How the New Hampshire primary works: What to know

Learn everything you need to know on how a primary works, how the New Hampshire primaries will go, what to expect as Nikki Haley and Donald Trump face off and more.

Voters in New Hampshire will head to the polls Tuesday for the first-in-the-nation primaries. While former President Donald Trump and former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley are campaigning head-to-head in the closing days, other GOP candidates who have recently dropped out, including Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, will still be on the ballot. 

On the other side of the aisle, national Democrats have opted to start their nominating process in South Carolina in February. New Hampshire Democrats are still holding a primary contest on Tuesday, but President Joe Biden won’t be on the ballot, and the Democratic National Committee is not recognizing the primary.

On Friday, Secretary of State David Scanlan predicted high turnout for the Republican primary, estimating it would be north of 320,000. But he predicted low participation on the Democratic side, estimating that just 88,000 voters will cast ballots.

Per state law, all polls must open no later than 11 a.m. ET and close no earlier than 7 p.m. ET. But different localities can decide to open polls earlier or keep them open later. In many jurisdictions across the state, polls are open from 7 a.m. ET to 7 p.m. ET.

Residents of one tiny town, Dixville Notch, will cast their ballots starting at 12 a.m. ET. WMUR reports that all six of the town’s registered voters are expected to be at the polls at midnight. 

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2024-election/new-hampshire-primary-how-works-what-know-rcna134129

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