Last week we saw they first group of U.S. citizens make their choices in the 2016 presidential election cycle. Democrat Hillary Clinton edge out Sen. Bernie Sanders with the narrowest of margins in Iowa's caucuses, and Republican Ted Cruz posted a somewhat surprising victory over Donald Trump.
Next, we move on to New Hampshire, where on Tuesday we’ll see the “first-in-the-nation” primary -- a different animal altogether than a caucus.
Here’s what you need to know about New Hampshire and its primary
What is a primary?
A primary is a statewide election where the results will determine the number of delegates assigned to each candidate at the party’s national nominating convention. It is similar to a general election as the voters cast secret ballots.
Are there different types of primaries?
Yes. Primaries generally come in two forms – open and closed. In an open primary, voters can vote for any candidate, regardless of the voter's political affiliation. For instance, registered Republicans could vote for a candidate on the Democratic ticket.
The other primary type is closed, meaning you must vote for someone on your party’s ticket – registered Republicans vote for Republicans, registered Democrats for Democrats.
Which type does New Hampshire have?
In New Hampshire, the primaries are an odd mix of open and closed. Each registered voter votes in his or her party’s respective primaries. However, if a voter does not declare a party, he or she may choose which primary they wish to vote in. And that is significant in New Hampshire because nearly half of the voters there are undeclared in a political party.
In what other ways is New Hampshire different than the Iowa caucuses?
- The election is run by the New Hampshire secretary of state's office. In Iowa, it is conducted by individual political parties. New Hampshire voters cast a vote that is recorded and can be recounted in the event of a dispute. In some instances in Iowa, voters simply gather together in a group to show support for a candidate and are counted that way.
- Under new Hampshire law, communities with fewer than 100 voters can get permission to open their polls at midnight, and can close them when everyone in the town who is registered have cast their ballots. There are three towns that generally do that -- Dixville Notch (population: 9), Millsfield (population: 29) and Hart's Location (population: 42). Those three towns in the northern part of New Hampshire will be the first in the state, and, by extension, the first in the nation to cast ballots for candidates in a presidential primary.
- Polling places in New Hampshire open between 6 a.m. and 11 a.m. and close at 7 p.m.
- It's really easy to get on the ballot there. Pony-up $1,000 or get 100 signatures on a petition and you're in. This year there are 58 candidates on the two ballots.
- For the first time, New Hampshire voters will be required to show identification before they vote. A new voter ID law went into effect in 2013.
Is New Hampshire a winner-take-all state?
No. Delegates for both the Democratic and Republican parties will be awarded on a proportional basis – the more votes you get, the more delegates you get at the national convention.
What's at stake?
New Hampshire is a small state with a small number of delegates, but it plays an important role in the election because it is the first primary held in the country during a national election year. That means it garners a lot of attention. The winners of the primaries can expect to see more donations to their campaigns and momentum moving forward.
What candidates actually get after the votes are counted, are delegates committed to vote for them at the national convention. For Democrats, it’s 32 delegates. For Republicans, it’s 23.
And one more:
There is no mention in the United States Constitution of the role of political parties in national elections. The first two elections were handled by the Electoral College – both the nominations and the election. After that, state legislatures caucused for their party’s nominee. Finally in 1832, a national convention was settled on as the method to choose a party's candidate for president.
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