Joe Biden Missing From Primary Ballot Sparks Unusual Plea to Supporters

President Joe Biden is not officially running in the Democratic primary in New Hampshire, but his supporters are working to ensure he wins the Granite State race later this month.

Biden decided to skip the primary after a disagreement between the Democratic National Committee and New Hampshire elected officials about the timing of the race. The DNC wanted more diverse states like South Carolina, which helped propel Biden to victory in the 2020 presidential primary, to be placed earlier in the primary schedule, but this was met with resistance from the Granite State.

New Hampshire officials ultimately decided to hold both the Democratic and Republican primaries on January 23. South Carolina's Democratic and GOP primaries are next month.

Although Biden will not be on New Hampshire's primary ballot, his supporters have launched a write-in campaign to defeat his two Democratic challengers, author Marianne Williamson and U.S. Representative Dean Phillips of Minnesota—a rare move for a sitting president.

The New Hampshire primary, historically the next race after the Iowa caucuses, plays a pivotal role in presidential nominating contests. A strong showing in the early races can help candidates secure media attention and bolster their fundraising ahead of the other primaries.

Boston Mayor Michelle Wu is among the Biden supporters campaigning for his write-in effort in New Hampshire. This Saturday, she is holding a "Get Out to Vote" event for his supporters in Nashua.

State Representative Angela Brennan is among the Democrats involved in the write-in campaign. In December, she told local TV station WMUR that the president's supporters are "going to do everything we can to get the word out about how easy and important it is to write in Joe Biden."

Newsweek reached out to the Biden, Phillips and Williamson campaigns, as well as the New Hampshire secretary of state's office, for comment via email.

Why Is Biden Missing From New Hampshire Ballot?

Because New Hampshire pushed its primary ahead of South Carolina's, Biden will not be on the former's primary ballot.

Last year, the DNC approved a new schedule that bumped South Carolina, a traditionally conservative state that backed former President Donald Trump by double digits in 2020, ahead of New Hampshire. National Democrats argued that this change would empower Black voters, who tend to dominate the Southern state's Democratic primary.

The move enraged some New Hampshire Democrats. The New England state has long held the "first in the nation" primary and even has a law requiring the secretary of state to move the primary a week before the earliest scheduled contest.

As a result of the disagreement, Biden will be off the ballot and New Hampshire's 33 delegates will not be bound by the primary's results, making the race mostly symbolic.

Can Biden Win New Hampshire Primary?

Despite not appearing on the ballot, polls suggest Biden remains the favorite to win in New Hampshire, which also serves as a crucial swing state in the general election. The Granite State backed Biden by more than 7 percentage points in 2020.

An American Research Group poll conducted among 600 likely Democratic voters from January 12 to 15 found Biden winning support from 58 percent of respondents.

Meanwhile, 28 percent said they would vote for Phillips, with 3 percent for Williamson. Two percent of poll respondents said they would vote for someone else, and 9 percent said they were unsure whom they would support. The poll had a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points.

An Emerson College poll in New Hampshire similarly predicted a Biden victory. The poll found that 49 percent of voters said they would write in the president. Sixteen percent said they plan to vote for Phillips, 5 percent were for Williamson, and 3 percent were for someone else. Twenty-seven percent of voters were undecided.

That Democratic primary portion of the poll surveyed 590 primary voters from January 8 to 10 and had a margin of error of plus or minus 4 points.

In the state's 2020 primary election, Biden placed fifth, winning just 8.4 percent of the vote.