![Bonus episode- How to Research your Candidates]()
September 2, 2022
If you wish to be a more informed voter, you’ll want to research your candidates thoroughly before you vote. While they may be running as Democrats or Republicans, there are self-proclaimed anarchists, secessionists, pacifists, socialists, scientists, massage therapists, chicken farmers, hometown heroes, and recent arrestees all on the ballot this year.
It isn’t always easy to be an informed voter, however; especially with state and local offices, there is often very little information available about candidates. That said, we’re here to help you find the information you need in order to vote confidently. Citizens Count is a nonprofit dedicated to providing unbiased information about New Hampshire issues and candidates. We survey and profile the roughly 1,000 candidates for state and federal office in the Granite State every election year. Here’s our guide for researching your candidates.
Listen as hosts Anna Brown and Mike Dunbar, of Citizens Count break it down in $100 Plus Mileage. This podcast is produced in partnership with Citizens Count, Granite State News Collaborative and The Marlin Fitzwater Center for Communications at Franklin Pierce University.
July 18, 2022
In recent decades, access to high-speed internet has become an increasingly important issue for many rural towns in New Hampshire. In the wake of COVID lockdowns and the resulting shift toward remote work, the topic is more relevant today than ever. Still, despite the demand, creating the infrastructure needed to connect far flung towns comes with significant costs. In this article, we’ll examine the potential solution of “municipal broadband” as well as a recent proposal—SB 247—to implement it.
Listen as hosts Anna Brown and Mike Dunbar, of Citizens Count break it down in $100 Plus Mileage. This podcast is produced in partnership with Citizens Count, Granite State News Collaborative and The Marlin Fitzwater Center for Communications at Franklin Pierce University.
June 3, 2022
Every election year the nonpartisan, nonprofit Citizens Count surveys and profiles the roughly 900 candidates for state and federal office in New Hampshire, from state representative through U.S. senator. When Citizens Count staff choose which issues to ask about on our candidate surveys – and how to phrase the questions – we know we are sending a message about the most important issues facing New Hampshire. Our survey drafting process therefore includes input from various policy advocates, stakeholders, and the general public. According to the 110 individuals who responded to Citizens Count’s request for input, here are the top five issues Granite Staters want candidates to address in 2022.
Listen as hosts Anna Brown and Mike Dunbar, of Citizens Count break it down in $100 Plus Mileage. This podcast is produced in partnership with Citizens Count, Granite State News Collaborative and The Marlin Fitzwater Center for Communications at Franklin Pierce University.
May 27, 2022
The New Hampshire Legislature is done voting on new bills in 2022, but some committees will meet in June to discuss whether certain bills should come back next year. One of these bills, HB 253, would require all police officers to wear body cameras.
Listen as hosts Anna Brown and Mike Dunbar, of Citizens Count break it down in $100 Plus Mileage. This podcast is produced in partnership with Citizens Count, Granite State News Collaborative and The Marlin Fitzwater Center for Communications at Franklin Pierce University.
May 24, 2022
New Hampshire law places restrictions on the hours that minors can work a job while school is in session. The law, intended to make sure young people have time to focus on their education, could be significantly pared back if the governor signs SB 345. The debate has folks on both sides fired up, between business owners desperate for more help and those who say it puts business before education.
Listen as hosts Anna Brown and Mike Dunbar, of Citizens Count break it down in $100 Plus Mileage. This podcast is produced in partnership with Citizens Count, Granite State News Collaborative and The Marlin Fitzwater Center for Communications at Franklin Pierce University.
![S2 E20 A recent history of redistricting in NH]()
May 13, 2022
Every ten years officials must redraw voting districts to reflect population changes, according to the U.S. Census. Right now New Hampshire’s redistricting process is held up at multiple levels, with the governor and Legislature at odds and lawsuits before the state Supreme Court. New Hampshire candidates are scheduled to file their first campaign paperwork in June, so the clock is ticking to finalize new voting districts. Will the governor and legislators agree on redistricted maps that meet constitutional muster, or will the courts step in? If the courts act, will they keep current maps in place for now or will they draw completely new maps? Whatever the decision, it will have a big impact on who represents you. Looking back at the last three rounds of redistricting in New Hampshire provides some examples of how this year’s redistricting might play out.
Listen as hosts Anna Brown and Mike Dunbar, of Citizens Count break it down in $100 Plus Mileage. This podcast is produced in partnership with Citizens Count, Granite State News Collaborative and The Marlin Fitzwater Center for Communications at Franklin Pierce University.
![S2 E19 Should NH institute a “housing champion certification program” to incentivize municipalities to develop workforce housing?]()
May 6, 2022
It’s hard to think of a New Hampshire issue that impacts more people than the housing shortage. Whether you are a renter or you own your own home, the limited availability of housing in New Hampshire likely affects your finances directly or indirectly. As housing costs increase, the need for workforce housing in particular has come into focus. This year, the Legislature considered a large piece of legislation, SB 400, meant to address the problem. The bill, which was championed by Gov. Sununu, contained a slew of programs and incentives aimed at increasing the supply of workforce housing. The House tabled the bill on May 5, which means the bill is unlikely to pass this year. Still, many of the policies contained in SB 400 are repeats from previous years and might find their way into final bill negotiations. For the purposes of this article, we will focus on one of the more contentious parts of SB 400: the “Housing Champion Certification Program.”
Listen as hosts Anna Brown and Mike Dunbar, of Citizens Count break it down in $100 Plus Mileage. This podcast is produced in partnership with Citizens Count, Granite State News Collaborative and The Marlin Fitzwater Center for Communications at Franklin Pierce University.
May 2, 2022
In recent years New Hampshire’s Coos County has transformed into a mecca for off highway recreational vehicles (OHRVs). In addition to hosting a long system of trails, many North Country towns allow OHRVs to travel on regular roads. While this may have boosted roadside business, it has also increased conflict with town residents. In 2021 the Fish and Game Department announced it was so overwhelmed with calls, it would no longer respond to complaints about OHRVs on town roads; those calls would be left to local police. Now the New Hampshire Legislature is debating whether state law should require a full town meeting vote to open or close a road to OHRVs.
Listen as hosts Anna Brown and Mike Dunbar, of Citizens Count break it down in $100 Plus Mileage. This podcast is produced in partnership with Citizens Count, Granite State News Collaborative and The Marlin Fitzwater Center for Communications at Franklin Pierce University
April 22, 2022
The waters off the New Hampshire coast boast an abundant lobster population which has made the Granite State home to some of New England’s best seafood restaurants. For some, nothing says “summer” quite like a lobster roll. A bill before the New Hampshire Legislature would make it legal for scuba divers to catch lobsters recreationally by issuing a special license. However, some worry the legislation could have unintended consequences for the environment and the commercial lobster industry.
Listen as hosts Anna Brown and Mike Dunbar, of Citizens Count break it down in $100 Plus Mileage. This podcast is produced in partnership with Citizens Count, Granite State News Collaborative and The Marlin Fitzwater Center for Communications at Franklin Pierce University.
April 15, 2022
For millennia humans have used different methods to preserve the deceased, from Egyptian mummification to modern embalming. While embalming is common in the United States, there is growing interest in “green burials” and other alternative body dispositions that reject embalming. Now the New Hampshire Legislature is deciding whether to repeal a law on the books that requires embalming in some circumstances.
Listen as hosts Anna Brown and Mike Dunbar, of Citizens Count break it down in $100 Plus Mileage. This podcast is produced in partnership with Citizens Count, Granite State News Collaborative and The Marlin Fitzwater Center for Communications at Franklin Pierce University.
