Secretary of State David Scanlan announced January 23 as the date of the 2024 New Hampshire primary. That date maintains the state's 'first in the nation' primary status, and meets a statutory requirement that the contest be held at least a week before any other primary.
The setting of this year's date has been controversial, as Democrats unilaterally rearranged the traditional order of early states, pushing South Carolina to the front of the line on March 3. That state was where Joe Biden started his march to the nomination in 2020.
As New Hampshire's date is noncompliant with the Democratic calendar, it is believed that it will face punishment from the party in the form of a reduction in delegates to the national convention. 21 Democrats registered by the October 27 filing deadline. Notably, this excluded Biden, although an aggressive write-in campaign for the president is expected.