What We Do
Citizens Count is a nonprofit that provides the people of New Hampshire with the tools and information they need to make a difference. We make it easy to learn what's happening with key issues, from gun rights and drug policy to health care and renewable energy. We research and profile every candidate for state or federal office in the Granite State. We build connections between people and their elected officials, helping them share their story and make an impact. We do it all without any bias or agenda, because we believe that democracy works best when we all have a seat at the table.
Here are just some of the services we provide:
Tracking the NH Legislature
Citizens Count continues to offer the most comprehensive online library of information on NH legislation and policy. We provide a layperson summary of each of the roughly 1,000 bills in the state Legislature each year. Granite Staters can browse bills by topic or search by keyword. We update bill summaries with amendments after each voting day.
Thanks to recent technology updates, you can even find public hearing information and voting dates on our bill pages without leaving to navigate the confusing GenCourt website.
Exploring the issues
We offer in-depth issue briefs on roughly 100 NH issues, including ‘pro’ and ‘con’ arguments developed by outside experts. These articles are organized by topic, making it easy to find out about current legislation and go deeper into the context all in one place.
Unpacking bills on our podcast, $100 Plus Mileage
$100 Plus Mileage is Citizens Count’s bi-weekly podcast produced in collaboration with Franklin Pierce University and the Granite State News Collaborative. Episodes span the legislative session and cover lesser-known legislation in a lighthearted and informative format. You can subscribe to $100 Plus Mileage wherever you get your podcasts, and find past episodes—and accompanying articles—on our website.
New Hampshire’s Advocacy Toolkit
Citizens Count’s Advocacy Toolkit provides easy, step-by-step guides on how to get involved in our Granite State Democracy. These guides answer questions from “How do I testify in person at a public hearing?” to “How do I register to vote in NH?” Whether you’re looking to prepare to vote in New Hampshire or want to make your voice heard about a cause you care about, our Advocacy Toolkit has the details you need to be a more informed and engaged citizen.
Empowering informed voters
Citizens Count aims to increase informed voting by providing unparalleled information on candidates and elected officials in NH.
We profiled 991 candidates in the 2022 NH elections, offering detailed background and issue positions for voters. Roughly two-thirds of candidates for the NH Senate and Executive Council responded to our issue survey, along with over half of state representative candidates. We researched background and positions for all non-responsive candidates.
We provide you with easy access to find both who represents you and who is running in your district, just by entering your town or street address. We also update elected official profiles with attendance and voting data as this legislative session progresses.
All told, our candidate and elected official database includes over 57,000 candidate issue positions and over 86,000 voting records!
Learn about upcoming elections and candidates
Sharing alerts through our newsletters
Citizens Count keeps in regular communication with members, elected officials, leading policy-makers and civic organizations through our newsletters (which get over 10,000 opens each year!).
Our monthly newsletter includes a summary of the latest legislative action, a top trending policy discussion, and important Citizens Count activities and announcements.
The Weekly Legislative Preview is a second newsletter that highlights ten to fifteen significant bills with public hearings and/or votes each upcoming week. Our goal is to make it easy for citizens to know about opportunities for public input!
You can also join 200,000+ Citizens Count followers on Facebook, Twitter, Reddit, and other social media.
Subscribe to our newsletters by becoming a member on our website
Forging partnerships for engagement and education
Thanks to a grant from New Hampshire Humanities, Citizens Count provides classroom guides for civics teachers in grades 8-12, using Citizens Count podcasts and articles.
We maintain relationships with the NH Institute of Politics, NH Civics, Leadership Seacoast, and other nonprofits to synergize our related missions of civic learning.
Our mission
Citizens Count℠ is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization created to serve New Hampshire citizens by:
- providing objective information about issues and candidates
- promoting the civil exchange of opinions in a variety of forums, online and in person
- connecting citizens with their elected officials
Want to get involved with Citizens Count? You can join us in our mission by donating or volunteering today.
