New Hampshire presidential primary

Elections in New Hampshire
Federal government Presidential elections 1788–89 1792 1796 1800 1804 1808 1812 1816 1820 1824 1828 1832 1836 1840 1844 1848 1852 1856 1860 1864 1868 1872 1876 1880 1884 1888 1892 1896 1900 1904 1908 1912 1916 1920 1924 1928 1932 1936 1940 1944 1948 1952 1956 1960 1964 1968 1972 1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016 2020 2024 Presidential primaries Democratic 1952 1956 1960 1964 1968 1972 1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016 2020 2024 Republican 1952 1956 1960 1964 1968 1972 1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016 2020 2024 Local Dixville Notch Hart's Location United States Senate elections 1788 1789 1792 1794 1798 1798 (sp) 1800 1801 (sp) 1802 (sp) 1804 1807 1810 1810 (sp) 1813 (sp) 1814 (sp) 1816 1817 (sp) 1818 1819 1823 1825 1846 (sp) 1831 1835 1836 (sp) 1837 1841 1842 (sp) 1843 1846 1852 1855 1855 (sp) 1857 (sp) 1859 1861 1864 1870 1872 1876 1879 (sp) 1883 (sp) 1885 (sp) 1887 (sp) 1889 (sp) 1891 1895 1897 1901 1903 1907 1909 1913 1914 1918 1918 (sp) 1920 1924 1926 1930 1932 1936 1938 1942 1944 1948 1950 1954 1954 (sp) 1956 1960 1962 1962 (sp) 1966 1968 1972 1974/5 1978 1980 1984 1986 1990 1992 1996 1998 2002 2004 2008 2010 2014 2016 2020 2022 United States House elections 1789 1789 (sp) 1790 1792 1794 1796 1797 (sp) 1798 1799 (sp) 1800 (sp) 1800 1802 (sp) 1802 1804 1806 1808 1810/1811 1812 1814 1814 (sp) 1816 1819 1820 1822/1823 1824/1825 1825 (sp) 1827 1829 1831 1833 1835 1837 1839 1841 1843 1845/1846 1847 1849 1851 1853 1855 1857 1859 1861 1863 1865 1867 1869 1871 1873 1875 1877 1878 1880 1882 1884 1886 1888 1890 1892 1894 1896 1898 1900 1902 1904 1906 1908 1910 1912 1914 1916 1917 (sp 1st) 1920 1928 1938 1940 1942 1944 1946 1954 1956 1968 1972 1980 1984 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020 2022 2024
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Manchester Mayoral elections 19th century 1846 1847 1848 1849 1850 1851 1852 1853 1854 1855 1856 (Mar) 1856 (Nov) 1857 1858 1859 1860 1861 1862 1863 1864 1865 1866 1867 1868 1869 1870 1871 1872 1873 1875 1876 1877 1878 (Mar) 1878 (Nov) 1880 1882 1884 1886 1888 1890 1892 1894 1896 1898 1900 20th century 1902 1904 1906 1908 1910 1912 1914 1915 1917 1919 1921 1923 1925 1927 1929 1931 1933 1935 1937 1939 1941 1943 1945 1947 1949 1951 1953 1955 1957 1959 1961 1963 1965 1967 1969 1971 1973 1975 1977 1979 1981 1983 1985 1987 1989 1991 1993 1995 1997 1999 21st century 2001 2003 2005 2007 2009 2011 2013 2015 2017 2019 2021 2023
v t e

The New Hampshire presidential primary is the first in a series of nationwide party primary elections and the second party contest, the first being the Iowa caucuses, held in the United States every four years as part of the process of choosing the delegates to the Democratic and Republican national conventions which choose the party nominees for the presidential elections to be held in November. Although only a few delegates are chosen in the New Hampshire primary, its real importance comes from the massive media coverage it receives, along with the first caucus in Iowa.

Spurred by the events of the 1968 election, reforms that began with the 1972 election elevated the two states' importance to the overall election,^[1] and began to receive as much media attention as all of the other state contests combined.^[2] An upset victory by an underdog candidate, or a weak showing by a front-runner can change the course of the primaries, as happened in 1952, 1968, and 2008 for the Democrats, and in 1980 for the Republicans.

Since 1952, the primary has been a major testing ground for candidates for both the Republican and Democratic nominations. Candidates who do poorly frequently drop out, while lesser-known, underfunded candidates who excel in New Hampshire can become serious contenders, garnering large amounts of media attention and campaign funding.

The New Hampshire primary is a semi-open primary: unaffiliated voters (those registered without party affiliation) may vote in either party's primary. Voters registered with one party cannot "cross vote" to vote in another party's primary.