Early exit polls showed a record turnout of the New Hampshire 2008 presidential primary Tuesday, in which a large number of voters made their decision on the Election Day.
Citing State Secretary Bill Gardner, MSNBC TV said that over 500,000, or about 60 percent, of the state's 830,684 registered voters were estimated to have cast their ballots in the primary.
The out-of-expectation high turnout, as a result of candidates' effort to mobilize independent voters, has almost run out of ballots at the polling stations, New Hampshire Deputy Secretary of State Dave Scanlan told reporters.
The Democratic ballots, in particular, were running low but no polling station has actually run out so far, he added.
The polls also showed that 18 percent of Republicans and 15 percent of Democrats said they picked their candidate on the Election Day.
Independent voters, which account for 44 percent of the total, are considered as a key player in the primary. According to the polls by NBC News, among Republican voters, 38 percent are independent and the number on the Democratic side is 43 percent.
The polls also found that economy, war and immigration are priority issues for New Hampshire Republican voters, and Democratic voters' biggest concerns are economy, war and healthcare.
As voters are picking up candidates for the next president, they voiced criticism against the current administration. According to the polls released by MSNBC, 51 percent of Republican voters and 93 percent of Democratic voters are dissatisfied or angry at President George W. Bush's government.
About 87 percent Democratic voters, in particular, said that the country's economy is in bad shape, according to the polls.
Democratic candidate Barack Obama and Republican Mike Huckabee won the Iowa caucuses on Jan. 3 with a record turnout.
The New Hampshire primary, the nation's first this year, is also seen to have huge implication on the 2008 presidential primary and caucuses.
Source:Xinhua
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