The short version
New Hampshire holds a September state primary. You get on the ballot by filing a Declaration of Candidacy and either paying a small administrative filing fee or submitting primary petitions. The fees are notably low.
- Offices you can run for
- Federal (U.S. House and Senate); statewide (Governor and Executive Council); the State Senate and the 400-member House of Representatives; county offices; and local offices.
- How to get on the ballot
- File a Declaration of Candidacy and a Statement of Financial Interests, then either pay the filing fee or file the required primary petitions with an Assent to Candidacy. The amounts are small and scale with the office — for example Governor or U.S. Senator is $100 or 200 petitions, and a state representative is $2 or 5 petitions.
- Who runs candidate filing
- New Hampshire Secretary of State — Elections Division603-271-3242
This is a plain-language overview, not legal advice. Filing deadlines and fees change every election cycle and vary by office; the official New Hampshire resources below are the final word. When in doubt, the elections authority is right and we're wrong.
Find your New Hampshire county
Every county runs its own filing office and its own local races. See all 10 New Hampshire counties, each with its election office, fees, deadlines and local facts.
The 2027 ballot in New Hampshire.
These 2027 dates are confirmed against the state's own published calendar or statute. Anything our research could not confirm is left off this page rather than estimated.
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March 9, 2027
Municipal General — Town.
Town Meeting Day: annual town elections for selectmen, town clerk, treasurer, moderator and other town offices. Most school districts elect their officers the same day.
Candidate filing: opens Jan 20, 2027, closes Jan 29, 2027.
Source 1 · Source 2
2027 dates can move, and a municipality can change its own election date by ordinance. Which seats are on a given ballot depends on when each was last filled. Confirm anything you are relying on with the county election office before you act on it.
Official New Hampshire candidate resources
Start here for the exact deadlines, fees, forms, and signature counts for your office and cycle. Note: 2026 filing has closed in most states, so these resources govern the standing rules; check the official calendar for your next filing window.
Once you're on the ballot, Motion51 runs your field game.
Get your district's voter file loaded, cut into walkable turf, and onto an app your volunteers use at the door. New Hampshire is fully available; see how to get your voter file.
Talk to us about your New Hampshire race
Tell us what you're running for and we'll help you go from "qualified" to "knocking doors": voter file loaded, turf cut, volunteers set up.