2015 Municipal Election

Your Guide to the 2015 Municipal Election

The City of Dover municipal election was held Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2015. Voters this year chose candidates for City Council, Mayor, School Board, as well as moderators, ward clerks, supervisors of the checklist and selectmen, from each ward.

The 2015 Municipal Election page was updated with election information, including candidates, sample ballots, and more. 

Election Results

Election results for the 2015 municipal election, held on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2015, can be viewed below:

Recount Results

Election officials conducted a recount of Ballot Question 1 on Monday, Nov. 16, 2015. Ballot Question 1 asked voters whether they approved restoring ward-based voting for School Board candidates. The election results on Nov. 3 were 1,899 in favor and 1,893 opposed. The results of the recount were 1,914 in favor and 1,900 opposed.

The complete results can be seen below.

Candidate Filings for Mayor

Candidate Filings for City Council

Candidate Filings for School Board

Political Contributions and Expenses

Below are the political contribution forms required to be filed with the City Clerk's Office by Oct. 23, 2015.

EXPENSES AND CONTRIBUTIONS FOR MAYOR BY OCT. 23, 2015

EXPENSES AND CONTRIBUTIONS FOR CITY COUNCIL BY OCT. 23, 2015

EXPENSES AND CONTRIBUTIONS FOR SCHOOL BOARD BY OCT. 23, 2015

EXPENSES AND CONTRIBUTIONS FOR MAYOR BY NOV. 13, 2015

EXPENSES AND CONTRIBUTIONS FOR CITY COUNCIL BY NOV. 13, 2015

EXPENSES AND CONTRIBUTIONS FOR SCHOOL BOARD BY NOV. 13, 2015

Charter Questions

Two charter questions appeared on the ballot. The questions were:

QUESTION 1

QUESTION:  SHALL DOVER APPROVE THE CHARTER AMENDMENT REPRINTED BELOW:

C4-2. School Board.

There shall be a School Board consisting of seven members, one member from each ward and one member elected at large. The term of the office shall begin upon the member’s election and qualification and end upon the election and qualification of the member’s successor.

C4-4 Qualification of Members.

In order to be qualified to be a candidate for election as School Board Member, a person must be a duly qualified voter in the city and a resident of the city. In order to be a candidate for election as a School Board member from a Ward, in addition to the aforementioned qualifications, a person must be a resident of the ward from which he or she is seeking election. In the event that the ward boundaries are redistricted in conjunction with the Municipal Election said Ward candidate is elected which may result in removing them from said ward, the candidate shall be allowed to serve out their term as the representative of the Ward to which they are elected for one term.

Summary Explanation:

Currently, the Dover City Charter provides that the Dover School Board is comprised of seven (7) members, each elected at-large.  If this proposed Charter Amendment is adopted the Dover City Charter would be amended so that the Dover School Board would be comprised of seven (7) members; one (1) member from each of Dover’s six (6) Wards and one (1) member elected at-large.  If adopted, the amended process for the selection of School Board members would be effective with the election to be held in November of 2017.

YES

NO

QUESTION 2

QUESTION:  SHALL DOVER APPROVE THE CHARTER AMENDMENT REPRINTED BELOW:

C5-10 Legal Counsel.

There shall be a Legal Counsel, City Attorney, of the city, appointed by the City Council, who shall serve as the chief legal advisor to the City Council, the City Manager and all city departments, offices and agencies, shall represent the city in legal proceedings and shall perform any other duties prescribed by this Charter or by ordinance. The Legal Counsel shall report to the City Council and may be removed from office by a majority vote of the Council.

Summary Explanation:

The City Attorney serves as legal counsel to the City of Dover, which acts through its City Council, City Manager, City Staff, and volunteer boards, commissions, and committees. Currently, consistent with the

provisions of New Hampshire RSA 49-C:18, the City Manager has the authority to appoint and/or remove the City Attorney, as the City Manager does with other non-elected officers and employees in the administrative service of the City of Dover. If this proposed Charter Amendment is adopted by the voters, the Dover City Charter would be amended so that the City Attorney would be appointed by the City Council, report to the City Council, and could be removed from office by a majority vote of the Council. If adopted by the voters, this Amendment would be effective January 1, 2016.

YES

NO

Sample Ballots

Sample ballots by ward are available below:

Candidate Forums

Dover Listens and the Greater Dover Chamber of Commerce hosted two forums for mayoral, City Council and School Board candidates. Both "Community Conversations" sessions can be viewed below.

Mayoral and City Council candidates 

 School Board Candidates

How to Register to Vote

If you are a resident of the City of Dover, who will be 18 years of age or older by Nov. 3, 2015, and are interested in registering to vote, the process is fairly simple:

Although nothing is required to register to vote, providing the following information when registering to vote will reduce the amount of paperwork required:

• A photo ID (preferably a driver's license with your current Dover address as proof of residency. If your ID does not list your current address, you can also provide a utility bill, lease, mortgage, car registration, or cancelled check. If you do not have proof of residency, you will be asked to sign a Domicile Affidavit.)
• Citizenship can be verified with a birth certificate or valid U.S. passport. If you are a naturalized citizen, you will be required to provide a copy of your citizenship and naturalization papers. If you do not have these papers, you will be asked to sign a Qualified Voter Affidavit.
• If you are already a registered voter in the City of Dover but have moved to a new ward, you need to re-register to vote, following the same rules as above.

You may register at the polls if you have not registered in Dover before Election Day. This is a called "same day registration."

Please call the City Clerk's Office at 516-6018 for further information.

The New Hampshire Secretary of State's office also provides additional information about voter registration here.