Category: Lake Friendly Policy

Stand up for Lakes: Run for Municipal Office!

Our lakes need a coalition of concerned and supportive leaders to initiate, support, and protect lake-friendly policies at the state level—and at the local level, too!

Being elected to office in your municipality is a great way to stand up for lakes and ensure your town governs in a lake-friendly way. If your town, for example, elects members to the planning board or zoning board, consider running as these boards can play a large role in restoring and protecting the health of our lakes.

And serving locally is the perfect way to get some experience to set you up to serve in the New Hampshire Legislature, where you can help make a difference statewide for clean and healthy lakes!

Check out these commonly asked questions about running for office:

What does “filing” mean?
Filing is a formal declaration of your candidacy, and this step is what gets your name printed on the ballot. If you don’t file, you can still technically run for office, but you’d have to run a write-in campaign. Write-in campaigns typically take much more work and are harder to win, so it’s important and highly recommended that you officially file!

Where can you file?
Candidates for all town offices file with their respective town clerks. The process can vary from town to town, so it’s always good to check with your town clerk.

What do you need to file?
All you need is a valid I.D. The office you file with will have the form for you to fill out and submit.

What happens after you file?
Campaign, campaign, campaign! You have until election day to get out there and talk to voters.

What if you aren’t eligible to run for office in New Hampshire?
If you don’t permanently reside in New Hampshire, you may be unable to serve in your local government. But you can still make a difference by encouraging other lake-minded people you know who are eligible to run!

Together, with your help, New Hampshire will become a place where all our lakes are clean and healthy, and caring for them is a way of living, doing business, and governing.