We asked, you answered: Should New Hampshire keep its first-in-the-nation primary status?

New Hampshire has earned its reputation as the first-in-the-nation primary state thanks to a mix of law and tradition. State law requires that its presidential primary be held at least seven days before any other primary or caucus, ensuring candidates face voters here before anywhere else. That early timing gives the state an outsized influence—candidates spend weeks on the ground meeting voters, testing messages, and building momentum.

Political parties generally respect New Hampshire’s early spot, though technically they could penalize the state for jumping ahead. Every election cycle, as other states try to schedule earlier primaries to gain attention, New Hampshire simply moves its date earlier, making sure it stays first.

This week, we asked readers: Should New Hampshire keep its first-in-the-nation primary status?

Here’s what they had to say…

“I don’t think states should have any involvement in primaries; they’re private associations so the state has no interest in how they handle internal affairs. But FITN has such a positive economic impact in NH, it has proven to be a good investment.” — Keenan Pawley 

“It’s great to see all the candidates coming here, and it’s great for NH’s economy. But is it fair for NH to always have this privilege? I think NH should share this wonderful opportunity with other states. Maybe there could be some kind of a lottery or something to choose the first every year or every couple of years. Let’s spread this treasured first position with other states and not be so selfish and greedy.” — Barb Southard 

“Yes, New Hampshire should keep the designation of first in the primaries. Continue that history.” — Mike Schock

“I’m not sure that NH being first in the nation benefits the election process. The focus on face-to-face contact is good, but the media hoopla gets in the way of evaluating a candidate’s integrity. Time will tell.” — JoAnn Carlson

“No, NH should NOT keep its FITN primary status as long as it continues to be a semi-open primary, which greatly restricts voting and is one of the major causes of our dysfunctional government, including the rise of Trump. FITN should go to an open single ballot primary with ranked choice voting (RCV) in the general election. The only state that uses that system is Alaska (Maine uses RCV but doesn’t have an open primary). Other reforms, such as fusion voting and multi-member congressional districts with proportional representation would also be helpful.” — Bill Black

“It’s a great opportunity for NH, personally and financially, for sure. However, some people look to the early primaries to see how people connect to the candidates and their messages, and I’m not sure NH is a good representation for most of the US.” — Lori McGinley 

“We have a lot more to be concerned about than this nonsense. In reality, New Hampshire is not a cross section at all of the country on any level of life, culture or business and I believe that the first primary should be in a state with the most diversity, which is what makes this country great.” — Marci Smoger