The impact of out-of-state college students on New Hampshire elections is hard to determine. But it’s likely
greater than in other states, because out-of-staters make up a larger share of
student enrollment.
In New Hampshire, a Strafford County judge is hearing from advocacy groups suing the state
over a new law that effectively blocks out-of-state students from voting there.
Legislation that’s being considered in the Vermont House would require all communities that have more than 1000 voters to
use optical scan vote tabulating machines beginning in the 2014 elections. Roughly 25 towns would be
affected by the new requirement.
A key factor in Peter Shumlin’s narrow win over Brian Dubie could be his performance in a group of towns where there are a large number of independent voters.
Vermont voters are well known for crossing party lines to choose the candidate they think is best.
This tendency to split the ticket is the reason why the state often votes for a Democratic candidate for president and a Republican for governor.
Communities across the state are reporting heavy turnout for today’s election. Local officials say strong interest in the presidential race and perfect weather conditions could help the state set a new record for voter participation.