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Understanding New Hampshire's Electoral Impact

by Margaret Judson

In the final fight for the 270 electoral votes that will secure the presidential election, the pressure especially heats up on each elector in the coveted swing states. And some states stand out more than others — even the small battleground states are highly sought after in the race to 270. Think about it: Donald Trump has hit New Hampshire, and that might surprise you when you hear how many electors New Hampshire has.

It's hard to believe, but the election is less than a Law And Order: SVU binge-watching marathon away. Any way you look at it, it's not much time, and in the final countdown, Trump has spent a good chunk of his precious hours on the Granite States — even though New Hampshire only promises only four electoral votes. However, the time (and money) investment could be worth it for Team Trump. And considering Trump won the state in the primaries, in what many believe was a win that catapulted him and was crucial for him to nab the Republican presidential nomination, there might be hope for him.

In the past, Democrats have won the state four out of the last five presidential elections — the GOP exception being when George W. Bush won in 2000. And just to illustrate the impact ol' New Hampshire ended up having, if Bush hadn't snagged the state that year, it would have made the Florida debacle irrelevant, and Al Gore would have won.

Next door Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, an important Clinton surrogate (especially in the Northeast), stumped for his one-time opponent in the Granite state fairly recently, putting his plan for free college tuition at public schools for certain families at the forefront. It solidified some important support for the Democratic presidential nominee since Sanders's plan rallied so much support from millennials — a demo Clinton desperately needs.

Despite the current campaign efforts from both candidates though, the latest polls coming out of New Hampshire, at the time of writing, are leaning towards the Democratic side of the ticket, a sentiment that's in line with most of America at the moment.