Sununu and Ayotte: Loyal to Trump, Not the Granite State
- Amplify NH
- Oct 28, 2024
- 5 min read
Last week, explosive reports from The Atlantic and The New York Times, former Trump White House Chief of Staff, four-star General John Kelly revealed that Donald Trump repeatedly expressed admiration for Adolf Hitler and declared "I need the kind of generals that Hitler had." These disturbing statements come as General Kelly, Trump's longest-serving chief of staff, warns the American public that Trump "met the definition of a fascist" and "would govern like a dictator if allowed."
General Kelly also detailed Trump's pattern of denigrating American service members, confirming he called wounded veterans and fallen soldiers "losers" and "suckers," while expressing particular disdain for disabled veterans because "it doesn't look good for me.” These reports follow Trump’s previous claims that he wants to be a dictator, pattern of denigrating service members, and attempts to proactively cast blame on Jews for a potential election loss.
Trump surrogate and supporter Governor Chris Sununu not only passed up the opportunity to disavow Trump, but spent time on the cable news circuit defending Trump on CNN and Fox News. His appearances sparked bipartisan outrage from political and academic experts, members of Congress, and the media.
In parading across cable news in defense of Trump’s praise of Hitler, Sununu is once again proving himself more loyal to Trump than New Hampshire — willing to sell us and democracy down the river for status and power.
GOP gubernatorial nominee Kelly Ayotte has been silent, declining an opportunity to back off of her previously expressed support for Donald Trump in light of these reports.
Kelly Ayotte’s silence speaks volumes. We can only assume this is the kind of leadership she’ll continue as governor. Trump’s former Chief of Staff General John Kelly has laid out in unambiguous terms Trump’s ambition to turn America into a dictatorship and rule like Adolf Hitler. If this stark warning is not enough to compel Kelly Ayotte to abandon Donald Trump’s candidacy and speak out for New Hampshire and the rule of law, what will?
This entire cycle we have seen Kelly Ayotte repeatedly selling out Granite State values in order to further her own desire for political power, but is she really willing to forfeit decency and American democracy just to align herself with Trump and his radical MAGA movement?
Ayotte lacks the courage to speak out and put country over party to stop a president with fascist ambitions. But that should not stop our leaders and those in the media from applying pressure to our leaders to stand up for what’s right. This should not be a partisan issue. If she refuses to hold Trump accountable, voters must reject not just Trump but Ayotte and all NH Republicans for their failure to be the moderating voices that Granite Staters need.
One Week to Election Day!
Election Day is just a week away! With competitive races up and down the ballot, it’s important for Granite Staters to cast their ballots on November 5. Let’s take a look at what goes into carrying out your plan to vote, as well as what Granite Staters can expect on Election Day:
Before Casting Your Vote: Registration and Research
Before arriving at the polls, it’s important to confirm that you are registered to vote. Granite Staters can check their registration status online or by contacting their local town or city clerk. Remember, if you are not registered (or not registered at your current address), you can register at the polls on Election Day.
To be eligible to vote in New Hampshire, you need to be 18 years old, domiciled in New Hampshire, and a U.S. Citizen. When you are registering, you will be asked to prove your identity, age, citizenship and domicile (physical address). When registering to vote, you should bring a photo ID. This can be an ID issued by any state, the federal government, or a New Hampshire high school, college or trade school.
Examples of acceptable forms of photo ID include:
Driver’s license or non-driver’s ID from any state
Passport
Military ID
NH school ID
Voter ID
The photo ID may be expired, as long as the expiration or issuance date is less than 5 years ago. If over 65, the expiration date is irrelevant.
If you don’t have or forget your ID, affidavits are available to prove most of these qualifications. But it’s important to remember, NO ELIGIBLE VOTER WILL BE DENIED THE RIGHT TO VOTE FOR LACKING DOCUMENTATION.
If you are opting to register for the first time in person on election day and don’t present an ID, you will vote with an “affidavit ballot” and your vote will only count if you send a copy of your photo ID to the NH Secretary of State’s Office within seven days.
If you or someone you know is having trouble registering to vote, call New Hampshire’s voter hotline at 866-OUR-VOTE.
Be sure to confirm where your designated polling place is located. That information can be found here. Additionally, check your local polling location’s hours of operation to plan your visit and determine a convenient time for you to go vote.
Additionally, before heading out to the polls, it can be helpful to research the candidates for the federal, state, and local offices on the ballot in order to make an informed decision. It can be helpful to view a sample ballot, which will show you the candidates that will be on your real ballot. Sample ballots for each town/city ward in New Hampshire can be found on the New Hampshire Secretary of State’s website.
To learn more about the candidates on the ballot, check out a voter guide, like this one from the Granite Post, prior to the election. You can bring a voter's guide or a sample ballot into the voting booth.
Casting Your Ballot
Once you arrive at your polling location, you’ll check in with the ballot clerk and show your photo ID. If you don’t have a photo ID, you’ll need to fill out an affidavit, and your photo will be taken.
If you’re already registered to vote, you’ll also state your name and address. The ballot clerk will then give you a blank ballot.
When in the voting booth, use the provided pen or pencil to completely fill in the ovals next to the names of your chosen candidates. Follow the instructions on the ballot carefully to ensure your vote is counted, and if you make a mistake, ask a poll worker for a new ballot.
After voting, you’ll place your ballot in the ballot-counting device or hand it to the moderator to place in the ballot box (depending on what your town/city uses).
If you need assistance voting, New Hampshire polling places are required to provide accessible voting options. Don’t hesitate to ask poll workers for help. Similarly, if you need help understanding the ballot, some polling places may provide ballots in multiple languages or offer translation services
Granite Post’s Voter Guide is Now Live!
For the last 9 months, the Granite Post has been delivering factual, relevant, pro-democracy, local news to New Hampshire. Just in time for the fall election season, Granite Post has launched their Voter Guide, which will provide information on how to register and to vote, as well as information on the candidates in key races across the state. Please make sure you check out the Voter Guide before you head to the polls! And if you haven’t signed up for Granite Post newsletter, please sign-up here. They are also on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter/X, and TikTok.
Thank you,
Ryan Mahoney
Executive Director