Dixville Notch starts election day with a split decision
In the village of Dixville Notch, New Hampshire, which has only six residents, the presidential election voting traditionally starts and ends first in the USA. The voting result was a tie at 3-3 between the candidates.
5 November 2024 08:53
All six residents cast their votes just after midnight local time (12 AM Eastern Time), and the results were announced immediately. Four registered Republicans and two independent voters were among the voters, but the political preferences were evenly split between the presidential candidates.
Interestingly, despite the divided votes in the presidential election, five residents supported the Republican candidate for governor, Kelly Ayotte. For comparison, in 2020, when five people voted in Dixville Notch, all voted for Joe Biden, even though one voter was a Republican.
The tradition lasts for years
The midnight voting tradition in New Hampshire dates back to 1948 when it began in Hart's Location, a mountainous town with fewer than 70 residents. Dixville Notch has continued this practice since 1960 and was the only community in the state maintaining it this year.
In New Hampshire, polling stations will open at 7 AM local time. An hour earlier, voting will begin in the first Eastern Seaboard states, such as Maine, New York, New Jersey, Virginia, and Connecticut. In most states, voting will last until 7 PM or 8 PM local time, and the last polling stations will close in Alaska and Hawaii at 7 PM Eastern Time.
