The New Hampshire Republican presidential primary is set to kick off today — but the first-in-the-nation state has a few features that make it unique. Polling suggests former President Donald Trump should win the primary comfortably. Still, the high number of independents expected to vote could complicate matters and give some hope to the Haley campaign.
The National Pulse has compiled a few quick facts to help explain what to expect as the people of New Hampshire head the polls.
Some Votes Were Already Cast At Midnight.
A handful of localities began voting at midnight. New Hampshire law stipulates polling places — at a minimum — must be open from 11 a.m. until 7 p.m. ET. However, some smaller localities open their polling places at midnight — and with only a handful of residents, they can often report results shortly after.
Dixville Notch is the most famous of these midnight-voting towns. From 1968 to 2012, the town’s handful of voters backed the candidate who would eventually win the nomination in every Republican presidential primary. However, in 2016, Dixville Notch voted 3 to 2 for John Kasich over Donald Trump — breaking the streak. This morning, it voted 100 percent for Nikki Haley, having voted 100 percent for Joe Biden in 2016.
What Is At Stake?
Despite only awarding 22 delegates — less than one percent of the total who choose the nominee at the Republican National Convention later this year — New Hampshire’s position as the second state to vote in the Republican primary makes it critical to candidate momentum. To that end, the state has seen $77.5 million spent on campaign advertising since the start of last year.
Former South Carolina Governor Nimarata ‘Nikki’ Haley’s campaign has dropped $30.9 million in the state. The Trump campaign has spent just shy of $16 million. Meanwhile, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’s SuperPAC spent $8 million before DeSantis dropped out of the race on Sunday and endorsed former President Donald Trump.
Where After New Hampshire?
Nevada’s primary and caucus both follow the New Hampshire primary. Democrats in control of the Nevada state legislature attempted to enact a state-run primary of Democrats and Republicans. However, the Nevada Republican Party opted for a party-run caucus instead.
The Nevada primary will be held on February 6th — though no convention delegates are awarded. The Republican party-administered caucus will be held on February 8th, with the convention delegates up for grabs. Nimrata ‘Nikki’ Haley is in the primary, while former President Trump is in the caucus.
While polling has been scant, some expect that “none of these candidates” may receive more votes than Haley in the primary. Trump is widely expected to win the caucus and most, if not all, of the state’s delegates.
After Nevada, South Carolina is next on February 24th. There is speculation that Haley will stay in the race through South Carolina — hoping to regain momentum in her home state. However, polling shows former President Donald Trump with a commanding lead in the state primary and is widely expected to win most of South Carolina’s convention delegates.