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Ballot question

Question 1: eliminating the elected office of register of probate (constitutional amendment)

On the ballot in
New Hampshire
Vote
Yes or no
Election
Nov 3, 2026

The question, as printed on the ballot

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. (Passed by the N.H. House 325 Yes 15 No; Passed by the Senate 23 Yes 1 No) CACR 13

A “Yes” vote means

A yes vote amends the state constitution to eliminate the office of register of probate, removing it from the list of county officers elected by voters.

A “No” vote means

A no vote leaves the constitution unchanged, so the register of probate remains an office named in the constitution.

Constitutional amendment proposed by the 2026 General Court (CACR 13). No official plain-language explanation was published with the SOS question list. Some towns' ballots also carry a local-option Question 2 (a statutory question required by HB 1300, Chapter 324, 2026: whether the municipality limits property tax growth for its school district(s) under RSA 32:5-i; needs a three-fifths majority). It appears only where a town put it on the ballot, so it isn't listed statewide here.

Sources

The question and plain English statement are copied word for word from official election materials. The Gist does not take a side on ballot questions.