MANCHESTER — President Obama visits New Hampshire today for the fifth time this year, bringing his campaign message to a state that appears crucial to his re-election efforts.

Obama is expected to speak around 11:30 a.m. at Veterans Park in the heart of downtown. The campaign expects about 5,000 people for the event, according to permits it filed with the city for use of the park.

Manchester police said portions of Elm, Central and Merrimack streets near the park will be closed from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The Romney and Obama campaigns will try to fit as many visits as possible into the eight or nine swing states in the closing 19 days of the campaign, said Dean Spiliotes, a professor of political science at Southern New Hampshire University.

Candidates have focused on New Hampshire for two reasons, Spiliotes said. First, it is a swing state. Second, it is convenient for East Coast media markets, the Obama White House and the Romney Boston campaign headquarters, he said.

Also, the state is tech-savvy and boasts a high percentage of seniors, who vote in large proportions.

“New Hampshire is a good state to fight the battle,” Spiliotes said.

With that much attention paid to the state, some communities are questioning how much of the battle they should have to pay for. Some are sending bills, while others are swallowing the costs.

The Obama campaign said the Secret Service is responsible for the President's security, not the campaign.

“The U.S. Secret Service takes the lead on all security matters with regard to President Obama. These are not decisions made by the campaign. Any local law enforcement organization contacted by the Secret Service to assist in security should discuss matters related to costs and how to effectively manage those costs with the Secret Service,” an Obama campaign official said.

Some communities, notably Portsmouth, Milford and Nashua, have billed campaigns, although that doesn't mean they've received payment.

St. Anselm College did get a check from the Romney campaign when Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan campaigned at the campus Aug. 20, college spokesman Barbara LeBlanc said.

She said the campaign covered the entire cost, including Goffstown police coverage.

Meanwhile, Windham taxpayers covered a $5,400 bill for an Obama campaign visit Aug. 18, according to previous media accounts. In Durham, an anonymous donor offered to pay nearly $13,000 for a Jan. 25 Obama campaign visit.

At big departments, notably Manchester and state police, officials said they're happy to work with the U.S. Secret Service. They insist that a campaign visit costs the city and state nothing or next to nothing.

“(Today's) visit, as with the past visits ..., will not result in any direct costs to the Manchester Police Department or the city of Manchester, so none is billed,” spokesman Lt. Maureen Tessier wrote in an email Wednesday.

Tessier said on-duty police are used to assist the Secret Service, and other officers have changed their schedule to accommodate campaign visits.

The use of Veterans Park is free, and the campaign did not request use of the stage or bandstand, which the city would charge for, Parks Director Peter Capano said.

State Police largely close highway ramps, restrict intersection access and implement running roadblocks to assist when a dignitary travels on the highway, State Police Lt. Kevin Duffy said.

Administrative personnel pitch in and troopers split their shifts, limiting overtime costs, he said.

But other communities say campaigns do end up costing them, and they've sent out bills.

In Nashua, a March 1 visit by Obama was touted as a presidential visit, so the campaign was not charged for any associated costs, Mayor Donnalee Lozeau said. But when Romney campaigned in the Gate City Sept. 7, the campaign was charged $2,000 for the use of Holman Stadium and $5,000 for police overtime.

Lozeau said the campaign paid the Holman bill, but told the city to contact the Secret Service for the police work.

“I think costs related to a campaign should be paid by a campaign. It should not be a taxpayer expense,” Lozeau said.

For example, the Portsmouth City Council recently voted to bill the Obama campaign for $30,000 associated with a Sept. 7 visit by Obama, Joe Biden and their wives.

“As of yet, we have not received (a payment). That's not unusual, we just sent the bill out,” City Manager John Bohenko said.

Whether today's event costs the city treasury anything or not, it is free to the public. The Obama campaign said similar events last about 45 minutes. Access starts at 9 a.m.

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Mark Hayward may be reached at mhayward@unionleader.com.