire time polls are open; or
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You are confined in a penal institution for a conviction of a misdemeanor or while awaiting trial; or
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You are a member of the Attorney General’s Address Confidentiality Program or are protected by a Domestic Violence Protective Order; or
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The National Weather Service has issued a winter storm, blizzard, or ice storm warning for your town/ward for election day, and you have concerns about safely traveling in the storm.
What is the safest way to vote by absentee ballot?
If you are a registered voter in your town, absentee voting is a two-step process:
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Fill out and turn in an absentee vote application.
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Fill out and turn in a ballot.
You must show a Photo ID for both steps.
If you are NOT registered to vote in the town where you live, you must first register before you can apply for an absentee ballot.
With only two weeks or less before November 3, the safest way is to fill out and turn in both the absentee vote application and the ballot in person at your town office. Bring your photo ID.
The deadline to request an absentee ballot in person is 5:00 p.m. the day before the election.
Challenges to public education
EFA admin balks at cooperating on performance audit
--Garry Rayno, InDepthNH.org, Oct 23
The Children’s Scholarship Fund NH is holding up work on a performance audit of its management of the Education Freedom Account program, a legislative committee was told Friday.
An audit of the Department of Education’s oversight of the program is moving forward, but the Legislative Performance Audit Oversight Committee decided in May to expand the audit to include a review of student residency and academic attainment which requires the cooperation of the scholarship fund who maintains those records and to date has refused to share them with auditors.
Read the full article here.
The federal government's school voucher program
--Mary Ellen Klas, The Keene Sentinel, Oct 23
Whether on purpose or by accident, the Trump administration’s new voucher program could do something it never promised to do: help public schools. It’s a bit of a surprise from the White House that promised to abolish the Department of Education and then dismantled large parts of it. But under rules released this month by the U.S. Treasury Department, the program authorizing the first Federal Scholarship Tax Credit allows kids to receive a voucher even if they stay in their public school.
That’s an important distinction from state-level programs.
Read the full article here.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement
Small-town cop helped ICE deport his neighbors
--D'Annunzio and Funk, ProPublica, Oct 25
In January 2025, President Donald Trump revived a troubled ICE program that deputizes cops as deportation officers. Over 29,000 local officers nationwide have enlisted.
The local face of the national immigration crackdown In Ingram, TX became Officer Jaron Alexander. He has assisted in the deportation of about 10% of his town.
Read the full article here.
Statewide Petition Seeks to End Local Police Departments’ Role in Immigration Efforts in NH
--Zach Laird, InDepthNH.org, Oct 20
A coalition of advocacy groups has gained support from people from 80% of the municipalities in New Hampshire for a petition to have 29 police agencies in the state exit a program run by Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE), where they perform immigration officer functions under the direction of ICE.
NH is the only state where the Governor has invited ICE agents into our communities.
Read the full article here.
Latest action alerts
Nelson Votes For Democracy
Sunday, Nov 1
Join Nelson Democrats on the Nelson Town Common 1:00 - 2:00 pm for music, inspirational talk, and a happy time:
Walpole Election Update Thursday, Nov 12
Join State Reps. Nick Germana and Lucy Weber at the Walpole Town Library
Volunteer for phone banking at home on your own schedule
Please join the Cheshire County Democrats team in Phone banking for Pappas, Warmington and Down Ballot Candidates. To do phone banking, join us once for 10 minutes on Zoom so we can show you the process and the script. You can make calls on your own time after that.
We meet every Tuesdays from 5-7pm,
Zoom Link for Phone-banking:
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/85756834452?pwd=TxTnQLvB9naf1Asb0p07pGccEkGflb.1
Meeting ID: 857 5683 4452
Passcode: 571750
Volunteer for canvassing with Organize NH
