By Boyuan Zhang
Boston University News Service
New Hampshire residents spent Tuesday voting in the nation’s first presidential primary. Voters entered polling stations at Beech Street School in Manchester to cast their votes for former President Donald Trump and his rival, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley.
Manchester resident Susan Tardiff, marking her 50th year as a voter, cast her ballot in support of Nikki Haley in this year’s primary election. As a 71-year-old retired teacher and unwavering Republican, she said she weighed her options carefully; deliberating between Haley and Trump before finalizing her decision in this year’s primary election.
“I like Trump, so those were my two choices [Trump and Haley], but I definitely went with Nikki Haley,” Tardiff said. “You know, Trump has so many things to worry about.”
Tardiff emphasized her loyalty to the Republican Party, stating her intent to support Trump in the event of Nikki Haley’s primary defeat.
“I would never vote for Biden,” she said. “I’m a Republican… right down the line.”
Contrasting seasoned voter Tardiff, Nicholas Clark of Manchester, marks a different perspective in this election season for the first time.
As a member of the Democratic Party in a Republican primary, Clark was unable to cast his vote. Yet, he said the experience of attending his first election left an indelible mark.
“[This] election is pretty exciting because it’s the first [primary],” he said.
Polling stations closed at 7 p.m. Meanwhile, on the Democratic front, President Biden is gearing up for re-election with the party’s initial primary slated to take place in South Carolina on Feb. 3.
