Commentary: Local control keeps New Hampshire’s elections secure, fair and transparent

On Tuesday, Granite Staters will head to the polls to elect leaders for state and federal office. Many voters will make their decisions based on the candidates and issues that matter most to them, not on whether a candidate has an R or D next to their name.

Regardless of who you vote for, we should all be able to agree on a fundamental principle that every eligible voter deserves confidence that their ballot will be counted in a secure, fair, and transparent process. The good news is that most Granite Staters already have that confidence in New Hampshire’s elections.

A new statewide survey commissioned by the Democracy Defense Foundation found that 82% of likely voters are confident New Hampshire’s election process is secure from fraud, hacking, and other technological threats. That is considerably higher than the 65% who expressed confidence in the accuracy of vote counting elsewhere in the country.

The same survey revealed that nearly two-thirds of respondents expressed at least some concern that voting irregularities could threaten legitimate elections and their certification. One in five said their faith in New Hampshire’s elections has declined since 2024.

At first glance, those findings may seem contradictory. How can voters express such strong confidence in our election system while simultaneously harboring concerns about its integrity? We believe the answer to this question is important, particularly as Granite Staters prepare for Election Day. Confidence in our elections should never be confused with complacency. In that same vein, concern about election integrity should never be mistaken for evidence that our elections are compromised.

As former members of Congress from different political parties, we have spent much of our public lives disagreeing about policy, and competing, sometimes fiercely, in our campaigns to represent New Hampshire’s second congressional district. However, through our work together as the New Hampshire co-chairs of the Democracy Defense Foundation, we share a fundamental belief that maintaining public confidence in our elections is a responsibility that transcends political differences.

Fortunately, New Hampshire has a strong foundation on which to build. Our elections are administered locally, by people who live and work in the communities they serve. Town clerks, moderators, supervisors of the checklist, and election workers carry out responsibilities that are essential to our democracy, often without much recognition. Under the leadership of Secretary of State David Scanlan, New Hampshire continues to demonstrate the importance of maintaining a secure, transparent, and locally administered election system.

Granite Staters recognize the value of local elections officals. In our October survey, 84% selected statements recognizing election workers as important members of their communities who count votes fairly, even as many emphasized the importance of continued oversight. That is an important distinction. Trust and accountability are not competing principles. They reinforce one another.

The polling also reveals remarkable agreement about the safeguards voters believe are necessary to protect elections. According to the survey:

• 96% support securely storing paper ballots to prevent tampering.
• 94% support ensuring vote counting machines are not connected to the internet.
• 89% support independent testing of voting machines before Election Day.
• 88% support bipartisan oversight of election results.

These are not Republican or Democratic principles. They are common-sense measures that help ensure every vote is counted and every voter can have confidence in the outcome. They also reflect the kinds of safeguards that have long been central to New Hampshire’s approach to administering elections.

Despite recent and continued improvements to our election process, there is more work to do. Our survey found that concerns about election interference and integrity remain prominent in voters’ minds. These concerns deserve thoughtful debate and answers. Voters should understand how their elections work, what protections are in place, and where they can turn for reliable information.

Core to our mission at the Democracy Defense Foundation is bringing people together across political differences to strengthen public understanding of our elections and reinforce confidence in the democratic process. It is also why preserving local control matters. Eighty percent of likely New Hampshire voters oppose transferring responsibility for administering elections from state and local officials to the federal government. Granite Staters understand the value of a system in which elections are administered close to home, by people who are accountable to the communities they serve.

As Nov. 3 approaches, we encourage every eligible Granite Stater to participate, to recognize the neighbors who make our elections possible, and to approach the process with confidence. We will not always agree on who should win an election. But we should be able to agree that the integrity of the process matters more than the outcome of any single contest. That is a principle worth defending, on Election Day and every day that follows.

Ambassador Richard Swett, a Democrat, and former Congressman Charlie Bass, a Republican, serve as the New Hampshire co-chairs of the Democracy Defense Foundation.