David DeJesus thought he would know who to vote for by now.
The 32-year-old Nashua, N.H., resident said he likes both Pete Buttigieg and Bernie Sanders, but he ultimately wants to vote for the “most popular” candidate who can take President Donald Trump out of the White House.
“The one who will be able to beat Trump and make the most difference in office,” DeJesus said, leaning up against a glass case in his Sunglass Hut store in the Steeple Gate Mall in Concord. “If I think one of those people will be able to do it, then that's who I'm going to end up voting for.”
DeJesus is one of many undecided New Hampshire voters, grappling with the pressure of their First In The Nation status.
A Suffolk University tracking poll published Wednesday showed that 43% of New Hampshire voters might change their mind before the primary election, with just days left to go. That same poll shows 18% of voters are entirely undecided with no preference for a candidate.
DeJesus said the confusion and delay around the caucuses in Iowa has contributed to his indecision. As of Thursday evening, the Iowa Democratic Party had yet to publish 100% of the precincts, and both Buttigieg and then Sanders separately declared victory, ending in a near tie with 97% reporting and a difference of three delegates. National Democratic Party Chairman Tom Perez called for a "recanvass" of all 1,700 Iowa precincts Thursday.
“It’s unfortunate,” DeJesus said. “I was kinda hoping to see somebody stick out, you know, to see somebody lead the pack. That would have made a bigger difference to me.”
DeJesus said he plans to check to see the final Iowa caucus results before he votes, but the decision-making process will come down to a combination of factors, including his gut feeling.
“That's something I would pray on, I guess, and see if it comes to me,” he said. “It's just something I would have to consider and take time on. I can't say for sure because I might not even know until I get there."
In the mall's food courtl, Mary Schultz, a 66-year-old Penacook, NH resident, says she doesn’t think she will vote at all this year.
“I don’t really like anybody there and I don’t feel like any of them are going to be able to do anything good,” Schultz said. “I just won't go if I don't feel it's worth my time to go in and do it.”
After the chaos in Iowa, Schultz told WGBH News she feels apathetic about voting in general.
“Sometimes I don't think it really makes too much of a difference,” she said. “There was a mix-up. How many more of them are there going to be? You don’t know if it’s going in the right place, or not going in the right place, if your opinion really counts.”
Inside the Mountain Goods clothing store, Cheryl Fairneny, 73, said she feels an “incredible amount of pressure” as a New Hampshire voter living in Warner.
She added that despite the increased sense of responsibility, “it feels good because I get to vote, and vote for the best person out there.”
She says she plans to vote for Bernie Sanders. “I think [Sanders] has it in the pot,” she said. But even that decision doesn't sound entirely final. “I like him, and Biden, and Warren right now. I’m still working on it.”
With all the Democrats descending on New Hampshire this week, New Yorkers David and Carol Steiber came to New Hampshire for a “political tourism vacation week” to meet each and every candidate to help them make up their minds.
Though the New York primary election will not take place until April 28, the Steibers want to settle on a candidate well in advance of the vote. They said they cannot understand people who do not actively get involved.
The Steibers went to events for Pete Buttigieg, Amy Klobuchar and Bernie Sanders on Tuesday. On Wednesday, they went to see Joe Biden, and on Thursday they saw Andrew Yang, Tom Steyer and Elizabeth Warren.
“It's been really great to meet the candidates face to face,” David said, sitting at a Red Arrow Diner in Concord. “Now we've shaken their hands. We've asked them questions. And that's impossible to do in New York.”
The Steibers think they are going to vote for either Andrew Yang or Amy Klobuchar.
“But we're very happy with all of these candidates here,” Carol said. The ultimate goal, they both agree, is to get Trump out of the White House.
