New Hampshire’s state primary is rapidly approaching, which means it’s time for voters to educate themselves about the candidates and new voting procedures.

New Hampshire’s gigantic House of Representatives includes 400 members who, under the state’s new redistricting plan, will be divided into 204 districts. The state Senate has 24 members and the Executive Council has five. All those seats are up for grabs in the general election on Nov. 6, following the primary on Sept. 11.

The upcoming elections also promise the most fiercely contested gubernatorial race of the last decade, with several candidates bidding to replace current Gov. John Lynch, who, after four terms, is not running for reelection. Three candidates from each major party are seeking nominations in the primary.

Another close contest is expected in New Hampshire’s 1st Congressional District, which is shaping up to be a rematch between current Republican Rep. Frank Guinta and former Democratic Rep. Carol Shea-Porter.

And then there are all the races for sheriff, county attorney, county treasurer, register of deeds, register of probate, and delegates to the state convention. 

Oh, and there’s a presidential race, too.

In addition to getting informed about all the candidates, New Hampshire voters must familiarize themselves with the newly redrawn House and Senate districts going into effect next year. The total number of districts is nearly doubling, and many existing districts have been split apart or swapped into new ones.

Voting requirements have changed, as well. A controversial new law that withstood a veto from the governor this year will require all voters to show valid photo identification at the polls. Those without proper identification will be required to execute a qualified voter affidavit. There are only a handful of acceptable forms of ID, including a driver’s license, a non-driver’s identification card, a U.S. armed services identification card, a U.S. passport, and certain other government-issued IDs.

With so many candidates—and so many new rules and regulations—voters might need some help getting up to speed. This special edition of Front Door Politics provides some online sources to help you gather all the information you need.

state sources
A good place for some initial election prepping is the N.H. Secretary of State’s Office. The website includes information about the new voter ID law and other election law changes taking effect this year. There’s also information about how to register to vote, the new voting districts, polling locations, candidate lists, sample ballots and more. Visit www.sos.nh.gov or call the Elections Division at 603-271-3242.

party sources
There are a number of party-affiliated websites that include information about New Hampshire candidates running this fall. They include:
• N.H. Democratic Party: www.nhdp.org
• N.H. Republican Party: www.nhgop.org
• N.H. Libertarian Party: www.lpnh.org
• N.H. Senate Democrats: www.nhsenatedemocrats.org
• N.H. House Democrats: www.nhhousedems.org
• N.H. House Republicans: www.nhhousegop.com

other sources
The Live Free or Die Alliance (www.livefreeordiealliance.com) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that provides objective information about New Hampshire candidates and issues. The website (under the “Election Central” tab) includes information about every candidate running for a state or federal seat in 2012. An online map breaks down the geographic districts, enabling you to find out which district you live in and see the corresponding candidate profiles.

Politics1 is another nonpartisan public service that promotes informed decision-making in the American electorate. The New Hampshire branch (www.politics1.com/nh.htm) features lists of candidates for governor and Congress with links to their websites, along with other state and party sites and local news sources.

For a strict focus on federal races, Politico is a political journalism organization following the 2012 elections in a number of states, including New Hampshire. Go to www.politico.com, click on the “2012” tab and then the “New Hampshire” tab for a roundup of state news stories about the presidential race.

candidate websites
Most of the major candidates for governor and Congress have their own campaign websites that include biographies, their stances on the issues, ways to get involved in their campaigns and other pertinent information.
gubernatorial candidate sites include:
• Democrat Jackie Cilley: www.jackiecilley.com
• Democrat Maggie Hassan: www.maggiehassan.com
• Democrat Bill Pearce Kennedy: www.billkennedyforgovernor.com
• Republican Ovide Lamontagne: www.ovide2012.com
• Republican Robert Tarr: www.tarrforgovernor.com
• Republican Kevin Smith: www.kevinsmithforgovernor.com
• Libertarian John Babiarz: www.johnbabiarz.com
• Independent Ed “Hobo Ed” Furlong: www.shedlight.us

congressional candidate sites include:
• Democrat Carol Shea-Porter: www.sheaporter.com
• Republican Frank Guinta: www.guinta.house.gov or www.teamguinta.com
• Republican Rick Parent: www.rickparentforcongress.com
• Libertarian Brendan Kelly: www.brendankellylpnh.com
Republican Vern Clough does not have a website.

The Portsmouth Democratic Committee will host a forum for Democratic candidates for governor at Portsmouth Public Library on Monday, Aug. 20 at 7 p.m. Also be sure to check back in with The Wire for regular election coverage.