Why New Hampshire Holds the First Primary

'The story goes back to 1916, when New Hampshire held its first primary, an antiquated that only listed those hoping to become convention delegates on the ballot. Presidential preferences remained shrouded in secrecy. (It was the first-in-the-nation primary for the first time in 1920.)

Things changed in 1949, as Elaine Kamarck notes in her book, “Primary Politics.” Richard Upton, the speaker of the New Hampshire House of Representatives, wanted to generate more turnout at the polls and make the process “more interesting and meaningful.” He did so by amending the law to allow voters to pick directly candidates who had enough petitions to make the ballot.

Other states did not follow suit for decades, but New Hampshire became the star of the primary season map in 1952. It was that year that supporters of Dwight D. Eisenhower, who had recently returned from World War II, put his name on New Hampshire’s Republican ballot. A surprising win spring-boarded him to the nomination and the presidency.

To protect its first-state status, New Hampshire passed legislation to prevent others from pre-empting its primary election.

The state law says this: “The presidential primary election shall be held on the second Tuesday in March or on a date selected by the secretary of state which is seven days or more immediately preceding the date on which any other state shall hold a similar election.”'>>>

http://www.nytimes.com/live/new-hampshire-primary-2016-election/why-new-hampshire-holds-the-first-primary