The New Hampshire Primary
New Hampshire voters cast ballots today in the first presidential primary of the 2012 campaign, a tradition that dates to 1952. One of the principal differences between a primary and state caucuses like those held in Iowa last week is that the primary is run by the state, while the Iowa caucuses are party-operated meetings that begin at night and require a longer time commitment to vote. New Hampshire voters simply go to polling stations and vote.
Most polling stations will open in the early morning and close at 7 p.m. local time. Other polling locations will close at 7:30 p.m. or 8 p.m. The northern New Hampshire hamlets of Dixville Notch and Hart’s Location will continue their tradition of voting and reporting their results minutes after midnight today, before everyone else. The Associated Press will report results as soon as they get them, though it won’t project a winner until after all polling stations have closed at 8 p.m.
This morning in Dicksville Notch, nine ballots were cast: 6 Republican and 3 Democratic. Of the six GOP ballots cast, Mitt Romney and John Huntsman each received two votes, with one each for Ron Paul and Newt Gingrich. The 3 Democratic ballots all were cast for President Barack Obama.
The vote is open to registered Republicans and voters who haven’t declared a party preference.
In Hart's Location, a town of only 29 registered voters, Mitt Romney garnered the most votes with five, but trailing him closely with four votes was Ron Paul. Jon Huntsman received two votes, while Rick Perry and Newt Gingrich received just one.
Predictions are for a turnout of 250,000 for the Republican primary, a little higher than the almost 240,000 ballots cast in the past two competitive Republican primaries. Turnout was 239,793 in 2008, when Arizona Senator John McCain beat rivals including Romney. In 2000, there were 238,206 votes cast in the primary in which McCain defeated then-Texas Governor George W. Bush, who went on to become his party’s nominee and win the presidency.
Unlike in 2000 and 2008, this year’s Republican primary isn’t competing with a contested Democratic race for the attention of the 41 percent of voters who don’t declare a party preference. President Barack Obama, then an Illinois senator, lost the 2008 Democratic primary to then-Senator Hillary Clinton of New York by 2 percentage points. In the 2000 Democratic race, then-Vice President Al Gore defeated former Senator Bill Bradley of New Jersey by four percentage points.
Most polling stations will open in the early morning and close at 7 p.m. local time. Other polling locations will close at 7:30 p.m. or 8 p.m. The northern New Hampshire hamlets of Dixville Notch and Hart’s Location will continue their tradition of voting and reporting their results minutes after midnight today, before everyone else. The Associated Press will report results as soon as they get them, though it won’t project a winner until after all polling stations have closed at 8 p.m.
This morning in Dicksville Notch, nine ballots were cast: 6 Republican and 3 Democratic. Of the six GOP ballots cast, Mitt Romney and John Huntsman each received two votes, with one each for Ron Paul and Newt Gingrich. The 3 Democratic ballots all were cast for President Barack Obama.
The vote is open to registered Republicans and voters who haven’t declared a party preference.
In Hart's Location, a town of only 29 registered voters, Mitt Romney garnered the most votes with five, but trailing him closely with four votes was Ron Paul. Jon Huntsman received two votes, while Rick Perry and Newt Gingrich received just one.
Predictions are for a turnout of 250,000 for the Republican primary, a little higher than the almost 240,000 ballots cast in the past two competitive Republican primaries. Turnout was 239,793 in 2008, when Arizona Senator John McCain beat rivals including Romney. In 2000, there were 238,206 votes cast in the primary in which McCain defeated then-Texas Governor George W. Bush, who went on to become his party’s nominee and win the presidency.
Unlike in 2000 and 2008, this year’s Republican primary isn’t competing with a contested Democratic race for the attention of the 41 percent of voters who don’t declare a party preference. President Barack Obama, then an Illinois senator, lost the 2008 Democratic primary to then-Senator Hillary Clinton of New York by 2 percentage points. In the 2000 Democratic race, then-Vice President Al Gore defeated former Senator Bill Bradley of New Jersey by four percentage points.