The New Hampshire primaries kicked off at midnight [Tuesday, February 9 2016] with Democrat Bernie Sanders and Republican John Kasich winning over two of the three early voting committees, while Republican Ted Cruz and Democrat Hillary Clinton each claimed one.
Donald Trump has finished second in all three.
Each town had a total of less than 100 voters, and it is New Hampshire law that allows small towns such as these to cast their votes at midnight—giving us a look at a minuscule portion of the half a million pool of voters who will take to the polls this morning.
The results of the New Hampshire primaries could very well do one of two things: answer a lot of questions or add to the sea of questions still unanswered.
On the Right, Donald Trump will be facing a nail-biting evening as he waits anxiously to see if he can live up to the hype following a loss in Iowa last week.
Meanwhile, Marco Rubio, who surprisingly finished third in Iowa, could have just as well had his momentum curbed by New Jersey Governor Chris Christie’s relentless assault at Saturday’s [February 6] GOP debate. The Florida Senator had pegged New Hampshire as the state in which he would emerge as a top candidate, but it seems he spoke too soon.
The Democrats’ dilemma may include less candidates, but it certainly proves to be just as complicated. All eyes will be on Senator Bernie Sanders who lost to Hillary Clinton in an extremely close call last week. The Vermont senator is trailing along a 26-point lead ahead of the former Secretary of State in CNN’s latest tracking poll.
The expected win from Sanders is crucial at this point in the race. It’s what will give the anti-Wall Street candidate a compelling edge to hold him over in Southern states where his popularity wanes.
The essential breakdown of New Hampshire is Sanders and Trump have secured their spots as top finishers, respectively. The outcomes we should be looking at are who finishes in second and third for the Republican party and by what margin does Sanders beat Clinton.
Deciding factors weigh heavily on the turnout of voters who make their way to the polls. Trump and Sanders have garnered their support from new voters, a factor to weigh especially in the student-friendly Bernie Sanders’ favor in New Hampshire.
In comparison to the Iowa caucuses who began voting at 8pm EST, the New Hampshire primaries should deliver results before 11pm EST strikes. It’s at that moment we will witness the solidification of some of our best bets, or suffer through a burst of turbulence in the political playing field.
