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| Ward 11 Ward Room in 1931 |
Introduction
The records of the Elections Division of the Office of the City Clerk described in this inventory cover the years 1842 to the present.
This group of records documents the growth of the electoral process in Manchester beginning with an 1842 Warrant requesting residents of School District #2 to gather at the Brick School House for the purpose of choosing a moderator. Correspondence, sample ballots, election manuals, and official election results illustrate the political ramifications of organizing and overseeing political contests at the local, state and national levels.
The Office of the City Clerk has traditionally been the repository for election results.
Scope and Content
The Election Records consist of election series sorted chronologically. Within each election year series (i.e. Election Results, 1997) are subseries topics dealing with the administrative tasks of the elections division. The early, handwritten records indicate the traditional progression of events to establish an election. Upon receipt of notification from the State of New Hampshire, Selectman in each ward or members of the Prudential Committee issued a warrant to the citizenry, announcing an upcoming election. In some cases, the mayor notified ward representatives.
There are gaps in the early records. Manchester did not have a formal repository for its records until 1999. Records were stored on shelves in the basement of City Hall with no assigned caretaker. Therefore, the 19th and early 20th century election results are fragmented, and entire decades are missing.
Arrangement
The records are arranged chronologically with materials pertaining to specific elections filed by date of the election and then by subject. Materials not related to a specific election are filed chronologically, by year only, and then alphabetically by subject. Files with year-only dating precede the more specific, election-dated files.
Administrative Information
The election records were surveyed and described by former Deputy City Clerk, Paul Bergeron in June 1999. A finding aid was prepared in January 2000 by archivist Sally Stephensen.
Access
The records are open for research without restrictions under the conditions of the Archives' access policy. Records may be copied for use in administrative, scholarly or personal research. Researchers are responsible for obtaining copyright permission to use the material from the archivist.
Citation
The records of the Elections Division, Office of the City Clerk, City of Manchester, New Hampshire.
Subseries Descriptions
City Clerk Correspondence: Correspondence relates to various election and voter registration matters. Arranged chronologically by year.
Legislation: Legislation folders contain sampled material related to proposed or actual revisions in local, state, or federal election laws.
News: This subseries includes a sampling of published news articles relating to voter registration and elections and is arranged chronologically by year.
Oaths: Oaths of office require permanent retention. Election officials' oaths may also be filed with oaths of city officials maintained by the City Clerk.
Registrars' Correspondence: The correspondence is addressed to the Board of Registrars or to the City Clerk. Under state law, the Board of Registrars has the same basic duties and responsibilities as Supervisors of the Checklist. Items generally pertain to checklist matters and/or voter registration issues.
Registrars' Decisions: This subseries includes all decisions rendered by the Board of Registrars on voter registration or checklist matters, opinions of the City Solicitor on voting election/issues, challenges to election results, Ballot Law Commission rulings and court proceedings. Some material may not strictly pertain to matters subject to review by the Board of Registrars (e.g., voter registration, voter eligibility, checklist preparation, residency, use of the checklist, etc.). Historically, however, election-related decisions, rulings, and opinions often deals with matters that impact the Board of Registrars, and all are integrated into this subseries.
Return of Votes: Items include office return forms as well as tally sheets, voter registration totals, and other miscellaneous paperwork related to final returns. Subjects are arranged alphabetically within the date of the election.
Warrants: Warrants are issued by elected officials such as the mayor or the selectmen, acting on the authority of the State of New Hampshire. They advise residents of upcoming elections to decide issues such as selecting a mayor, a moderator, or school committee. Many of the earlier documents are oversized and printed by hand.
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