By Avanti Nambiar, correspondent, Granite State News Collaborative

Even though President Biden’s name will not be on New Hampshire’s Jan. 23 primary ballot, Democrats have arranged a local write-in campaign whose aim is preventing a possible blow to his 2024 presidential run.

Usually, a primary is an obligatory process for an incumbent, even in New Hampshire, which has long maintained its first-in-the-nation primary. But earlier this year, the Democratic National Committee (DNC) established a new 2024 primary calendar that rearranged the order of the party’s nominating contests.

In this lineup change, New Hampshire’s number one spot got usurped by South Carolina. The DNC requested that the Granite State shift to second place, along with Nevada. The change was prompted by criticism among Democrats that New Hampshire’s electorate lacks diversity. 

New Hampshire state officials rejected the new order, opting to maintain an early primary for both parties’ presidential races. They cited a state law that requires the state to hold the country’s first primary.  Under the DNC ’s delegate selection policy, however, noncompliance with the new calendar can result in sanctions, including the loss of delegates at the 2024 Democratic convention.

Because of this, President Biden opted against filing to appear on the New Hampshire primary ballot. His 2024 campaign manager, Julie Chávez Rodríguez, informed New Hampshire Democratic Party Chair Ray Buckley that Biden has an obligation to comply with the rules of his party.

So to keep the incumbent from suffering a possible loss in the New Hampshire primary, pro-Biden Democrats have created a write-in campaign. The grassroots effort aims to make sure supporters realize that they still have the option to cast a ballot for the president even though his name won’t appear on the ballot.

What are write-in votes?

Candidates are rarely elected through write-in, aside from local competitions with low turnout, and most states permit voters to write in the names of candidates whose names aren’t printed on the ballot — even the names of fictional characters, or mythological beings. 

But, through signs, stickers, pamphlets, printouts and talks with local organizations, pro-Biden volunteers are urging New Hampshire voters to write in the president’s name when voting in the primary. On primary day, volunteers plan to visit as many of the state’s over 300 polling spots as possible in a final effort to explain to voters how to cast a ballot for Biden.

What counts?

Pro-Biden organizers have generally recommended that voters write “Joe Biden” on the ballot. Volunteers believe that other titles, such as “President Biden” or “President Biden and Vice President Harris,” are also valid. This is thanks to a state law that says that votes should count as long as a voter’s reasonable intention is clear.

In an interview with Spectrum News, former Democratic New Hampshire House Speaker Terie Norelli — a leader of the grass-roots write-in effort — said that to her, the campaign is about ensuring that “Biden supporters know that their vote matters.”

These articles are being shared by partners in The Granite State News Collaborative as part of its What to Expect When You’re Electing Series. For more information visit collaborativenh.org.