New Hampshire Eliminate Office of Register of Probate Amendment (2026)
| New Hampshire Eliminate Office of Register of Probate Amendment | |
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| Election date |
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| Topic Administrative organization and Constitutional wording changes |
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| Status On the ballot |
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| Type Legislatively referred constitutional amendment |
Origin |
The New Hampshire Abolish Office of Register of Probate Amendment (2026) is on the ballot in New Hampshire as a legislatively referred constitutional amendment on November 3, 2026.[1]
A "yes" vote supports eliminating the register of probate offices and references to it within the New Hampshire Constitution. |
A "no" vote opposes eliminating the register of probate offices and references to it within the New Hampshire Constitution. |
Text of measure
Ballot title
The official ballot title is as follows:[1]
| “ |
Are you in favor of eliminating the office of register of probate by amending articles 71 and 81 of the second part of the constitution to read as follows: [Art.] 71. [County Treasurers, County Attorneys, Sheriffs, and Registers of Deeds Elected.] The county treasurers, county attorneys, sheriffs and registers of deeds, shall be elected by the inhabitants of the several towns, in the several counties in the State, according to the method now practiced, and the laws of the state, provided nevertheless the legislature shall have authority to alter the manner of certifying the votes, and the mode of electing those officers; but not so as to deprive the people of the right they now have of electing them. [Art.] 81. [Judges Not to Act as Counsel.] No judge shall be of counsel, act as advocate, or receive any fees as advocate or counsel, in any probate business which is pending, or may be brought into any court of probate in the county of which he or she is judge.[2] |
” |
Full text
The full text of the measure can be read here.
Path to the ballot
Amending the New Hampshire Constitution
A 60% vote is required during one legislative session for the New Hampshire State Legislature to place a constitutional amendment on the ballot. That amounts to a minimum of 240 votes in the New Hampshire House of Representatives and 15 votes in the New Hampshire State Senate, assuming no vacancies. Amendments do not require the governor's signature to be referred to the ballot.
In New Hampshire, an amendment needs to receive support from two-thirds (66.67%) of the votes cast on the measure.
Constitutional Amendment Concurrent Resolution 13
The following is a timeline of the amendment:[3]
- December 1, 2025: The measure, Constitutional Amendment Concurrent Resolution 13 (CACR 13), was introduced by Rep. Dennis Mannion (R) in the Senate.
- February 5, 2026: The House approved the measure in a vote of 325-15.
- March 26, 2026: The Senate approved the measure in a vote of 23-1.
Learn more about the ballot measures PDI →
| Votes Required to Pass: 240 | |||
| Yes | No | NV | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 325 | 15 | 60 |
| Total % | 81.2% | 3.8% | 15% |
| Democratic (D) | |||
| Republican (R) | |||
| Votes Required to Pass: 15 | |||
| Yes | No | NV | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 23 | 1 | 0 |
| Total % | 95.8% | 4.2% | 0.0% |
| Democratic (D) | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| Republican (R) | 15 | 1 | 0 |
How to cast a vote
- See also: Voting in New Hampshire
See below to learn more about current voter registration rules, identification requirements, and poll times in New Hampshire.
External links
See also
View other measures certified for the 2026 ballot across the U.S. and in New Hampshire.
Explore New Hampshire's ballot measure history, including constitutional amendments.
Understand how measures are placed on the ballot and the rules that apply.
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 [https://gc.nh.gov/bill_status/legacy/bs2016/billText.aspx?id=1803&txtFormat=html&sy=2026 New Hampshire Legislature, "CACR 13 Text," accessed February 10, 2026]
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ New Hampshire Legislature, "CACR 13," accessed February 10, 2026
- ↑ New Hampshire General Court, "N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 659:4," accessed December 10, 2025
- ↑ New Hampshire Bulletin, "What to expect on Election Day in New Hampshire," November 4, 2024
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 New Hampshire Secretary of State, “How to Register to Vote,” accessed December 10, 2025
- ↑ New Hampshire Secretary of State, “Register to Vote,” accessed December 10, 2025
- ↑ New Hampshire Secretary of State, "Absentee Voter Registration," accessed December 10, 2025
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "Automatic Voter Registration," accessed December 10, 2025
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 "N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 654:12," accessed March 16, 2026
- ↑ General Court of New Hampshire, "CHAPTER 378 HB 1569-FN - FINAL VERSION," accessed January 27, 2026
- ↑ Under federal law, the national mail voter registration application (a version of which is in use in all states with voter registration systems) requires applicants to indicate that they are U.S. citizens in order to complete an application to vote in state or federal elections, but does not require voters to provide documentary proof of citizenship. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the application "may require only the minimum amount of information necessary to prevent duplicate voter registrations and permit State officials both to determine the eligibility of the applicant to vote and to administer the voting process."
- ↑ Florida's law takes effect on January 1, 2027
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 State of New Hampshire, "Voter ID Law Explanatory Document," accessed December 10, 2025
