Campaign supporters gathered in Manchester Tuesday night to cheer on their favorite candidates, but throughout the day, few stood outside the polls in a primary race that saw smaller than expected turnout in many cities and towns.

Somersworth City Clerk Diane Dubois said that after visiting each of the city’s five wards throughout the day, she was shocked to see no one campaigning or holding signs.

“It has surprised me all day,” she said. “People have commented on it. Not one sign. Not one person. It’s like, did somebody forget to tell them there’s a primary today? I don’t know if they’re concentrating on the big cities.”

In Manchester, the state’s largest city with 52,500 registered voters, there were 19,911 votes cast Tuesday, about a 38 percent turnout. Ward 2 Moderator Win Hutchinson said turnout was less than expected, but there was a slight increase toward the end of the day as people got out of work.

In the morning, Ward 1 drew a sizable crowd of reporters and voters as Newt Gingrich and Mitt Romney made stops there. Ward 1 Moderator Dianne Beaton at the Webster School said there was a long line of voters waiting for polls to open at 6 a.m.

“It’s been steady the whole time,” she said. By 7:40 a.m., 250 of the ward’s 5,900 voters had cast ballots.

Ward 10 Alderman Phil Greazzo said he saw first-time voters at the polls throughout the day. Many said they were motivated to show up to vote for Congressman Ron Paul, who earned second place.

“He connects with the most diverse crowd,” said Greazzo, Manchester co-chair for Paul.

At Paul’s post-primary party at the Executive Court in Manchester, Paul aide Chris Lawless got hundreds of Paul supporters excited for their candidate’s speech when he shouted “Paul for President” during a microphone check.

At the Radisson, there was almost no reaction in Gingrich’s half-filled post-primary party when, at 8 p.m. — just as the last polls in the state closed and with only about 10 percent of results in — networks projected Romney as the winner.

One of Gingrich’s most prominent New Hampshire supporters, House Speaker William O’Brien, said that as the campaign moves on, he is “optimistic” that voters will flock to Gingrich.

“I think Newt Gingrich, after the vicious negative attack ads that were leveled at him, he is holding his own,” O’Brien, R-Mont Vernon, said.

Londonderry and Plaistow reported higher than expected turnout, but in Nashua, Hooksett and Merrimack, the turnout was largely slow and steady. On the Seacoast, which is known for its Democratic voters as well as its Tea Party activity, turnout was slow. There were also few people standing outside the polls supporting their candidates.

The scene outside the polls at Epping Middle-High School told the story: No campaign signs, no supporters rooting for their candidates. It was all quiet outside the school and if it weren’t for the sign that said “Vote Here” on the front door, it would have been hard to tell a primary was taking place inside.

By 4 p.m., 867 votes had been cast, mostly in the Republican Primary. At that time of day four years ago, 1,430 voters had turned out, said Epping Town Moderator Bob Goodrich.

“Back then we had two contested races, so it did make a difference, but even with the one contested race, you would think there would be people outside campaigning. There hasn’t been a soul there all day,” Goodrich said.

Those supporters that did show at the polls on Tuesday were motivated by their desire to see a new President serve in the Oval Office.

Stephen Volpone of Hampton Falls and his wife, Elizabeth, stood outside the polls holding signs for Mitt Romney.

“My wife is a real political junkie,” he said. “She voted for Obama so she is doing penance.”

Elizabeth Volpone said she’s had a change of heart since 2008.

“I can really appreciate that Obama does not have what it takes, doesn’t have the capacity to be the President,” she said.

New Hampshire Union Leader Staff Writers Beth LaMontagne Hall, Kathy Marchocki, Mark Hayward, Tim Buckland and Correspondents Clynton Namuo, Jason Schreiber and Gretyl Macalaster contributed to this report.