PORTSMOUTH — For nearly 30 years, a wall of Federal Cigar has been covered in paper bags a month before the Presidential primary — and this year is no different.

Leonard Seagren started the traditional New Hampshire primary matchbook poll in 1984, allowing New Hampshire voters to cast ballots for all of the presidential primary candidates, from the frontrunners to the unknowns, by simply dropping a matchbook into a paper bag.

The “Federal Forecast” gained attention, and the likes of Gary Hart, Rudy Giuliani and Donald Trump have visited the store on Ladd Street during the month-long poll.

It was a tradition Rick Gadway knew he would continue when he took ownership of Federal Cigar in 2008.

“It’s always gotten a great response. There is great banter in the shop, politicians have stopped by over the years, and I pay attention to the political scene. It’s important to me and I think everyone should pay attention to the political scene,” Gadway said.

This year, he expanded the matchbook poll to his three other locations in Epping, Plaistow and Dover. As of Friday, voters could cast matchbook votes for one of 23 registered presidential candidates.

Voting continues through Jan. 5 and the results of the poll will be released on Jan. 6, four days ahead of New Hampshire’s first-in-the-nation primary.

Gadway said he does have expectations for the matchbook poll but did not want to influence the vote by making any predictions.

Cigar shops are still centers of the community, he said, and a perfect location to hold such a poll.

Federal Cigar in Portsmouth is New Hampshire’s oldest continuously run cigar shop and has historically been a hub for political conversation.

“We take seriously our role in New Hampshire’s first-in-the-nation primary, and are proud of our tradition as the first cigar shop in New Hampshire to run a presidential primary matchbook poll,” Gadway said.