Former President Donald Trump and his former ambassador. Nikki Haley returned tied early in New Hampshire's first-in-the-nation primary on Tuesday.
Trump is hoping for another landslide victory after his 30-point victory last Monday in the Iowa caucuses.
Haley is the only rival left after Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis dramatically dropped out of the race on Sunday.
She's keeping her fingers crossed for an upset or a close second place finish in a state full of independent-minded voters who often choose a candidate other than the Iowa caucus winner.
Most polls closed at 7:00 p.m. ET and the remainder closed at 8:00 p.m. ET.
The Associated Press had Trump at 53 percent and Haley at 46 percent, with only 9 percent of votes counted as of 7:30 p.m. ET.
In 's latest New Hampshire poll, Trump was ahead of Haley by 20 points – earning the support of 57 percent of likely GOP voters compared to 37 percent.
Former President Donald Trump surprised his supporters on Tuesday by showing up at a polling station in Londonderry, New Hampshire. Trump is hoping a big win in the Granite State will oust his final rival, Nikki Haley
Former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley (left) greets supporters alongside New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu at a polling station in Bedford, New Hampshire
Nikki Haley's future in the White House race hangs in the balance as the latest New Hampshire poll shows Donald Trump with a 20-point lead heading into the primary
On Tuesday, Trump and Haley — with armies of surrogates and volunteers — flooded the state as the ex-president made a surprise stop at a polling station in Londonderry.
“I feel very confident,” Trump said, adding that he “doesn’t care” if Haley stays inside. “Let her do whatever she wants, it doesn’t matter,” the ex-president said, saying he had predicted a “big loss” for the former South Carolina governor.
Haley, who banned from reporting on her events in New Hampshire after reporting on her alleged affairs, visited with New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu and failed 2022 GOP Senate candidate Don Bolduc, a polling place in Hampton at her side.
The former U.N. ambassador received good news early Tuesday morning as all six New Hampshire voters who voted in the far northern town of Dixville Notch chose her as their preferred candidate.
“It’s great to get the top six votes,” she told reporters outside Winnacunnet High School. “It gave us good energy and momentum.”
The first exit polls released also appeared to be favorable territory for Haley, who is counting on support from independents and moderates to close the gap with Trump, who was leading by double digits in recent polls in New Hampshire.
NBC's exit polls showed that among those who voted in Tuesday's Republican primary, a minority – 47 percent – identified as Republicans, while 45 percent said they were independents and 8 percent said they were Democrats.
Trump complained that Democrats had infiltrated the New Hampshire primary to support Haley, even though voters who chose to do so had an October deadline to switch parties.
New Hampshire voters in Francestown cast their ballots Tuesday in the nation's first primary election. Republican voters will choose between former President Donald Trump and his former UN ambassador. Nikki Haley
Former President Donald Trump (right) greets a young supporter during a surprise stop at a polling station in Londonderry on Tuesday. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (left) stood next to the former president
Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley hugs a supporter outside Winnacunnet High School in Hampton, New Hampshire on Tuesday
In 2016, the last time there was a competitive GOP primary, the Republican primary was 55 percent Republican, 42 percent independent and 3 percent Democrat.
Trump won the New Hampshire primary this year.
Turnout on Tuesday appeared to be high as the weather improved significantly compared to the Iowa caucuses, which took place eight days earlier in subzero temperatures and after two snowstorms.
Temperatures remained in the mid to high 30s C throughout the day and Manchester experienced severe thunderstorms as the sun set.
Voting across the state appeared to proceed without major disruptions, according to Secretary of State spokeswoman Anna Sventek.
Assistant Attorney General Brendan O'Donnell, head of the department's election law division, agreed, saying it was a “great morning” with no “major problems.”
O'Donnell said his office was handling “typical complaints” from some voters who were close to one party and wanted to vote in the other party's primary.
Such complaints come every year, he said.
New Hampshire's Democratic voters had the option of writing in President Joe Biden's name, which was not on the ballot, or choosing one of the president's challengers — Minnesota Rep. Dean Phillips or self-help guru Marianne Williamson.
In a move endorsed by Biden, the Democratic National Committee rearranged the Democratic primary to let South Carolinians go first, but New Hampshire law and the state's Republican leadership did not allow the early primary date to be moved.