November 5th 2024.
The small township of Dixville Notch in New Hampshire has kicked off election day with a tie between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump, each receiving three votes. This tradition dates back to 1960 and is a highly anticipated event for political enthusiasts. Dixville Notch, located on the US-Canada border, is an unincorporated township with a dwindling population, making their annual production of votes a success story for local leaders.
As the clock struck midnight, the four Republicans and two undeclared voters gathered at the now-dormant Balsams Hotel to cast their secret ballots. With the votes tallied and announced, Dixville Notch becomes the first place in the country to report its presidential votes – a destination for national reporters who outnumber the voters. Les Otten, one of the township's voters and lead developer for the Balsams, believes that this early release of results is a "civics lesson for the country."
Despite the township's small population, Otten sees voting as an important right for all Americans and encourages others to exercise it. He plans to break ground on a redevelopment project next summer and in the meantime, will continue to vote as a property owner in Dixville Notch. Nearby Millsfield and Hart's Location have also offered midnight voting in the past but are not participating this year.
Interestingly, the fictionalized version of these three neighboring townships was featured in an episode of the hit TV show, West Wing. Dixville Notch has supported the Democratic nominee in the last two presidential elections, with five unanimous votes for President Joe Biden this year and four for Hillary Clinton in 2016. However, in the GOP primary, the township's four registered Republican voters and two independents unanimously voted for former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley.
The 75-year-old Otten, who has been a Republican since he was seven years old, chose to vote for Kamala Harris this year. He believes that the Pledge of Allegiance does not mention pledging allegiance to a specific person and that Trump's desire for sole power is anti-democratic. In addition to the presidential race, the township's voters also participated in the highly competitive governor's race between former Republican Senator Kelly Ayotte and Democratic nominee Joyce Craig.
As the rest of the country eagerly awaits the results of the election, Dixville Notch has once again made its mark as one of the first places to report its votes and set the tone for the rest of the day's events.
[This article has been trending online recently and has been generated with AI. Your feed is customized.]
[Generative AI is experimental.]
