New Hampshire voters make choice on White House

By John Whitesides, Political Correspondent

MANCHESTER, New Hampshire (Reuters) - New Hampshire voters stood in lines and swarmed polling places to choose candidates for U.S. president on Tuesday, with Hillary Clinton fighting to keep her once high-flying Democratic campaign alive against rival Barack Obama's surge.

Five days after finishing a disappointing third in Iowa, the former first lady trailed Obama by double digits in several state polls but promised she was staying in the race until the February 5 "Super Tuesday" round of nominating contests.

Obama, an Illinois senator aiming to be the first black president, looked for a New Hampshire win that would solidify his hold on the top spot in the campaign to be the Democratic candidate in November and deal a second consecutive humiliating loss to Clinton, the former front-runner.

In a hard-fought Republican battle, Sen. John McCain of Arizona held a narrow lead in state polls over Mitt Romney, the former governor of neighboring Massachusetts who has poured tens of millions of dollars of his personal wealth into the race.

Campaign and state officials reported large crowds at some polling stations, aided by the unseasonably balmy weather. There were predictions of a record turnout during the most wide open U.S. presidential race in more than 50 years, with no sitting president or vice president seeking the nominations.

Polls close at 8 p.m. EST (0100 GMT Wednesday), with results expected to begin rolling in quickly.

New Hampshire's primary is the second high-profile battleground, following Iowa, in the state-by-state process of choosing Republican and Democratic candidates for November's election to succeed President George W. Bush.

The candidates made a late drive for support, visiting voting stations and holding rallies.

"The American people have decided for the first time in a very long time it is time for change in America," Obama told a crowd at Dartmouth College.

Clinton, a New York senator, and Romney are both under intense pressure to revive their campaigns after disappointing showings in Iowa. Romney finished second in Iowa to former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee.

Huckabee and former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani ran into each other at a Manchester polling site, with Huckabee jokingly asking for his support before they wished each other well, a Giuliani aide said.

OBAMA LEAD GROWS

A new Reuters/C-SPAN/Zogby poll showed Obama expanding his lead over Clinton to 13 points, 42 percent to 29 percent, with former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards third at 17 percent.

McCain led Romney 36 percent to 27 percent in the Republican race, with Huckabee at 10 percent.

Clinton greeted a handful of supporters at a Manchester polling place before dawn and made similar visits in Nashua, Derry and Concord.