There’s a second election in New Hampshire on Tuesday, one that I think rivals the presidential primary in importance — the selection of a new cat for the Mount Washington Observatory.

The election is necessary because of the retirement of Nin, pictured above, who had been the undisputed lord and master of the observatory for many years. Nin is 17 and suffering from some unnamed ailments that could require quick trips to the vet — something that’s pretty much impossible to guarantee when you’re talking about a trip during the beastly weather at the summit.

The observatory’s staff, in conjunction with the local humane society, has narrowed the potential replacements for Nin to a field of three — Wilson, Sarah and Marty — and will give the public a chance to vote on the same day New Hampshire voters hit the polls for their primary election.

The staffers say the presence of a cat there makes the observatory feel more like home — a good thing, when faced with winters that can bring hurricane-force winds, temperatures that routinely drop well below zero (and even colder wind-chills) and rime ice that coats everything with a brittle white coat. You got the sense in reading the staffers’ comments that they didn’t want to be without a cat for too long, once Nin had been retired to a home in the valley below.

Voting opens at 8 a.m. Tuesday. You can check out the candidates’ biographies before making your selection.

UPDATE, 4 p.m. Monday:

Check a video showing each candidate in action:

Thanks to the Conway Area Humane Society.