Voting records: What they mean and how to find them

An internet search for the voting records of elected officials doesn’t always show the results you’re looking for. Newspapers used to publish how state legislators voted on amendments and bills — when newspapers contained more pages and had more staff to compile lists.

Now it’s up to voters to research candidates' voting records if they value that information to help make their choice on Election Day.

“People don’t know where to look. You have to go out of your way” to find them, said Frank Marino, a Massachusetts resident who owns a vacation home in Gilford.

“Voting records? Yeah, I want to know,” said Debbie, his wife. “When I see them listed or publicized, I read them.”

When it comes to gauging the lineup of people running for public office, there’s a dizzying menu of options. Voting records are one segment of a puzzle that becomes clearer when you assemble all the pieces.

“Letters to the editor aren’t all that helpful. Some people write the same thing all the time,” said Mary Albert of Laconia, who believes voting records are critical to check in addition to newspaper articles, televised debates and candidate websites.

The process of locating voting records isn’t intuitive, and it helps to know where to start. Different search engines prioritize different websites — and not all illuminate voting records. It can be challenging to find the original language of bills.

Here are some tips on how to obtain this information without too much time and frustration.

The website of Citizens Count, citizenscount.org, a New Hampshire nonprofit that surveys candidates and provides information of interest to voters, is a low-barrier, user-friendly place to look as a first or second place to consult.

Citizens Count includes information on voting records, when there is a record, and explains legislation in plain language. If you search by bill number, you can click a link to the State Legislature website — gencourt.state.nh.us — that gives the exact wording of a bill.

By searching a candidate’s name on the Citizens Count website, then clicking on history, you’ll see responses to a survey that indicates basic positions on issues. Not all candidates respond — but answers from those who do provide a window. Clicking the candidate’s name brings up biographical information, including years served in the state Legislature and current contact information.

Once you have those dates, you can consult the website for the New Hampshire General Court, another name for the NH State Legislature, to see how a senator or representative voted compared to their peers. Did they show up to vote on this? If not, did they have an excuse? Does their record show a tendency to excuse themselves from weighing in on hot button topics? Are they frequently absent?

The wording of legislation is critical because a "yea" or "nay" vote can endorse or block something you believe is beneficial and wise — or it can contradict strongly held views and values. Votes by legislators are also used to advance a party’s position — and keep the opposite side from getting anything through.

By looking closely at the bills, and how state senators and representatives voted, you can see divisions between Republicans and Democrats and get a ground-floor view of politics at work.

To read legislation as written, visit gencourt.state.nh.us. There’s a box to find bills by number, legislator, subject or text. Click on what you know to get a summary page. Select the bill number, then the version you want to see the full text. To understand how someone voted, examining what was proposed is key.

To scan attendance and voting records visit gencourt.state.nh.us/nhgcrollcalls/default.aspx.

To learn how candidates voted on a particular item, choose the session year, hit search, then the bill number and hit search again. This will bring you to a very brief description of what the bill or constitutional amendment said, followed by how each representative voted, in alphabetical order, with their names, county, political party, and their vote, "yea" or "nay."

You also can use it to find the votes of a candidate who served in the past.

To access a current representative’s voting record, visit gencourt.state.nh.us/house/members.

For a current state senator’s voting record, visit gencourt.state.nh.us/senate/members/voting_records/senators.aspx.

The New Hampshire General Court website’s information on individual members includes phone numbers, email addresses and links to candidate websites, as well as personal background they share under “additional information.”

How Democrats and Republicans voted, based on a look at the record

It may come as no surprise that state lawmakers almost always vote along party lines to create a solid contingent to pass, table, delay or kill a bill or amendment to the state’s constitution. That’s borne out in the voting records.

What is surprising is how New Hampshire Democrats and Republicans vote. The party positions on bills and amendments don’t always mesh with public stereotypes, or voter expectations.

Here’s how the state representatives voted in March on CACR 118, a proposed amendment to the state Constitution, which requires voters’ approval, “providing that the state shall not infringe or unduly inconvenience the right of reproductive medical decisions.”

A "yea" vote sounds like a way to guarantee abortion access and personal choice.

All voting Republicans voted yes, including all members of the current Belknap County Delegation. Reps. Mike Bordes of Laconia, Travis O’Hara of Belmont and Richard Littlefield of Laconia did not vote and were excused.

All voting Democrat representatives voted no — despite abortion rights and personal choice being a rallying cry for the party.

Why? Was it partisan politics designed to block the opposing party’s effort? Are Democrats holding out for a federal ruling on an issue that the U.S. Supreme Court returned to the states when it overturned Roe v. Wade? Does it mean Democrats want to keep the door open for state intervention?

That’s a question for candidates. Votes are best understood in context, with a candidate's personal views and reasons along with their political party’s goals.

On March 16, on CACR 119, “providing that all NH elections shall be conducted by paper ballots,” all but three Democrat representatives statewide voted no. In Belknap County, only Rep. Mike Sylvia of Belmont did not vote and was not excused. Otherwise, the Republican delegation voted in favor of amending the state Constitution to continue the current system, which enables paper ballots to be counted by machine, then verified and reconciled by a hand count.

Using the state website, you can unearth votes from the past. In 2017, CACR 6 provided “that no member of the Gen Court shall sponsor, advocate for or vote on any legislation that would create a financial conflict of interest.” This amendment would have prevented state senators and representatives from introducing or voting on bills that might bring changes that are financially rewarding to them, their family members or businesses. For instance, if a state senator or representative were part-owner of a casino, that legislator couldn’t introduce or vote on a bill to legalize casino gambling in New Hampshire.

On CACR 6, almost all Republicans statewide voted yes, prohibiting conflict of interest voting, while almost all Democrats voted no. In 2017, David Huot, a Democrat from Laconia, voted no.

Again, it’s important to ask individual candidates about this, and decide if their position aligns with your own. When votes don’t match your expectations, you can contact the candidates through their websites, Facebook pages or by email to ask why — and what their positions are now. Their answers may be enlightening and set you at ease. That’s for you to decide.