The 2016 presidential primary saw record turnout in New Hampshire – but it also generated record interest – according to new data from the University of New Hampshire Survey Center.
Over half of New Hamsphire adults said they paid a lot of attention to the February race, more than any other previous election cycle.
Fifty-six percent said they paid a lot of attention to the 2016 primary, as opposed to 37 percent in 2012 and 51 percent in 2008.
This year, 28 percent of adults surveyed said they didn’t have much interest in the campaign.
The poll also found that more voters actively participated in the election cycle by going to campaign events.
Twenty-five percent of those surveyed said they went to a candidate’s event and 13 percent said they shook hands with a presidential candidate. These numbers were higher than the 2012 election but slightly lower than the percentages recorded in 2008.
The poll also found great interest among New Hampshire resident surveyed in keeping the state’s first-in-the-nation primary status. Seventy-two percent of resident said if the state were to lose its first-in-the-nation status, it would either have a great or moderate impact on the state, while just 15 percent said it would have no impact.