CNN
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Former President Donald Trump is peddling false claims about voting guidelines for subsequent week’s New Hampshire main, as he tries to blunt Nikki Haley’s momentum within the state.
At a marketing campaign occasion in Portsmouth on Wednesday, Trump falsely claimed that New Hampshire legal guidelines “enable Democrats to vote within the Republican main.” He additionally mentioned, “Nikki Haley is relying on Democrats and liberals to infiltrate your Republican main.”
Information First: That is false. Registered Democrats can’t take part within the New Hampshire GOP main. Solely Republicans and independents can vote within the Republican contest.
Trump has a well-documented history of mendacity about elections, most famously in 2020, when he routinely spouted disinformation about mail-in ballots and different voting guidelines.
In New Hampshire, there’s a big share of independent voters, who’re referred to as “undeclared.” The state prides itself in letting undeclared voters take part in both social gathering’s presidential main. They’ll pick which ballot to take after they present as much as their polling place Tuesday. However registered Democrats can’t crossover to the GOP.
“Registered Democrats can not vote within the Republican main, and registered Republicans can not vote within the Democratic main,” New Hampshire Secretary of State David Scanlan informed CNN on Wednesday. “…We’ve been fairly clear concerning the course of.”
Trump complained that “Democrats … can stroll in and simply enroll straight away” to solid a poll within the Republican main. However that’s not correct – he seems to be conflating the voting guidelines for independents with what he thinks the principles are for Democrats.
“Undeclared voters can declare a celebration after they record their poll, vote in that social gathering. After which after they’re completed voting, they will change again to undeclared,” Scanlan mentioned.
Again in 2016, when Trump decisively received the New Hampshire main, he didn’t categorical many considerations concerning the position of impartial voters. That’s probably as a result of he benefitted from their participation. CNN exit polls point out that 42% of all voters have been independents, and Trump received a bigger share of their assist than every other candidate.
This time, it’s Haley who may need the sting with independents. In Trump’s huge Iowa victory, he beat Haley by 39 factors amongst Republican voters, however he had a a lot slimmer eight-point benefit amongst independents, in response to CNN entrance polls.