2023 Municipal Election

Your guide to the 2023 Municipal Election

The City of Dover municipal election was held on Tuesday, Nov. 7. Voters from all wards elected the Mayor, two at-large City Councilors, the School Board, and election officers. All elected positions are two-year terms.

Election results

Election results are as follows:

City Clerk Jerrica Vansylyvong-Bizier made the following statement regarding the final vote tally of the Nov. 7, 2023 Municipal Election: "Please be advised that 14 ballots were cast in Ward 2 by voters who should have voted in Ward 3, and two ballots were cast in Ward 3 by voters who should have voted in Ward 2. Checklists have been updated, and affected voters will be notified by letter."

Sample Ballots

Below are the sample ballots for all six Dover wards.

Candidates for Elected Office:

Mayor

City Council 

School Board

Supervisors of the Checklist

Moderator

Selectpersons

Ward Clerk

EXPENSES AND CONTRIBUTIONS FOR MAYOR DUE NOV. 17, 2023

EXPENSES AND CONTRIBUTIONS FOR CITY COUNCIL DUE NOV. 17, 2023

EXPENSES AND CONTRIBUTIONS FOR SCHOOL BOARD DUE NOV. 17, 2023

EXPENSES AND CONTRIBUTIONS FOR MAYOR DUE OCT. 23-27, 2023

EXPENSES AND CONTRIBUTIONS FOR CITY COUNCIL BY OCT. 23-27, 2023

EXPENSES AND CONTRIBUTIONS FOR SCHOOL BOARD DUE OCT. 23-27, 2023

Powers and duties of offices

The Mayor and City Council is the governing body of the City of Dover and set policies for the city government. As it states in the charter, the Mayor and Council "shall bear full responsibility for the implementation of said policies through the hiring and supervision of the City Manager." Duties include adopting ordinances, authorizing City of Dover expenditures of $25,000 or greater, adopting an annual budget, and appointing members to committees, boards and commissions

The School Board is the governing body of the City of Dover's School Department, which is School Administrative Unit 11. Per state law, the duty of the School Board is "to provide, at district expense, elementary and secondary education to all pupils who reside in the district until such time as the pupil has acquired a high school diploma or has reached age 21." It is responsible for establishing school policies and programs and determining the budgetary requirements of the schools. The School Board hires and supervises the Superintendent, tasked with managing the school district.

Election officers manage the election and have different responsibilities. 

• Supervisors of the Checklist are responsible for maintaining up-to-date voter checklist information for the ward to which they were elected following all applicable laws.
• Moderators are responsible for overseeing the election process at the polling place of the ward to which they were elected. Moderators also ensure all applicable laws and procedures are carried out and followed by all participants at the polling place.
• Ward Clerks perform whatever duties deemed necessary by the moderator, including verifying and recording ballot count information.
• Selectpersons are responsible for the "in" and "out" checklists at the polling place, including verifying voter information, handing out ballots, directing voters to booths, and any other duties deemed necessary by the moderator.

Elected office compensation

City Councilors and School Board members receive a $1,000 annual salary as part of their compensation. The Mayor and Chair of the School Board receive an additional $200 per year, and the Deputy Mayor receives an additional $50 per year. Supervisors of the Checklist are compensated $222 per day, Moderators $185 per day, Selectpersons $139 per day and Ward Clerks $131 per day.

For more information, contact City Clerk Jerrica Vansylyvong-Bizier at 603-516-6018 or j.bizier@dover.nh.gov.