New Hampshire voters head to the polls

A more than 100-year-old tradition continues in New Hampshire.

"Don't complain about what happens in a general election if you don't play in this primary tomorrow. It matters," Nikki Haley told voters at one of her final campaign events before voting begins. 

She is hoping for an upset win over former president Donald Trump.

"Every one of you is going to cast the most important vote of your entire life. This is a very, very important vote," Trump said at one of his final New Hampshire rallies.

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DeSantis suspended his 2024 presidential campaign on Sunday, and endorsed Trump. (DeSantis 2024)

Ron DeSantis dropped out of the race over the weekend, leaving New Hampshire voters with just two options. 

"If he was going to drop out, I'm glad he did it before Tuesday, because that seemed to be like the respectable thing for him to do," New Hampshire Government Teacher Donna Morin said.

In 2016, Morin was undecided between former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie and Former Ohio Governor John Kasich. After seeing all the candidates, she landed on former Florida Governor Jeb Bush.

"So embarrassing," Morin said laughing.

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In 2020, she voted in the Democratic primary and backed Pete Buttigieg. This election cycle she is planning to vote in the Republican primary once again and is supporting Nikki Haley. 

"She wants to stay strong by helping Ukraine. That's vital. We cannot let Putin take that over," Morin said. "She has a lot more honesty to her."

Haley told supporters at a recent rally that she speaks hard truths. Morin hopes her students learn from each election cycle.

Republican presidential candidate and former UN Ambassador and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley speaks during a campaign event at Exeter High School in Exeter, N.H., Sunday, Jan. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

"A lot of them are really into it," Morin said. "They better vote on Tuesday because a lot of them are 18."

Most voters in New Hampshire are registered independents. Many have voted for candidates from both parties, including Alyssa Ehl. She voted for Barack Obama in the 2008 election but eventually shifted her affiliation to republican. 

"The Democratic Party left the people. The people aren’t leaving the Democratic Party," Ehl said. "They're going too far extreme to the left. I just can't support their ideals at this time."

Ehl said she liked several candidates this election cycle, including Vivek Ramaswamy, Ron DeSantis and former President Trump. With just Trump remaining, she still has some hesitancy.

"He lost last time in 2020, so I’m concerned that putting him up again with all the hype and just the constant battering, his reputation is going to be an issue," Ehl said. "I think a lot of people are saturated in the whole Trump drama."

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Ehl wants a candidate who can beat President Biden. But she doesn’t think Haley has what it takes.

"I just feel as though it's just not a good time. She's just not firm enough on a lot of issues," Ehl said.

MaryAnn Vailas is a bookkeeper and property manager from Bedford, New Hampshire.

"New Hampshire voters are unique," Vailas said. "They do their reading, they do their research, and they make the best move."

Vailas has four sons and a stepdaughter who live nearby. She’s worried about the rising prices of family homes.

"They can't afford to buy a house. We've had to help one of our sons to buy one," Valias said.

Vailas says she was impressed by Nikki Haley in the first debate.

"I am generally a pro-life person, but I think there needs to be some exceptions. When she pointed out that we would never pass that through our Congress, it just it just struck me."

Vailas agrees that New Hampshire takes its job seriously.

A voting booth at a polling station inside Plymouth Elementary School in Plymouth, New Hampshire, US, on Tuesday, Jan. 23, 2024. New Hampshire's primary Tuesday is the stage for a crucial showdown between Donald Trump and Nikki Haley, the last major challenger standing between the former president and the GOP nomination.  (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

"New Hampshire has had a long-standing tradition as part of our Constitution, that we have the first-in-the-nation primary," Vailas said. "And that's why the Democrats are missing the boat."

Tim Kolojay believes former President Trump is the only one who can win.

"I’ve never been to a Trump rally, but he draws them like it’s unbelievable," Kolojay said.

Kolojay has voted for President Trump in the past two election cycles and plans to support him once again.

"I thought he was going to win the general election last time. I guess people are just upset with his actions and his attitudes," Kolojay said. "I think with all these criminal indictments throwing at him, you always vote for the underdog. I say I vote for the underdog. And to me, he's become an underdog."

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Kolojay says he understands why the former president has faced criticism but also believes Trump’s policies were better for the country.

"I like a lot of things that Donald Trump did back in the four years he was there," Kolojay said. "He may have spoken too loudly and too much on Twitter. He upset a lot of people. But as far as what he did for this country, I liked it."