Why Is the New Hampshire Presidential Primary First?

In the United States, a presidential primary election is a contest in which presidential candidates vie to be the nominee of a political party, and thus advance to the general election held every fourth November. The Republican Party and the Democratic Party both pick their nominees through a mix of primary elections and caucuses. Smaller parties, such as the Green Party or the Libertarian Party, typically select their general election candidates via a nominating convention.

Primary elections are conducted by secret ballot election at multiple polling places. Primary voters choose among the candidates whose names appear on the primary ballot. Effectively, however, these voters cast ballots for convention delegates who will formally nominate a candidate in a national convention that occurs a few months before a general election.

The New Hampshire primary is held first out of tradition, but state law now dictates that the state shall hold the first primary election in the presidential race. Title LXIII, Section 653:9 of the New Hampshire state statutes reads: "The presidential primary election shall be held on the second Tuesday in March or on a date selected by the secretary of state which is 7 days or more immediately preceding the date on which any other state shall hold a similar election, whichever is earlier, of each year when a president of the United States is to be elected or the year previous. Said primary shall be held in connection with the regular March town meeting or election or, if held on any other day, at a special election called by the secretary of state for that purpose. The purpose of this section is to protect the tradition of the New Hampshire first-in-the-nation presidential primary."

The New Hampshire primary became the first in the nation by happenstance, but it has gone on to have a tangible impact on national politics:

• Origin of the New Hampshire presidential primary: The first-ever New Hampshire presidential primary was held in May of 1916, but the following election cycle it was moved to March to coincide with town meeting voting day; coincidentally, this meant it happened earlier than any other state’s presidential primary election. New Hampshire voters have enjoyed their first-in-the-nation primary status since the 1920 election cycle, when Warren G. Harding was elected president.
• Introduction of direct voting for candidates: Yet it was not until 1948 that the Granite State notably distinguished itself from other early primary contests. In that year, Richard F. Upton, speaker of the New Hampshire House of Representatives, proposed placing the names of candidates directly onto the ballot, as opposed to having people only vote for the delegates who would support those candidates at party conventions. The state legislature in Concord approved Upton's change, and New Hampshire quickly stood out in the nominating process.
• Impact on the 1952 election: By the next cycle in 1952, New Hampshire voters upended conventional wisdom by selecting Republican Dwight D. Eisenhower of Kansas over Robert Taft of Ohio and Democrat Estes Kefauver over incumbent president President Harry S. Truman. This prompted Truman to abandon his re-election bid, and it eventually propelled Eisenhower to the presidency.
• Iowa caucus precedes New Hampshire primary: While New Hampshire has spent nearly a century as the first-in-the-nation primary, it has not been the first state to vote in the presidential nomination process. Iowa, which holds caucuses, has been the first state to vote in a presidential election since 1972. New Hampshire, using a secret ballot primary election, has traditionally followed the Iowa caucuses.

Nominees for the Republican Party and the Democratic Party are chosen through a mix of primary elections and caucuses, but there are key differences between the two nominating systems:

• Public and secret ballots: A presidential caucus occurs at a fixed time and place and requires publicly declared votes. A presidential primary involves secret ballots cast at multiple polling places.
• Sponsorship: State political parties sponsor and fund caucuses, whereas states manage and pay for primary elections.
• Management: A state's secretary of state manages primary election systems, while party leaders manage caucuses.

There are several types of primary elections:

1. 1. Closed primary: In a closed primary, only registered members of a political party may participate. They are given a ballot specific to that party's candidates and may not vote for nominees of another party.
2. 2. Semi-closed primary: A semi-closed primary is open to party members and unaffiliated voters (independents) not registered with a political party. A semi-open primary allows voters to help choose candidates in any party, but the voting ballots are party-specific. New Hampshire is one of fifteen states that use this model.
3. 3. Open primary: In an open primary, anyone may vote for a party's primary candidates, regardless of their own party affiliation. Still, voters may only vote in one party's primary. Thus, if a Republican chose to vote in the Democratic primary, they could not later vote on a separate ballot for GOP candidates.
4. 4. Top two primary: In a top-two primary system, all primary voters receive the same primary ballot, regardless of their party affiliation. The top two vote-getters from this primary election advance to a November general election, even if they both represent the same party. Note that this system can only apply to state and local offices. A presidential primary works differently, as it exists to send delegates to a nominating convention. This lets every major political party have a candidate on the presidential ballot, even if only two candidates advance for all the other offices on the ballot.

New Hampshire’s first-in-the-nation presidential primary plays a key role in candidates’ campaigns, and its results can even sway voters across the nation. Consider the following ways the first primary can impact the presidential election:

• Increased campaigning in New Hampshire: Holding the first primary election of a nominating cycle gives New Hampshire great access to candidates. For decades, presidential contenders have spent ample time in New Hampshire's population centers of Manchester, Nashua, Concord, and Hanover, affording New Hampshire residents a one-on-one connection that other Americans rarely enjoy.
• Influence on elections: New Hampshire has also prompted social momentum to propel candidates to nominating victories. From Eisenhower in 1952 to George H.W. Bush in 1988, every president won the New Hampshire primary on their way to a November victory. Since that time, many presidents have prevailed without the support of New Hampshire primary voters. This includes Barack Obama (who lost New Hampshire to Hillary Clinton in 2008) and Joe Biden (who finished fifth in the New Hampshire primary behind Bernie Sanders, Pete Buttigieg, Amy Klobuchar, and Elizabeth Warren in 2020). The contest has been more predictive for Republicans; recent nominees Donald Trump (2016) and John McCain (2008) revived their candidacies with New Hampshire primary victories after Iowa caucus defeats.
• Demographic representation: The dominance of New Hampshire and Iowa in early nominating contests may not endure. Some party leaders have advocated shifting early focus to states with greater demographic diversity.

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