Home » Community » Office of Public Policy » Voting
Voting
In the face of the “throwaway culture” which judges a person’s worth through things like wealth or celebrity or power, baptism gives each of us the mission of working for the good of other people, especially the poor and the vulnerable. The Eucharist calls us to nothing less than the transformation of every aspect of human existence in the love of God. Our job is to show that all human beings, at every moment of life, possess a God-given dignity that can never be eliminated or diminished.
Since the political world is where society makes its most significant decisions concerning human dignity and the common good, we have a serious moral obligation to participate in the public square and to vote. Here are some resources to help in carrying out that duty in the 2024 elections.
When
General Election- November 5, 2024
How Do I Register to Vote
You can register to vote if you are a US citizen who will be 18 years of age or older on the day of the next election, and you live in New Hampshire. (If you are already registered to vote in the place where you currently live in New Hampshire, you do not need to re-register). Registration can be done either in person or (under certain conditions) remotely.
Register to Vote | New Hampshire Secretary of State (nh.gov)
How Do I Vote in an Election?
Once you are registered, you can cast your vote either in-person, or by absentee ballot.
To vote in person: CLICK HERE to find out which polling place you should go to, and the hours that the polling place will be open. You should bring a driver’s license or another acceptable photo ID with you (for a list of what the State accepts for ID, go to the Voter ID Explanatory Document from the State of New Hampshire website). If you do not have an ID, you will still be able to vote, after signing a challenged voter affidavit.
To vote remotely (in other words, by absentee ballot): You can vote by absentee ballot if you meet certain requirements. In order for an absentee ballot to be counted it must arrive by 5 PM on Election Day, so if you are voting by absentee ballot, mail your ballot in as early as possible to ensure that your ballot arrives well in advance of the deadline! CLICK HERE for further information on absentee voting in New Hampshire.
For further information on voting in New Hampshire, go to the website for the NH Secretary of State.
How Do I Decide Who to Vote For?
For Catholics, it is obvious that deciding who to vote for is something that cannot be based on our own self-interest. Instead, just like all the decisions we make in life, it must be based on one thing: a desire to serve God and neighbor. If we confess Jesus as Lord, then it only follows that we must see our political allegiances through the lens of our faith, and not the other way around.
Since the Church cannot be partisan, the Church does not tell Catholics who to vote for or against in an election. No one can tell you who to vote for in an election. It is up to each Catholic voter to prayerfully consider the policies of each candidate in an election and then decide which one will best advance human dignity and the common good.
Further Voting Resources
To help Catholics vote as conscientious citizens, the Diocese of Manchester has compiled a list of Frequently Asked Questions and Answers on Catholics and Voting. The Diocese has also published a short leaflet called Five Principles for Voting as People of the Eucharist. That leaflet includes a very brief summary of the four fundamental principles of Catholic Social Teaching which are discussed in Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship (Español), the US Conference of Catholic Bishops booklet that lays out the major themes of Catholic teaching which the Bishops urge us to consider as we make our voting decisions. For those who would like to take a deeper dive into those issues, the Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church is the Church’s official digest of that teaching.