LTE: Two Questions on November 8th

As a voter, you will find two questions on the ballot this November 8th ballot. Many people are confused about these questions as written and why they appear. Here is some information about these ballot questions.

Question 1 is intended to eliminate the elected office of Probate which is set forth in our Constitution. Prior to 2011 the Register of Probate, a county position, handled simple wills. In 2011 there was a reorganization of the court system which eliminated the basic duties of Probate. If this amendment passes, the position will no longer appear on the ballot and the position will cease to exist. If the question fails, the office of probate will still appear on the ballot but will have no duties. You also have the option of leaving the question blank.

Question 2 states “shall there be a convention to amend or revise the constitution?” This question is required to appear on the ballot every 10 years. If a Constitutional Convention is held, 400 delegates would be elected by the people and a convention convened. The delegates would meet and propose any changes to our NH constitution. The convention process allows the State Constitution to be drastically changed or even rewritten by these delegates. The changes from the Convention would then be sent back to the voters for approval. Again, two thirds of those voting in the election would have to approve the changes.

A major concern with Question 2 is that in our very contentious political arena there may be groups that would like to craft a constitution to their ideology. The Convention method allows large scale changes to be made versus the legislative process for changes in the Constitution, as seen in Question 1. This process starts with a bill which, in the case of the Probate question, passed with votes of 294-43 in the House and 21-3 in the Senate. Going through the legislature allows the time to review, debate, and receive public testimony in the House and Senate before Constitutional changes are presented to the voter on a ballot.

Our Constitution is the foundation of our state governance and deserves the most careful, thoughtful, and legal review for any changes. Please consider your vote wisely on these questions.

Linda Tanner

Georges Mills, NH