Joe Biden on Tuesday announced he'd depart New Hampshire for South Carolina rather than attend his election night party in the Granite State.

The former vice president had already signaled he expected to do poorly in the New Hampshire primary after a rough result in the Iowa caucuses.

Biden publicized his decision hours before the polls in New Hampshire were set to close.

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Former Vice President Joe Biden was apparently so convinced he'd get trounced in New Hampshire's Democratic primary on Tuesday that he's opted to leave for South Carolina rather than stay in New England for his election night party.

Biden publicized this decision hours before the polls in New Hampshire were set to close, signaling his lack of confidence in how he'd fare in the first in the nation primary.

The former vice president announced he would hold an event in Columbia, South Carolina, and speak to his supporters in New Hampshire via livestream.

Speaking to reporters after the announcement, Biden said, "We're still mildly hopeful here in New Hampshire and we'll see what happens."

During the most recent Democratic debate, Biden made clear he expected to lose in New Hampshire after a poor showing in the Iowa caucuses. Biden came in fourth in Iowa, raising questions about his electability.

"This is a long race and I took a hit in Iowa and I'll probably take a hit here," Biden said during Friday's debate, before alluding to Sen. Bernie Sanders' massive win in the state over former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in 2016. "Bernie won by 20 points last time and usually it's the neighboring senators that do well, but no matter what I'm still in this for the same reason," Biden said.

Biden then reiterated he wants to "restore the soul of the nation," which has been his general pitch to US voters since launching his campaign last April.

Until Iowa, the former vice president was repeatedly at the top of national polls and widely considered to be the frontrunner.