Town Elections: Everything You Need to Know
New Hampshire has 221 towns, and they all hold elections for their town governments every year. But what even gets decided at the town level? Why do we care about town offices when there’s so much to be done at the state level? Here’s everything you need to know about town elections and why they’re so important to the fight for our future.
THE LOGISTICS
In 2026, most towns will hold their town elections on Tuesday, March 10th. The period to get on the ballot is from Wednesday, January 21st to Friday, January 30th. Two towns - Conway and Merrimack - will hold their town elections on Tuesday, April 14th, with the period to get on the ballot open from Wednesday, February 25th to Friday, March 6th. Finally, six towns - Chester, Hanover, Hebron, Newport, New Castle, and Peterborough - will hold their town elections on Tuesday, May 12th, with the period to get on the ballot open from Wednesday, March 23rd to Friday, April 3rd.
There are two systems for town elections:
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Town residents meet in-person at a Deliberative Session BEFORE the election to:
Discuss (and ask questions) and amend warrant articles
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Town residents meet in-person at a Town Meeting AFTER the election to:
Debate, amend, and approve the town budget
Debate and vote on warrant articles
Vote on some town officers
The primary difference is that a Traditional Town Meeting Day happens AFTER the election, and an SB2 Deliberative Session happens BEFORE. It’s important to know what system your town uses so you know which meeting to go to and when, and if you’re not sure or if you have any questions visit or call your Town Clerk.
TOWN OFFICES 101
In classic Granite State fashion, there’s some variety from town to town when it comes to local government. For the most part, towns elect a Select Board or Town Council as their primary governing body, Budget Committee, Board of Library Trustees, School Board, and Planning Board. In some towns, however, they appoint instead of elect certain positions like Budget Committee, Library Trustee, or Planning Board. If you’re not sure what offices are elected or appointed in your town, it’s always best to double check with your Town Clerk.
The full list of elected office types depends on the town, but, for the most part, the functions of the following offices stays consistent from town to town:
Select Board/Town Council:
Enact policies
Develop the town budget
Oversee town personnel and staff
Budget Committee:
Review the town budget
Adjust and recommend changes
Present the budget to voters
School Board:
Set education policies
Develop the district budget
Hire and oversee the superintendent
Negotiate contracts
Library Trustee:
The governing body for the local public library
Hire staff, including Library Director
Determine what happens in the building and what content is allowed
Planning Board + Zoning Board of Adjustments:
Determine what developments can and cannot happen in the town
That is to say, if there’s an issue you care about there’s an office for you! Want to support students and teachers? Run for School Board. Want to combat book banning? Run for Library Trustee. Want to expand access to affordable housing? Run for Planning Board. Want to ensure your town makes smart investments? Run for Select Board or Budget Committee.
WHY CARE?
Simply put, town government has the most immediate impact on your and neighbors’ lives. Things like snow and trash removal, pot hole fixes, sidewalks, public schools, libraries, and community centers are all things that affect our day-to-day, and town government has a role to play in all of them.
There are decisions being made in the State House that will ultimately fall on our local town elected officials. The increase in property taxes is a result of legislation passed at the state level, not at the town level. The change we need won’t come from the top down - it’ll come from us. Now is the time for us to come together at the hyper-local level and do what we can to combat harmful trickle-down policies set by those currently in power - by supporting our teachers and students, ensuring smart spending, and building communities that both work together and thrive together. If not us, then who?
