New Hampshire is a very different place, and promises a very different sort of election, from Iowa and its caucus.

When Granite State voters go to the polls next Tuesday, they’ll cast the first primary election ballots of 2016. In New Hampshire, voters usually prefer more moderate, common-sense candidates. Independents have a big say.

And while Iowa was first, and therefore no one could really claim momentum from previous results, candidates in New Hampshire can. The Iowa showings usually make voters take a fresh look at someone who exceeded expectations – think Marco Rubio and Bernie Sanders. The wild card in New Hampshire is the “undeclared” voters, who can participate in either party’s primary; they make up about 40 percent of the electorate. That could benefit candidates who don’t emphasize their religious calling, and perhaps helps those with appeal to younger voters.

– Tribune News Service