Advertisement Voting hours extended in Merrimack during heavy primary turnout Turnout could set record Share Shares Copy Link Copy

Voter turnout has been steady across New Hampshire as voters made their picks Tuesday in the first-in-the-nation primary.View election results here.Polls showed that many voters had yet to make up their minds as recently as Monday.View News 9's report.In some polling locations, traffic was heavy. Early in the afternoon at Merrimack High School, cars were lined up down the street.Aerial video: Traffic backups in Merrimack near polling locationLong lines continued throughout the day, and Merrimack town officials asked the state for permission to extend voting hours. Polls were supposed to close there at 7 p.m., but officials in Merrimack were granted permission to stay open "as long as the moderator deems necessary."Voters were lined up in many locations when the polls opened at 6 a.m. At some Manchester locations, lines were out the door.But some poll workers said that turnout was lower than expected. James Barnett, moderator at Nashua's Ward 4, said that the weather might have led to lower morning turnout."The snow earlier today really prevented people from coming out," Barnett said. "My particular ward is in the middle of the city. I've got five apartment houses that have elderly 50 and older. Actually, they are probably 60 and older. I have three veterans' homes in the area."He said that Democrats make up the majority of his ward, and he believes the excitement in the Democratic race is coming from the younger generation.Secretary of State Bill Gardner predicted record turnout, and he said Tuesday that some polling locations were so busy that workers were worried about running out of ballots.If turnout is heavy, that could benefit U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders in the Democratic race. Much of his support is from younger and first-time voters. Polls suggest he could get a landslide victory of former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton if he can bring out the vote.Analysis: Who benefits from high turnout?On the Republican side, Donald Trump could benefit from high turnout because there is so much interest in nontraditional candidates. A lot of Republican candidates are bunched together in the polls, so if Trump under-performs, another candidate could challenge him.Trump has also led the polls in the number of Republican voters who said they would not vote for him at all, so some of the turnout could be driven by voters looking for an alternative.Polls in some areas close at 7 p.m., while others will be open until 8 p.m. Anyone headed out to vote should remember to bring a valid photo ID.For information on finding your polling location and how to register, click here.