Open Democracy is working to achieve political equality for all.
We envision a government accountable to the people, free from the influence of wealthy special interest groups.
With your help, we will:
1. Establish small donor, voter-owned honest elections
2. End gerrymandering and modernize voting
3. Eradicate Super PACs & neutralize Citizens United
4. Expose unlimited, anonymous Dark Money
5. Eliminate Pay-to-Play lobbyist & contractor donations
6. Enforce campaign finance laws & close loopholes
Join us!
- Volunteer, or join a regional Open Democracy Team! Right now, protecting our democracy needs you to speak up, and to take action.
- Give a one-time or recurring gift to help support our mission, if you're unable to take action. This helps us organize others and expand the chorus of voices for reform! You can also mail us a check to "Coalition for Open Democracy": 4 Park Street, Suite 301, Concord, NH 03301
We welcome your questions and ideas! Please contact us anytime:
Open Democracy
4 Park Street, Suite 301
Concord, NH 03301
[email protected]
(603) 715-8197
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What's New
Deadline to Change Party Affiliation in New Hampshire: June 2, 2026
Continue reading →With the September 8 New Hampshire State Primary fast approaching, we wanted to share an important reminder about upcoming voter
registration and party affiliation deadlines. 🗳️Because most Granite Staters are registered as “undeclared,” it's important for voters to understand how NH's primary system works.
If you are currently registered as “undeclared,” you are able to choose either party’s ballot in the State Primary. However, there are a few important things to keep in mind:
🗓️ June 2 is the deadline to change your party affiliation before the primary.
⚠️ If an undeclared voter casts a Democratic or Republican primary ballot—either in person or absentee—their voter registration will automatically change to that party affiliation.
After the primary, voters may change their affiliation back to “undeclared” (or to another party) either that same day by visiting the Supervisors of the Checklist table at their polling place or afterward by contacting their local clerk. Procedures can vary by town or city.
🚨 If you think you may have forgotten to switch your affiliation back to “undeclared” after the last primary, make sure to double-check before the June 2 deadline so you can vote in the 2026 primary the way you intend!
📬 Voting absentee?
Undeclared voters requesting an absentee ballot must indicate which party’s primary ballot they want on their absentee ballot application.🔎 You can check your:
• Voter registration status
• Party affiliation
• Absentee ballot request & return status...using the New Hampshire Secretary of State’s Voter Information Lookup Tool.
For more information, visit the Sec. of State's Party Primary FAQ page or contact your local town or city clerk.
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GOTV 🗳️: May 12 Town Elections in Chester, Hanover, Hebron, Newport, New Castle, and Peterborough
Continue reading →Help us get out the vote (GOTV)! The last round of New Hampshire town elections is coming up this Tuesday, May 12, for voters living in Chester, Hanover, Hebron, Newport, New Castle, and Peterborough.
With so many recent changes to New Hampshire’s voting laws, it’s important to make a plan before heading to the polls. Here are the most important things voters should know before Election Day:
✅ If already registered to vote, do these things:
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🚨 CLICK TO DOUBLE-CHECK YOUR VOTER REGISTRATION STATUS 🚨
- Starting this year, comprehensive voter roll verification (commonly referred to as voter roll purges) will take place annually instead of once every 10 years. Supervisors of the Checklist may remove voters who have not voted in the past five years. Voters who have cast a ballot within the last five years or registered since the 2024 general election do not need to take any action. Still, mistakes can happen—so it’s a good idea to double-check your registration status, even if you’re a frequent voter.
- Be sure to bring a valid photo-ID with you to check in and obtain your ballot. 🪪
- Important for Dartmouth students voting in Hanover: while student IDs have been banned for voting, the law does not take effect until June 2. 🎓
📝 If registering to vote, do these things:
- Bring documentary proof of your age, citizenship, identity, and domicile (remember "ACID") + proof of name change, if applicable (photos are acceptable 📷)
- If you were previously registered in New Hampshire, or are currently registered in another NH town or ward, you generally do not need to reprove citizenship or age, only identity and domicile. Still, we recommend bringing proof of all qualifications just in case.
- ⚠️ You should absolutely try to bring all required documents with you if you have them, since access to the statewide voter registration system (SVRS) is often limited to certain election officials and lines could become long on Election Day. However, if you are missing certain documents, local election officials may still be able to assist you. With your permission, they may search certain records from the NH DMV and Division of Vital Records to help verify your voter qualifications.
📌 Things all voters should do before Election Day:
- Confirm the location of your polling place.
- Check your town’s polling hours ahead of time, as hours can vary by municipality. ⏰
- View a sample ballot on your town's website.
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🚨 CLICK TO DOUBLE-CHECK YOUR VOTER REGISTRATION STATUS 🚨
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You Can Now Request Absentee Ballots for Both the Primary and General Elections! ✉️
Continue reading →Did you know that you can now request your absentee ballot for both the State Primary on September 8 and the General Election on November 3?
It’s important to note that you must submit a separate absentee ballot request form for each election.
As you prepare, here are some recent absentee voting law changes to be aware of:
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Local Election Countdown: 5 Days Remaining 🗳️
Continue reading →5 days remain until November 4th, Election Day in 11 NH cities! These are Berlin, Claremont, Concord, Dover, Keene, Laconia, Manchester, Nashua, Portsmouth, Rochester, and Somersworth. Make sure you have a plan to vote if you reside in one of these cities, and encourage your friends and family to do the same. 🗳️
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The Civic Center and Open Democracy Research Report 2024
Continue reading →In collaboration with The Civics Center, Open Democracy is happy to share our latest research on High School Voter Registration Drives across the Granite State! In the latest research report titled, "Increasing Voter Registration Among 18-Year-Olds in New Hampshire" by Laura Brill, Kassie Canter, and Fionn Shea, you see very promising statistics and anecdotes on the progress we have made in the state! We still have work to be done but this is concrete evidence that we are headed towards a brighter tomorrow!
The voter registration rate nearly doubled from 8.5% in June 2022 to 15.6% in July of 2023! This is a key indicator that this initiative is truly changing the lives and communities that 18 year olds reside. This helps strengthen our democracy in the present but also in the future. As this program grows and more schools hold High school Voter Registration Drives, we expect these numbers to increase again.
These numbers are promising and more work is surely ahead. The national average for 18 year old voter registration is 30% and that towers over our number here in the Granite State. With your help and support, we can catch up to the national average and even surpass it! If you find this issue is important to you, your family, or your community, please consider volunteering!
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