On the final weekend of the campaign, candidates are fanning out across New Hampshire, cheering on the party faithful

Candidates from every constituency spent the last weekend before Election Day making their final sales pitch. Whether they were chatting up undecided voters in coffee shops, knocking on the doors of committed supporters or shaking hands with everyone in their vicinity, the candidates were making the most of the final days of a historic campaign season.

Among those making last-minute appeals to voters this weekend was Republican vice presidential candidate JD Vance, who made a campaign stop in Derry on Sunday evening. Vance — and many of his supporters — quickly argued that New Hampshire will be competitive in Tuesday's presidential race.

You have to go back more than two decades — to 2000 — when the last time a Republican presidential candidate won New Hampshire. But as he took the stage at an indoor sports facility in Derry on Sunday, Vance urged the audience to see his mere presence here as evidence that New Hampshire is a state he and Donald Trump can win in 2024.

“I think that suggests we’re expanding the map,” he said.

Several thousand came to see Vance in Derry. Mike Greenwood of Nashua was among them. He and his family were turned away at the door because of the overcrowding — which Greenwood called a good problem to have.

“I'm pretty optimistic: I mean, Uncle Donny will never be here; this is just for JD Vance,” Greenwood said.

Almost all polls show Kamala Harris leading Trump in New Hampshire, but a strong performance from Trump would help weaken Republicans including Kelly Ayotte, who remains in a close race for governor with Democrat Joyce Craig.

The race for governor remains the toughest in the nation

Undecided voters appeared to be in short supply at Vance's appearance in Derry, but both Ayotte and Craig campaigned on this part of the electorate over the weekend. Craig made a number of appearances: in Manchester, Durham, Portsmouth and Somersworth. In Milford on Saturday morning, she joined a group of about 40 voters packed into Democratic headquarters to give a pep talk.

“We are at the end, and your knocking and talking to voters across the state will get us over the finish line,” Craig said.

Both Ayotte and Craig emphasized key arguments in their interactions with voters this weekend: Craig focused on her support for reproductive rights and Ayotte committed to continuing the policies of outgoing Gov. Chris Sununu.

“We are very different from the states around us, and we have a great opportunity to continue to be very strong but also to get better,” Ayotte told voters in Hampton on Sunday.

This race is the most competitive gubernatorial contest in the country this year, and political donors are acting accordingly. With total spending exceeding $20 million, this is the most expensive gubernatorial race in New Hampshire history.

Pappas is seeking a fourth term against challenger Prescott

The candidates in the First Congressional District race – Democratic incumbent Chris Pappas and Republican Russell Prescott – crossed paths over the weekend. Stops for Prescott included the Old Salt in Hampton, where he worked in the dining room and said he kept hearing how engaged voters were in this race.

“I think this will help me get over the top and make sure we win,” Prescott said. “I just pray that, true to their word, they go vote. They're voting early, and many of them have already said, 'I voted for you, Russell.'”

On Sunday in Portsmouth, Pappas helped cheer on a group of Democratic volunteers about to knock on the door.

“It's a moment when our nation and the people of New Hampshire have their hands full, and we need to make sure we fight hard over the next two-plus days to ensure we get through the vote.” said Pappas to the crowd.

This district has been a flagship for two decades. But Pappas is now seeking a fourth consecutive term. If he wins, he would be the most successful Democrat in the 1st Congressional District in about half a century.

Prescott said he remains confident about Tuesday.

“I’m optimistic going into this,” he said. “And I don’t want to be overly optimistic, but I definitely think there’s a chance to give New Hampshire a voice in Washington, D.C.”

For his part, Pappas said he was focused on reaching as many voters as possible in the final hours of the campaign.

“It's about making sure people know what Tuesday is about, where they can vote and why it's important,” he said. “And I truly believe this is the most important election of our lifetime.”

Milford was another city where multiple candidates — from governor to state House — were knocking on doors throughout the weekend. Scott Lawrence, chairman of the city's Democratic Committee, said all the attention made sense given Milford's classic “purple” political makeup.

“A little less than a third of Milford are Democrats, a little less than a third are Republicans, and the unenrolled outnumber both of us,” he said.

Help for those seeking rides to polling places

Most public transportation in New Hampshire offers free rides to polling stations on Election Day. The free rides include regular public transportation such as bus routes and ADA paratransit. Special voting shuttles are also planned in Merrimack County, Belknap County and the University of New Hampshire.

Each system may have a different way of coordinating drivers to notify the driver that they are on their way to vote. But public transit officials say the systems are intended to operate in good faith when riders say they are going to vote or are returning from voting.

Riders are advised to check with their local system for Election Day schedules and free boarding details. The information is also available online at nhtransit.org.

Tuesday's election could set a new voter turnout record in New Hampshire. The Secretary of State's Office expects 824,000 people to vote. That would be about 10,000 more voters than in the last presidential election in 2020. Election officials expect large numbers of people to register at the polls on Tuesday, so voters should prepare for lines throughout the day.