TITLE LXIII
ELECTIONS

CHAPTER 653
ELECTION OF OFFICERS AND DELEGATES

State and County Officers to be Elected

Section 653:1

    653:1 Elected for 2-Year Term. –
At every state general election, the following officers shall be elected for 2-year terms except as otherwise provided:
I. The governor by the voters of the state;
II. One executive councilor by the voters in each executive councilor district;
III. One state senator by the voters in each senatorial district;
IV. The number of state representatives to which a district is entitled by the voters in such state representative district;
V. One sheriff, one county attorney, one county treasurer, one register of deeds, and one register of probate by the voters in each county; provided that, at the 2022 state general election, and at each subsequent state general election, any such officer in Rockingham county shall be chosen in the county by the voters for a 4-year term; and, provided that, at the 2024 state general election, and at each subsequent state general election, any such officer in Coos county shall be chosen in the county by the voters for a 4-year term;
VI. County commissioners as follows:
(a) Hillsborough county-one county commissioner by those voters in each county commissioner district in the county;
(b) Carroll county-one county commissioner from each county commissioner district by all the voters of the county; provided that, at the 1994 state general election, the commissioner from district 1 shall be elected to a 4-year term and the commissioners from districts 2 and 3 shall each be elected to a 2-year term. At each subsequent state general election, 2 commissioners whose terms are expiring shall be elected by all the voters of the county; and, of the commissioners so chosen, one shall serve a 4-year term and one shall serve a 2-year term and both shall hold their offices until their successors are chosen and qualified. Following the 1994 state general election, the 4-year term shall be rotated in sequence starting with district 2.
(c) Strafford county-one county commissioner by the voters in each county commissioner district;
(d) Cheshire county-one county commissioner by the voters in each county commissioner district; provided that, at the 1980 state general election, no commissioner from district 1 shall be elected, the commissioner from district 2 shall be elected to a 4-year term and the commissioner from district 3 shall be elected to a 2-year term. At each subsequent state general election, 2 commissioners shall be chosen in the county by the voters of the districts in which a commissioner's term is expiring; and, of the commissioners so chosen, one shall serve a 4-year term and one shall serve a 2-year term and both shall hold their offices until their successors are chosen and qualified. Following the 1980 state general election, the 4-year term shall be rotated in sequence starting with district 3.
(e) Sullivan county-one county commissioner from each county commissioner district by all the voters of the county; provided that, at the 1990 state general election, the commissioner from district 1 shall be elected to a 4-year term and the commissioners from districts 2 and 3 shall each be elected to a 2-year term. At each subsequent state general election, 2 commissioners whose terms are expiring shall be elected by all the voters of the county; and, of the commissioners so chosen, one shall serve a 4-year term and one shall serve a 2-year term and both shall hold their offices until their successors are chosen and qualified. Following the 1990 state general election, the 4-year term shall be rotated in sequence starting with district 2.
(f) Belknap county-one county commissioner by the voters in each county commissioner district; provided that, at the 1992 state general election, no commissioner from district 1 shall be elected, the commissioner from district 2 shall be elected to a 4-year term, and the commissioner from district 3 shall be elected to a 2-year term. At each subsequent state general election, 2 commissioners shall be chosen in the county by the voters of the districts in which a commissioner's term is expiring; and, of the commissioners so chosen, one shall serve a 4-year term and one shall serve a 2-year term and both shall hold their offices until their successors are chosen and qualified. Following the 1992 state general election, the 4-year term shall be rotated in sequence starting with district 3.
(g) Rockingham county-one county commissioner by the voters in each county commissioner district; provided that, at the 1992 state general election, the commissioner from district 1 shall be elected to a 4-year term and the commissioners from districts 2 and 3 shall be elected to 2-year terms. At each subsequent state general election, 2 commissioners shall be chosen in the county by the voters of the districts in which a commissioner's term is expiring; and, of the commissioners so chosen, one shall serve a 4-year term and one shall serve a 2-year term and both shall hold their offices until their successors are chosen and qualified. Following the 1992 state general election, the 4-year term shall be rotated in sequence starting with district 2.
(h) Merrimack county-one county commissioner by the voters in each county commissioner district in the county; provided that, at the 1996 state general election, the commissioner from district 1 shall be elected to a 4-year term and the commissioners from districts 2 and 3 shall be elected to 2-year terms. At each subsequent state general election, 2 commissioners shall be chosen in the county by the voters of the districts in the county in which a commissioner's term is expiring; and, of the commissioners so chosen, one shall serve a 4-year term and one shall serve a 2-year term and both shall hold their offices until their successors are chosen and qualified. Following the 1996 state general election, the 4-year term shall be rotated in sequence starting with district 2.
(i) Coos county-one county commissioner by the voters in each county commissioner district; provided that, at the 1996 state general election, the commissioner from district 3 shall be elected to a 4-year term and the commissioners from districts 1 and 2 shall be elected to 2-year terms. At each subsequent state general election, 2 commissioners shall be chosen in the county by the voters of the districts in the county in which a commissioner's term is expiring; and, of the commissioners so chosen, one shall serve a 4-year term and one shall serve a 2-year term and both shall hold their offices until their successors are chosen and qualified. Following the 1996 state general election, the 4-year term shall be rotated in sequence starting with district 1.
(j) Grafton county-one county commissioner by the voters in each county commissioner district; provided that, at the 2022 state general election, the commissioner from district 3 shall be elected to a 2-year term, the commissioner from district 1 shall be elected to a 4-year term and the commissioner from district 2 shall be elected to a 2-year term. At each subsequent state general election, 2 commissioners shall be chosen in the county by the voters of the districts in which a commissioner's term is expiring; and, of the commissioners so chosen, one shall serve a 4-year term and one shall serve a 2-year term and both shall hold their offices until their successors are chosen and qualified. Following the 2022 state general election, the 4-year term shall be rotated in sequence starting with district 2.

Source. 1979, 436:1; 451:1. 1990, 56:1, 2. 1991, 219:2. 1992, 9:1, 2. 1993, 308:1. 1995, 47:1, 2. 1996, 138:1, 2. 2003, 289:22, eff. Sept. 1, 2003. 2021, 14:1, 2, eff. June 22, 2021. 2022, 283:2, eff. Aug. 30, 2022. 2023, 177:1, eff. Oct. 3, 2023. 2024, 128:2, eff. Sept. 1, 2024.