A few days ago, I received a sample ballot and stared at it for a long time. I expected to see the governor, federal Senate, and House of Representatives, but as I scrolled down, I encountered a series of unfamiliar titles.

Sheriff, county attorney, county treasurer, register of deeds, probate judge, and so on. Wow, I get to vote for all of these? Honestly, at first, I thought there was a printing error.

In Korea, I never imagined voting for a police chief or a register of deeds. So today, I decided to dig into the mystery of this long ballot.

Looking up New Hampshire state law RSA 653:1, the answer became clear. It states that the sheriff, county attorney, county treasurer, register of deeds, and probate judge are directly elected by county residents during the state elections.

The terms are mostly two years. This means that every two years, voters decide whether to elect a new sheriff.

There is one exception. In Rockingham County, a law passed in 2022 changed the terms for sheriff, county attorney, register of deeds, and treasurer to four years.

So, is the sheriff election a unique custom to New Hampshire? Not at all. According to the National Sheriffs' Association, 46 states elect sheriffs through popular vote.

Only four states do not. Alaska and Connecticut have no sheriff system at all, while Hawaii and Rhode Island have appointed positions.

Connecticut eliminated county sheriffs in 2000 and replaced them with a state marshal system. So, in most parts of the U.S., the local law enforcement officer is essentially an elected politician.

What's truly surprising is at the state level. New Hampshire has a whopping 400 members in its House of Representatives.

The second-largest, Pennsylvania, has 203 members, which is nearly double. The term for state representatives is also two years, and there are no term limits.

The governor's term is two years as well. Currently, only New Hampshire and Vermont elect governors with two-year terms.

Additionally, there is an executive council. Five council members are elected from their respective districts, and their terms are also two years.

In the general election on November 3rd, all five positions will appear on the ballot. With the governor, executive council, state Senate and House, county offices, and federal elections all on one ballot, it's bound to be lengthy.

So why do we elect so many officials? I found that the roots run quite deep.

Right after independence, Americans vividly remembered their experiences with the British king and governors. There was a strong belief that concentrating power in one person was dangerous, which led to shorter terms and more frequent accountability.

Vermont reportedly elected its governor annually for nearly 100 years after its founding. It wasn't until 1870 that the constitution was amended to extend the term to two years, so two years was actually an increase.

In the 19th century, during the era of Andrew Jackson, the idea emerged that public office should not be reserved for elites but should be elected by ordinary people. This trend led many states to transition from appointed to elected positions.

Interestingly, the opposite also exists. New Hampshire does not elect judges; instead, the governor appoints them, and the executive council confirms the appointments.

This means that not everything is elected; each state draws the line differently regarding how much power residents directly hold. Understanding this difference made me see the ballot not just as a long piece of paper but as a map of the state's history.

With 400 seats in the New Hampshire House of Representatives, each district represents a relatively small number of residents. It's not surprising that you might run into a neighbor who is a state representative at the local grocery store.

Of course, there are clear downsides. Holding elections every two years means that the governor has to start preparing for the next election about a year and a half after taking office.

From the voters' perspective, it can be burdensome. I wonder how many people will thoroughly compare the campaign promises of candidates for register of deeds.

On the flip side, I can understand the logic of those who support this system. Since the sheriff has to be mindful of the local community, residents' voices are more directly heard.

Initially, I thought it was exhausting, but as I observed more, my perspective shifted. The sense that local issues are decided by local people is clearly reflected in this long ballot.

Ultimately, the length of the ballot signifies that there are many decisions handed over to the residents. The inconvenience and authority are bundled together.

So this time, I decided not to skip the lower section. I plan to look up the names of the candidates for county offices beforehand.

If you are a citizen, you can view a sample ballot on the New Hampshire Secretary of State's website in advance. Seeing it for the first time at the polling place can be quite overwhelming, just like it was for me.

Even if you don't have voting rights yet, I encourage you to take a look at it at least once. There's nothing quite like it to show how power is divided in this country.

A long ballot may be a hassle, but it's also a surprisingly impressive document. This exploration ends here; next time, I'll bring you scenes from the polling place!