PORTSMOUTH — Should voters know whether a candidate for town council or school committee is a Democrat, Republican or independent simply by looking at the ballot?

That question will be at the heart of a public hearing Tuesday, Oct. 13, when the Portsmouth Town Council takes up a proposed charter amendment that would make elections for both bodies nonpartisan.

The hearing, scheduled for 7 p.m. at Town Hall, comes three weeks before voters will decide the issue in the Nov. 3 general election.

Question 7 asks: “Shall the offices of Town Council and School Committee be non-partisan?”

If approved, the amendment would eliminate party designations next to candidates’ names on future ballots for those offices. Candidates could still belong to political parties, but their affiliations would no longer be identified on the ballot.

The change would also formally designate both bodies as nonpartisan in the Portsmouth Home Rule Charter and establish a lottery system for determining the order of school committee candidates on the ballot.

For residents, the most noticeable difference would be how candidates are presented when they vote. Rather than seeing party affiliations, voters would have to rely on candidates’ positions, qualifications and other information to make their choices.

Supporters of nonpartisan municipal elections generally argue that local issues such as roads, schools, taxes and development should take precedence over political party affiliations. Opponents contend that party labels provide voters with useful information about candidates’ political philosophies and priorities.

The proposal would not change the number of seats on either body or the length of members’ terms.

Hearing required by charter

Tuesday’s hearing is required under the town charter, although the necessity and timing of that requirement prompted considerable discussion at the council’s Sept. 28 meeting.

Council Vice President David Gleason questioned why the hearing was being held before voters had decided whether to approve the amendment.

“My initial thought was, why don’t we just wait until it passes?” he said.

Gleason also suggested describing the proposal as a change in charter language, prompting an objection from Registrar of Voters Jacqueline Schulz.

“It’s not a language change; you are changing the type of election that is being held,” Schulz said. “That is a demonstrative change; it is not mere language.”

Schulz emphasized that eliminating party labels would fundamentally change how Portsmouth elects its municipal leadership.

“This is a significant change to the way Portsmouth chooses its leadership,” she said. “It deserves the seriousness and transparency of the hearing.”

Council President Keith Hamilton explained that the hearing was simply part of the process required for a charter amendment.

“It’s on the ballot no matter what,” Hamilton said. “It’s a technical thing we have to do.”

Town Clerk Jennifer West also clarified that the hearing would not provide an opportunity to rewrite the ballot question.

“There’s not going to be any changes to it at that public hearing,” West said. “It is set in stone for the ballot.”

The council ultimately voted unanimously to advertise the hearing.

Voters have final say

Question 7 was placed on the ballot through a resolution adopted by the council on April 14, 2025.

Voters will have two choices: “Approve” or “Reject.”

An approval would authorize the charter amendments establishing nonpartisan elections. A rejection would leave the current system, including party designations on the ballot, unchanged.

The hearing will take place one day before early voting begins Oct. 14, giving residents an opportunity to learn more about the proposal before casting their ballots.