100 Years of Service: Clerks' Corner

This year, the New Hampshire City and Town Clerks Association (NHCTCA) is proud to celebrate our 100th anniversary in the great state of New Hampshire. The 234 town and city clerks across the state are honored
to serve residents of all ages in the communities they love. To mark this milestone, our goal is to bring awareness to the vital roles clerks play and the many responsibilities they carry.

Being a clerk is not for the faint of heart. Clerks must adapt quickly, wear many hats, and switch between them seamlessly. Most importantly, clerks are often seen as the heart of their communities.

Recently, clerks nationwide coordinated one of the largest efforts in history to ensure that every vote cast in the Presidential General Election was counted, guaranteeing that every voter was represented. Clerks are held to the highest standards, preparing for elections, providing absentee ballots to those unable to vote in person, and ensuring that voters—whether local or abroad—can exercise their right and privilege to vote in our free country.

In New Hampshire, we excel at this! Clerks follow rigorous checks and balances at every step, with guidance from the Secretary of State’s Office, the Attorney General’s Office, and other agencies. New Hampshire elections are fair, transparent, and accurate because we work together as one unified body to uphold the integrity of the electoral process.

As part of the 100-year celebration, the NHCTCA also aims to highlight the other critical responsibilities of clerks. Beyond elections, clerks manage:

• Automotive registrations, working closely with the Department of Motor Vehicles.
• Vital records, handling joyous events such as birth certificates, home births, and marriage licenses, as well as solemn moments like processing death certificates.
• Community record-keeping, maintaining essential documents, and ensuring compliance with state laws, such as registering dogs (RSA 466:1 requires every dog owner to register dogs aged four months or older).
• Property and utility tax payments, including those for local businesses and residents.

Clerks also play a key role in local and state government, staying informed on legislation and collaborating with state partners at every level. This teamwork is why New Hampshire is recognized as a leader in these efforts!

At our recent state conference, our newly elected president, Joan Dargie, the town clerk of Milford, was sworn in by Secretary of State Dave Scanlan. The position of town and city clerk is one of the oldest documented
professions, dating back to ancient Greece and Biblical times. 

Many clerks bring unique backgrounds to their roles. To succeed as a clerk, one must be a quick thinker, well-versed in human nature, and adept at navigating ever-changing technology.

Joan Dargie, our new president, has served as Milford’s town clerk since her election in 2016. Joan ran for office to represent the town where she and her husband raised their family. She holds a Bachelor of Science
in Industrial Technology and a second in Operations Management. Prior to her election, Joan served as vice chair of Milford’s Zoning Board for many years.

Joan is a Certified New Hampshire Town Clerk, having completed three years of advanced training, and she recently achieved certification from the New England Association of City and Town Clerks (NEMCIA). Her diverse background, like that of many clerks, brings valuable knowledge and experience to her leadership role on the NHCTCA Executive Board.