Can Democrats vote in New Hampshire’s GOP primary as Trump says?

Donald Trump is repeatedly spouting a false claim that Democrats can and will vote in the Republican party’s primary election in New Hampshire on Tuesday, in an effort to halt the momentum being generated by his opponent Nikki Haley.

Trump told his supporters at a campaign rally in the run-up to the primaries that “Nikki Haley is counting on Democrats and liberals to infiltrate your Republican Primary.”

His claim is not true, as only Republicans and independents can participate in the GOP vote. Registered Democrats are not allowed to join the Republican primaries, just as registered Republicans can’t participate in the Democratic contest.

READ ALSO: Weather not expected to disrupt New Hampshire primaries

Haley courts independent voters

Registered partisan voters had only until October of last year to change their party affiliation. Independent voters, on the other hand, can declare a party when they vote in the primaries, then change back to being undeclared after they cast their ballot.

Trump made the false statements as Haley has been urging independent voters, not Democrats, to take part in the Republican primaries in an effort to curb the former president’s dominance in the state.

READ ALSO: How do billionaires get out of paying taxes?

Trump losing ground among independent voters

The leading candidate was not bothered by the part independent voters played in 2016 as he won a great share of their support when he clinched a resounding victory at the New Hampshire primary then.

However, undeclared voters may now be more of a cause for concern, because according to CNN polls, the Iowa caucuses showed that Trump only had a narrow eight-point advantage over Haley among independents. This is a much smaller figure compared to the comfortable 39-point lead he enjoyed over the former UN ambassador among Republican voters in the Hawkeye State.