NH: Don't forget to get out and vote today!

Published: September 14, 2010

Make sure you get out to the polls today and vote for legislators who will demonstrate compassion for seriously ill patients while in office. The Republican and Democratic primaries are today and voter turnout is typically much, much lower in primary elections, so each vote counts that much more. Also, some of you may not realize this, but New Hampshire allows “undeclared” (independent) voters to vote in either party’s primary.  So, as an undeclared voter, you can feel free to vote in whichever primary you feel you can have the greatest effect. If, after voting, you’d like to restore your “undeclared” status, simply stop by the registration table after voting and they’ll be happy to change you back. 
Polls close in the majority of the state at 7pm, although New Hampshire’s 13 cities have the option to keep them open until 8pm (call your local Board of Elections for more information).

Recently, MPP grantee, the New Hampshire Coalition for Common Sense Marijuana Policy (NH Common Sense), published its “Medical Marijuana Primary Election Voter Guide” at NHCompassion.org/VoterGuide. The guide informs activists about the candidates’ positions on medical marijuana, including races for governor, New Hampshire House and Senate, and U.S. Congress. Races to watch include the governor’s race and the U.S. Senate race. Two high-profile candidates, Governor John Lynch and U.S. Senate candidate Kelly Ayotte, received “F” grades based on their strong opposition to a very tightly-crafted medical marijuana bill in 2009. Two Republicans who are opposing Ayotte for the Senate nomination, Jim Bender (grade: “A”) and Ovide Lamontagne (grade: “C”), have taken much better positions on medical marijuana. You can donate to the “Not Ayotte” campaign at Citizens for Better Senate Choice, a political action committee (PAC) focused on her defeat, which features video of Ayotte’s embarrassing discussion with a disabled Navy veteran, contributed by NH Common Sense’s Executive Director, Matt Simon. The voter guide shows how incumbent candidates for state House and Senate voted on the 2009 medical marijuana bill, along with survey responses from new candidates.  

We at MPP encourage you to find a legislator or candidate in your area that is supportive of passing medical marijuana legislation. Use the voter guide and get your friends and family to vote for these candidates. If you would like more information about volunteering or getting involved with supportive legislators for the general election, you can contact Matt Simon at Matt@NHCommonSense.org.

There are two Republican State Senate primaries that feature particularly relevant races. MPP endorses Jim Forsythe (R-Strafford) against George Hurt (R-Gilford). Forsythe has indicated support for medical marijuana and decriminalization legislation, whereas Hurt is known to be a strong social conservative who opposes these reforms. You can donate to Forsythe or volunteer! MPP also endorses John Lewicke (R-Mason), who has indicated he will support medical marijuana legislation, over Jim Luther (R-Hollis).

After the primaries, the general election will be November 2 and you can register to vote until ten days before that. You can register to vote or check the status of your registration at the New Hampshire Secretary of State website. As always, thanks for all you do, and don’t forget to get out and vote!