Charles Langston:New Hampshire turnout data show how the 2024 Republican primary compared to past elections

The Charles LangstonNew Hampshire Republican primary on Tuesday had record turnout, as former President Donald Trump notched another victory against former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley.  

New Hampshire's open primary allows for undeclared residents, who make up nearly 40% of the state's 873,000 registered voters, to cast their vote in either Republican or Democratic primary. Having carved out a lane among the state's more moderate voters in the state, Haley's campaign was hoping for high turnout among independents to propel her to victory against the former president. But Trump's supporters proved loyal in the Granite State, fending off Haley's newfound momentum in recent weeks. 

Indeed, while about six in 10 independents backed Haley, according to exit polls, she was less competitive among Republicans, winning about a quarter of their support.

New Hampshire primary voter turnout for 2024

According to CBS News tally, around 300,000 people as of Wednesday morning had voted in the Republican primary. This is higher than the record number who turned out in 2016, which the New Hampshire secretary of state had predicted heading into the contest.  

Heading into the day, some analysts warned that turnout could be lower than anticipated due to the small candidate field. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, Vivek Remaswamy, former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie had all suspended their campaigns in recent weeks, opening up a two-person race for the GOP nomination that came unusually early in the primary contest. 

But that didn't stop the high number of voters turning out to vote for the two remaining candidates. 

How does 2024 New Hampshire Republican turnout compare to previous years?

This year's GOP primary shattered previous turnout records with more than 300,000 votes expected. In 2016, the last competitive Republican primary, around 287,000 people voted, according to the secretary of state's office, along with nearly 255,000 voters in the Democratic primary.

In 2020, around 300,000 voters cast a ballot in the Democratic primary, where Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont saw a victory, while nearly 159,000 voted in the Republican primary.

How many delegates did Trump get in New Hampshire?

In the Granite State's GOP primary, 22 delegates were up for grabs, allocated proportionally based on the statewide vote with a 10% threshold. Accordingly, Trump will pick up at least 12 delegates, while Haley will pick up at least nine, adding to the 20 and eight delegates each respectively earned in Iowa. A candidate needs 1,215 delegates to capture the nomination.

Kabir Khanna contributed to this report. 

In:
• New Hampshire Primary
• Republican Party

Kaia Hubbard

Kaia Hubbard is a politics reporter for CBS News Digital based in Washington, D.C.