STATE & FEDERAL GOVERNMENT SEATS

GOVERNOR

Enacts state laws & executive orders.
Has veto power over legislative bills.
Establishes & manages state budget.
Oversight of state departments and agencies.
Appoints Judges, Attorney General, state department & board heads, and Commissioners.

STATE SENATOR

Creates and votes or state laws.
Approves state budget & tax laws.
Votes for/against governor vetoes.
Conducts impeachment proceedings against state officials.

COUNTY COMMISSIONER

Maintains county properties.
Reviews county department budgets.
Oversight of the department of corrections, nursing homes, public assistance, and human resources.

U.S. SENATOR

Creates and votes on federal laws.
Amends federal budget spending bills.
Confirms cabinet & executive agency officials, ambassadors, Supreme Court & federal judges.
Ratifies treaties.

STATE REP

Creates and votes on state laws.
Approves state budget & tax laws.
Oversight of budget spending for county.
Votes for/against governor vetoes.
Initiates impeachment proceedings against state officials.

COUNTY TREASURER

Manages county budget & financial accounts.
Collects county property tax form municipalities.
Invests county funds.

U.S. REP.

Creates and votes on federal laws
Proposes federal budget spending bills.
Initiates impeachehment of government officials.

SHERIFF

Chief law enforcement officer for the county.
Enforces state laws & serves civil processes.
Provides court security.

REGISTRAR OF PROBATE

Oversees wills, trusts, estates, guardianships, involuntary commitments, adoptions, name changes, and partition of real estate in the county.

EXECUTIVE

COUNCILOR

Approves state budget spending.
Approves all state contracts over $10k.
Approves governor's pardons.
Approve governor's appointments of Judges, Attorney General, state department & board heads, commissioners.

COUNTY ATTORNEY

Prosecutes felonies and misdemeanor appeals from the district courts.
Prosecutes crimes in collaboration with the State Attorney General's Office, Sheriff's Department, NH State Police and local police departments.

REGISTRAR OF DEEDS

Processes and maintains records on the selling and buying of land and buildings, including plans, sales, and foreclosures.

COMMONLY USED POLITICAL TERMS

Absentee/mail-in voting:

Absentee/mail-in voting is voting that does not happen in person on Election Day but instead occurs another way (generally by mail).

Appointee:

A person who has been placed (not elected) in a position government by an appointing authority.

At Large:

The whole membership or population (notably a city, county, state, province, nation, club or association) rather than a subset.

Ballot:

Either in paper form or electronic, the system for voters to show their vote preferences.

Campaign:

A series of democratic activities to influence a political vote for or against candidates or ballot questions.

Candidate:

A person who is running for an elected office.

Domicile:

The place where a person physically lives.

Election:

A formal process of selecting a person for a public office, or of accepting/rejecting a political view by voting.

Gerrymandering:

The practice of drawing district lines to favor one political party, individual, or constituency over another.

Incumbent:

A person who is currently in office.

Legislation:

The preparing and enacting of laws by local, state, or national lawmaking branches of government.

Party:

A political organization with specific ideological or policy goals that coordinates candidates to compete in elections.

Primary:

An election to choose the front runner candidates for a party ahead of the General Election.

Poll:

(1) To check the status of or record the opinion of a voter. (2) The process of voting in an election.