What questions will be on my ballot this November?

As you decide how you will vote in November, don’t forget: candidates won’t be the only choice you’ll make at the ballot box! Voters in New Hampshire will also see two ballot questions. In this article, we’ll look at what these questions are all about and how they could impact you.

Should NH eliminate the office of “register of probate”?

The first question asks voters if they’re in favor of amending the state constitution to eliminate the office of register of probate.

Registers of probate are elected county officials who once managed local probate courts. These courts handle wills, estates, and guardianships. A 2011 restructuring merged probate courts into the state's district and superior court system and stripped registers of probate of nearly all their official duties. Since then, lawmakers from both parties have periodically proposed removing the now-largely-ceremonial position from the constitution.

Voters have actually rejected this idea in the past, however. A nearly identical amendment appeared on the 2022 ballot and won 62.88% support. While that was a clear majority, it fell short of the two-thirds (66.67%) supermajority the constitution requires for amendments to pass. This year's version, CACR 13, passed the House 325-15 and the Senate 23-1, suggesting rare bipartisan agreement on this issue in Concord. It will need that same two-thirds threshold to succeed in November.

The ballot language for this question might be confusing to some voters, since the phrase “register of probate” doesn't actually appear in the text. That’s because the amendment works by rewriting the constitutional articles that created the office. When you go to vote, just remember that a “yes” vote supports eliminating the office, while a “no” vote keeps it in place.

Should your school district cap local property tax growth, administration spending?

The second question that will appear on your ballot has gotten a lot more media attention, and for good reason. It’s the result of HB 1300, which was signed into law by Governor Kelly Ayotte this year. Unlike the constitutional amendment, this question needs only a three-fifths (60%) majority to take effect, and it will appear again on the 2028 ballot.

If adopted, the measure would, for a two-year period:

• cap the school district's local property tax levy so it can't grow faster than inflation plus new construction
• limit spending by the district's SAU (School Administrative Unit) central office to 6% of total school district appropriations

Bonded capital costs, such as building projects, would be excluded.

Supporters, including Governor Ayotte and groups like Americans for Prosperity-NH, argue the question gives voters more direct control over school spending, since budgets are often decided at low-turnout school district meetings and town meetings held separately from November's general election. They also say the SAU spending cap directs more money toward classrooms and away from administrative overhead.

Opponents, including the American Federation of Teachers-NH and other public education advocates, argue the ballot wording is misleading. They point to the line stating “these caps...do not affect classroom instruction, school-based services, or other municipal expenditures,” saying it’s unclear whether “these caps” applies both to the property tax cap and the 6% administrative spending limit, or just the 6% administrative limit. Critics also point to New Hampshire’s longstanding traditions of school district and town meetings, where voters already have the power to limit school district taxes.

Two plaintiffs asked a Merrimack County Superior Court judge to strike the question from the ballot, arguing its language is too vague and misleadingly implies voters can approve the tax cap and the spending cap separately when they can only vote on both together. Judge Daniel St. Hilaire dismissed the lawsuit, however, clearing the way for the question to appear on ballots in November.

What do you think?

The full text of both questions above are listed on the Secretary of State's 2026 election details page, which links to the official statewide ballot question document. Citizens Count also provides links to the full legislative history of both CACR 13 and HB 1300, including votes, sponsors, and more.