‘There’s a lot on the line’: Biden write-in campaign is about more than votes
Activist Sonia Prince urges Democratic primary voters to write in President Joe Biden on their ballots outside a polling location in Nashua, New Hampshire, on Jan. 23, 2024.
Kevin Breuninger | CNBC
NASHUA, N.H. — The effort to deliver Joe Biden a victory in the state’s Democratic primary is well underway, even though the president isn’t on the ballot.
“There’s a lot on the line,” said Sonia Prince, an activist and volunteer for the Democratic incumbent’s write-in campaign.
A win for Biden will “show the country that we still support him, and we support democracy and we support women’s rights,” Prince said outside a polling location at Amherst Street Elementary School.
Prince, carrying a placard urging passing voters to “ask me about writing in Joe Biden,” stood a few feet from a handful of pro-Trump demonstrators.
Breaking with decades of tradition, the Democratic National Committee this year is recognizing South Carolina as the nation’s first primary election. The change, which drew the ire of some New Hampshire officials, followed Biden’s recommendation.
The Granite State is holding a Democratic primary election anyway, featuring 21 candidates other than Biden.
“I totally agree with” the change, Prince said, because New Hampshire is “not really the best snapshot of America.” She noted that South Carolina is more racially diverse than the Granite State, which is overwhelmingly white.
Prince said she was motivated by her support for Biden, not merely her opposition to Donald Trump. But she still expressed concern about the Republican former president getting into office again.
“We’re going to be feeling the pain of Donald Trump for years to come,” she said. “I mean, I don’t want this for me or my kids.”
— Kevin Breuninger
Likely AI created fake Biden robocall is red alert for secretaries of state
President Joe Biden waves as he walks towards the White House, on January 22, 2024 in Washington, DC.
Kent Nishimura | The Washington Post | Getty Images
New Hampshire Secretary of State David Scanlan said that he and other top elections officials in other states will “have to find ways to combat” the use of technology to create realistic-sounding — but fake — robocalls like the one made to Granite State residents in the days before the primary.
In that call, an artificially generated voice of President Joe Biden urged people not to vote in the primary, saying it would not make a difference.
“That call is very concerning because it is a form of voter suppression and it is illegal,” Scanlan said in an interview with MSNBC.
The fake Biden call, which is being investigated by the New Hampshire attorney general’s office, told people, “It’s important that you save your vote for the November election.”
“Voting this Tuesday only enables the Republicans in their quest to elect Donald Trump again,” the call says. Your vote makes a difference in November, not this Tuesday.”
These kinds of phony calls have worried “secretaries of state around the country,” said Scanlan.
– Dan Mangan
Will New Hampshire affect the Democratic nomination? Part 1, the official answer
An attendee holds a sign during a Write-In Joe Biden campaign “Get Out The Vote” event in Dover, New Hampshire, US, on Sunday, Jan. 21, 2024. The Democratic National Committee (DNC) insisted that South Carolina a state critical to President Joe Bidens 2020 nomination vote before both Iowa and New Hampshire on their calendar, which means that Bidens name wont appear on the New Hampshire ballot in the January 23 primary. Photographer: Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images
The official answer to that question is, New Hampshire will not impact the Democratic nomination at all.
And President Joe Biden’s name will not appear printed on the New Hampshire primary ballot.
Under Biden’s advisement, the Democratic National Committee selected South Carolina to be 2024’s first official Democratic primary, breaking a century-long tradition of New Hampshire going first.
Some context for that decision: In 2020, Biden secured just 8% of the vote in the Granite State, a major disappointment. But he won South Carolina with 48% of the vote.
Furious at the new timeline, New Hampshire went against the DNC’s guidance and scheduled its primary to happen first anyway, saying state law required it.
As a result, Biden’s name is not on today’s Democratic primary ballot.
Though New Hampshire has 10 delegates who will attend the Democratic National Convention, none of them will be pledged to a candidate tonight, because this is not a sanctioned primary. In other words, tonight’s primary bears no official weight on the Democratic nomination.
— Rebecca Picciotto
Will New Hampshire affect the Democratic nomination? Part 2, the unofficial answer
Bob Mulholland gathers with others to hold signs in support of a President Joe Biden write-in campaign at a busy intersection on Monday January 22, 2024 in Manchester, NH.
Matt McClain | The Washington Post | Getty Images
On the record, President Joe Biden is not actively competing in today’s New Hampshire primary: His name is not listed on ballots and he has held no official campaign events.
But unofficially, Biden supporters are still going for the win. Though the president has not campaigned in the Granite State himself, some surrogates have organized write-in events, teaching and encouraging New Hampshire Democrats to write “Joe Biden” on their ballots.
Write-in campaigns are hard to pull off, and there is no real benchmark on which to measure Biden’s performance.
Plus, as a non-DNC-sanctioned primary, New Hampshire will not award any delegates tonight. So determining a capital-V Victory for Biden may just be a matter of spin.
Some say the president needs at least 50% of the vote to create a narrative of momentum going into the official primaries. Roughly 88,000 Democrats are expected to turn out to vote. Biden is up against House Rep. Dean Phillips, D-Minn., and author Marianne Williamson, both polling significantly behind him, though their names are on the New Hampshire ballot.
— Rebecca Picciotto
Voting ‘running very smoothly,’ says New Hampshire secretary of state
Bill Joyce, Stark moderator enters a ballot into the voting box during New Hampshire’s first-in-the-nation U.S. presidential primary election at the Stark Volunteer Fire Department in Stark, New Hampshire, U.S., January 23, 2024.
Faith Ninivaggi | Reuters
As of midday, voting in the primary was proceeding without major issues, New Hampshire Secretary of State David Scanlan said in an interview with MSNBC.
“Everything is running very smoothly,” Scanlan said.
Any problems that have occurred at polling places have been addressed quickly, he said.
Scanlan said it was too early to know if turnout would exceed his prediction, of about 320,000 Republican primary voters, and 80,000 Democratic ballots.
“We will have the results of both the Republican primary and the Democratic primary before the night is over,” he added.
– Dan Mangan
Donald Trump promises more corporate tax cuts if elected president
Former U.S. President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump greets supporters as makes a visit to a polling station on election day in the New Hampshire presidential primary in Londonderry, New Hampshire, U.S., January 23, 2024.
Mike Segar | Reuters
Donald Trump campaigned in New Hampshire on the promise to cut corporate taxes for a second time, if he were elected president.
In a little-noticed clip from a recent Fox News interview that took place in New Hampshire, the former president was asked whether, if he were president, he would “do larger tax cuts? Corporate tax cuts?”
“I was planning on it. Had the result been different. The result was just fine, by the way,” Trump said, in what appeared to be an unusual commentary on the outcome of the 2020 presidential election, which Trump falsely claims was stolen.
In 2017, Trump signed a landmark tax cuts bill that brought the corporate tax rate to 21%, down from 35%.
– Brian Schwartz
For Trump’s supporters, immigration tops everything
Republican presidential candidate, former U.S. President Donald Trump autographs hats while visiting with supporters outside the polling site at Londonderry High School on January 23, 2024 in Londonderry, New Hampshire.
Chip Somodevilla | Getty Images
NASHUA, N.H. — Even in one of the nation’s northernmost states, the southern border is top of mind for supporters of Donald Trump.
“I think we’re done for good,” if President Joe Biden is reelected, because of “everybody coming over the border,” said Ruth Bealand, 83. “He took our borders down, and we’re not safe anymore,” she said of Biden, a Democrat.
“The border’s number one,” said David, 79, who asked that his last name not be used. His wife Julia, 72, agreed.
Trump is “going to put all those immigrants back where they belong,” said Julia, before quickly clarifying, “We all come from immigrants. But our immigrants, our family, did it the right way.”
— Kevin Breuninger
New Hampshire’s electorate: White, working and wealthier than U.S. median
Voters fill out their ballots at a polling location at Bedford High School on January 23, 2024 in Bedford, New Hampshire. Voters headed to the polls as New Hampshire holds its primary.
Joe Raedle | Getty Images News | Getty Images
New Hampshire primary voters are mostly white and have a higher income than the national average, according to federal demographic data.
The state’s estimated population in July 2023 was slightly over 1.4 million, of which 92.6% are white, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
Median annual household income was $90,845 from 2018 to 2022 — over $16,000 more than the national median income per household in 2022.
The unemployment rate in the Granite State is also lower than the national average: In October, it was 2.1%, 1.5 percentage points below the national unemployment rate that month of 3.6%.
Yet it remains to be seen how New Hampshire’s particular demographic and economic makeup affect the choices its voters make at the polls.
Nationwide surveys consistently show that the overall strength of the U.S. economy in recent years has not translated into higher rates of voter approval of President Joe Biden’s handling of the economy.
State-by-state inflation rates are difficult to calculate, but polls clearly point to a link between post-pandemic jumps in consumer prices and voter frustration with Biden.
— Chelsey Cox
Head of DHS Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency was swatted
Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) Director Jen Easterly testifies before a House Homeland Security Subcommittee, at the Rayburn House Office Building on April 28, 2022 in Washington, DC.
Kevin Dietsch | Getty Images
The Virginia home of a top U.S. cybersecurity official whose work includes securing the nation’s elections was swatted in late December, authorities said.
Arlington Police said a 911 call on Dec. 30 falsely reported a shooting at the residence of Jen Easterly, director of the Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, or CISA.
The incident is the latest in a string of reported swatting calls targeting public figures who have been criticized by former President Donald Trump. Special counsel Jack Smith, who is prosecuting Trump in two federal cases, was swatted on Christmas Day. Two judges presiding over cases involving the former president have also been targeted.
“These incidents pose a serious risk to the individuals, their families, and in the case of swatting, to the law enforcement officers responding to the situation,” Easterly said in a statement.
“While my own experience was certainly harrowing, it was unfortunately not unique. In particular, several of our nation’s election officials have also been targeted with this type of harassment and other threats of violence,” Easterly said.
“The men and women of both parties who run our elections work tirelessly to ensure their security and integrity. We at CISA, along with our partners, will continue to support these election heroes as they work every day to safeguard our most sacred democratic process.”
— Dan Mangan
How Democrats’ write-in voting works
Volunteers hold signs outside of a polling station at Plymouth Elementary School in Plymouth, New Hampshire, US, on Tuesday, Jan. 23, 2024.
Al Drago | Bloomberg | Getty Images
Write-in voting is the only way New Hampshire Democrats can cast a ballot for incumbent President Joe Biden, if they so choose.
To do so, voters must fill in the “Write-In” bubble, located on the last line of the ballot. In the corresponding line to the left, they must write the name of their preferred candidate.
The write-in votes will be hand-counted by poll workers who will determine a ballot’s vote based on “intent,” Secretary of State David Scanlan told NBC. Write-in ballots will count if a poll worker can reasonably figure out what the voter intended.
“If it’s a phonetic spelling, then it will likely be counted. If it is simply a first name, Joe, and there may be other Joes on the ballot, then that’s a different situation,” Scanlan said.
The final tally should become available around 11 p.m. ET.
Besides Biden, a progressive network online is encouraging voters to write “cease-fire” on their ballots, to protest U.S. support of Israel in its ongoing war with Hamas in Gaza.
— Rebecca Picciotto
Buy a cookie, cast your vote: Election Day foot traffic a golden opportunity
PTO bake sale at Ledge Street Elementary School, a polling location in Nashua, New Hampshire, during the first primary of the 2024 presidential election, Jan. 23, 2024.
Kevin Breuninger | CNBC
NASHUA, N.H. — The primary drives a lot of spending in the Granite State — but the election economy isn’t limited to TV ad sales and hotel rooms.
At Ledge Street Elementary School, one of this city’s nine polling locations, a parent-teacher organization is capitalizing on the steady flow of foot traffic with a bake sale.
Residents heading inside to vote will pass by a trio of fold-out tables piled high with cookies, cupcakes, dipped pretzels and an array of other homemade and home-wrapped goods from about 20 parents.
It’s prime real estate, but there’s no price-gouging here: Most of the goods sell for 50 cents, though larger items, like the postcard-sized “I Voted” cookies, fetch $1.
PTO bake sale at Ledge Street Elementary School, a polling location in Nashua, New Hampshire, during the first primary of the 2024 presidential election, Jan. 23, 2024.
Kevin Breuninger | CNBC
The PTO’s last bake sale, at a state-level election in November, netted around $300, said Amy Shuler, a fifth-grade teacher and the group’s treasurer. Some of that total came from donations, she noted.
This time around has already been much busier, she said.
The money helps fund field days, assemblies, playground equipment and sometimes even classroom supplies.
There’s “a lot of generosity toward the PTO,” said Shuler.
— Kevin Breuninger
Crucial voter turnout will likely come down to four counties
Voters line up to cast their ballots in the New Hampshire primary election in Londonderry, New Hampshire, U.S., January 23, 2024.
Brian Snyder | Reuters
Four of New Hampshire’s 10 counties could be key bellwethers to watch tonight to gauge all-important voter turnout, according to the University of Virginia Center for Politics.
Hillsborough, Rockingham, Stafford and Merrimack counties together comprise 75% of the primary electorate.
Since 1952, seven towns in New Hampshire have consistently gone to the eventual winner of the state’s Republican primary. Four of them are located in three of those counties, NBC News reported.
Trump won the city of Rochester in Stafford County by 20 points in 2016, close to his 23-point margin of victory in New Hampshire that year, according to NBC.
Hillsborough County made up nearly 30% of the primary vote in 2016, while 1 out of 4 votes came from Rockingham County. Merrimack County, located west of Stafford, was home to 12% of Republican primary voters in 2016.
— Chelsey Cox
New Hampshire GOP primary ad spending totals over $70 million
Campaign signs of Republican presidential candidate and former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley and Former U.S. President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump are seen outside the Londonderry High School during the New Hampshire presidential primary election in Londonderry, New Hampshire, U.S., January 23, 2024.
Reba Saldanha | Reuters
The New Hampshire Republican primary campaign will have cost over $70 million in advertisements, according to data from AdImpact.
The massive amount of ad money was split between the campaigns and supportive political action committees of Donald Trump, Nikki Haley and Ron DeSantis. The ads aired on television, radio and digital platforms.
Haley will wrap up the New Hampshire primary riding on a wave of $30 million in ad support, which includes over $18 million from a pro-Haley super PAC, SFA Fund Inc.
Trump and his supportive super PAC have invested more than $15 million in ads in New Hampshire.
— Brian Schwartz
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