Granite Staters should have full confidence in the process and outcomes of New Hampshire’s election process. As both winners and losers of elections, we know what it’s like to be both elated and frustrated by election results. However, we also knew that as the final votes were counted, the integrity, transparency and security of our New Hampshire election system produced results that voters intended, regardless of the outcome.
Like our elections, the 2024 general election in the Granite State was protected by strong, fair election laws and procedures that resulted in reliable, verifiable results that were universally accepted and respected. We should not take this outcome for granted and continue to support election integrity in New Hampshire while holding up our elections as a model for other states to consider as they secure their own elections. Our obligation to instill confidence in the democratic process by protecting the vote remains an essential task.
Richard Swett, left, a former U.S. representative and ambassador, and John E. Sununu, a former U.S. senator and representative.
It’s no coincidence that New Hampshire’s 2024 election was a record-breaker, with voter turnout as high as 75%, the secretary of state said, and many polling stations reporting turnout of 90% or more – the highest ever recorded rise the history of the state. Our state’s efforts to ensure a secure and accurate election process have succeeded in increasing public faith and confidence in voting.
New Hampshire election law is based on common sense, transparency and accountability. That’s why we have come together as bipartisan former elected officials to advance the work of the Democracy Defense Project (DDP), a bipartisan organization committed to strengthening democracy through trust in transparency, safety, security and restore validity to our electoral process. There is no better state than New Hampshire to set an example for conducting fair elections, which we hope will inspire other jurisdictions to follow.
We require voters to identify themselves and our state officials use a multi-state database to check for duplicate voter registrations in multiple states. State law considers voter fraud a very serious crime and provides for a prison sentence of up to seven years and fines for convicted offenders. Additionally, fraudsters are typically banned from voting in the state for life.
All votes are cast via a paper ballot in New Hampshire and are either counted by hand or tabulated by vote counting machines that are legally prohibited from connecting to the Internet, preventing any attempt to access or hack votes online. is prevented. The paper ballots are kept in the event of a recount. In that case, all votes must be recounted by hand. Independent inspections and audits of the machines are carried out before and after the elections. In case of irregularities, the state authorizes a full recount.
Locally elected, nonpartisan moderators administer elections at polling places throughout the state and ensure that the election process is fair and conducted in accordance with state law. This decentralized system makes any coordinated attempt to tamper with election results virtually impossible. The counting of votes is monitored by bipartisan local community observers, who confirm that the results have been counted accurately and transparently.
The Ballot Security Act mandates strict chain procedures that require monitoring, supervision and oversight of cast paper ballots as they are processed through the tabulation and storage system.
New Hampshire usually releases election results to the public on the eve of voting. Foreign Secretary David Scanlan has said he “expects polling stations to announce the results on the evening of the election or until the early hours of the following morning.” This standard ensures the speedy election process that voters deserve, while minimizing the potential for false claims of victory that are not supported by evidence.
It’s no wonder New Hampshire broke its own turnout record this year by 2.5%. The election security and transparency rules that keep our state at the forefront have strengthened the public’s confidence that their vote will be counted with the same value and accuracy as those of their neighbors. It is time for other states to adopt these common-sense election practices so that our nation’s confidence in fair elections is as strong as it has proven to be in New Hampshire.
Richard Swett is a former Democratic congressman from New Hampshire (1991-1995 in the U.S. House of Representatives) and served as U.S. Ambassador to Denmark (1998-2001). John E. Sununu was a Republican who represented New Hampshire in the U.S. House of Representatives (1997–2003) and the U.S. Senate (2003–2009).
This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Swett and Sununu: NH’s 2024 election should set the national standard
