President Joe Biden has announced that he will not file to place his name on the New Hampshire Democratic presidential primary ballot, breaking with a century of tradition. The decision comes as the Democratic National Committee (DNC) pledged to discipline candidates who compete in unsanctioned primaries like the one New Hampshire is planning to hold next year. The Biden 2024 re-election campaign cited the obligation to comply with the Delegate Selection Rules for the 2024 Democratic National Convention as the reason for the decision.

New Hampshire has historically held the first presidential primary in both major political parties' nominating calendars for a century. However, Democrats have criticized both Iowa and New Hampshire for being unrepresentative of the party as a whole, given their largely White populations and few major urban areas. In an effort to increase diversity in the early states' electorate, Nevada and South Carolina were added to the Democratic calendar nearly two decades ago.

Earlier this year, the DNC approved a calendar proposed by President Biden, which moved South Carolina to the lead position. New Hampshire and Nevada are now scheduled to hold their primaries three days later, with Iowa losing its early state position entirely. The move was intended to empower minority voters, who have long been relied upon by Democrats but have felt taken for granted at times.

However, New Hampshire has a law that mandates it to hold the first presidential primary, a week ahead of any similar contest. In order to comply with the DNC, the state would have needed to scrap this law and expand access to early voting. However, with Republicans in control of New Hampshire's governor's office and the state legislature, state Democrats argued that this would be a non-starter.

As a result, if New Hampshire proceeds with its current primary plans, it could lose half of its delegates to the Democratic National Convention. Despite this, top Democrats in the Granite State are expected to lead a write-in campaign for Biden in the primary. Nevertheless, the president's decision not to put his name on the ballot could potentially lead to a protest vote in New Hampshire.

While Biden remains the commanding front-runner for his party's nomination, polls indicate that he has faced concerns from Democrats regarding his age and physical and mental stamina. He is also facing a long-shot primary challenge from Marianne Williamson, a best-selling author and spiritual adviser. Additionally, environmental lawyer and high-profile vaccine critic Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a scion of the Kennedy political dynasty, had initially planned to challenge Biden in the primary but announced at a campaign event earlier this month that he would run as an independent candidate instead.

Despite potential primary challenges, the Biden campaign does not seem worried. The president's campaign manager, Julie Chavez Rodriguez, expressed confidence in Biden's ability to secure the nomination at the Democratic National Convention and win re-election in the general election. New Hampshire Democratic Party Chairman Raymond Buckley echoed this sentiment, stating that Biden will win the primary and secure renomination before being re-elected next November.

Overall, President Biden's decision not to file for the New Hampshire Democratic primary ballot reflects the Democrat's efforts to upend their traditional presidential nominating calendar and prioritize diversity in early state contests. While Republicans are not making major changes to their schedule, Democrats have pushed for South Carolina to hold the first primary contest, leading to conflicts with New Hampshire's state law mandating its first-in-the-nation primary status. The outcome of this clash will have implications for the 2024 Democratic presidential nomination process.