CNN
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Voters in Dixville Notch have forged the primary votes within the New Hampshire major, with all six voters selecting former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley.
“An important begin to an excellent day in New Hampshire,” Haley stated in a press release reacting to the vote minutes after it was recorded. “Thanks Dixville Notch!”
The tiny city in northern New Hampshire opened and closed its ballot simply after midnight ET on the morning of the state’s primary. 4 registered Republican voters and two independents participated within the vote, through which former President Donald Trump, the front-runner for the GOP presidential nomination, did not earn help.
In New Hampshire’s northern tip, Dixville Notch is the primary place to declare major outcomes as a result of voters there forged ballots so early. Its midnight voting custom dates again to 1960.
Whereas the neighboring cities of Hart’s Location and Millsfield started midnight voting sooner than that, they haven’t participated repeatedly and aren’t conducting midnight voting this yr. A fictionalized model of the three neighbors was featured in an episode of Aaron Sorkin’s “West Wing” dubbed “Hartsfield’s Touchdown.”
Midnight voting in Dixville Notch has traditionally been held on the now-dormant Balsams Lodge, which has turn into a media occasion through the years.
Just lately, with the lodge closed and awaiting redevelopment, there have been questions on whether or not Dixville Notch would have sufficient voters, however the custom has continued.
As its inhabitants has dwindled through the years, Dixville Notch’s maintain on the mini-contest is successful story for native leaders – and a purpose to smile for political junkies anticipating an early style of what’s to return.
In 2020, voters backed former New York Metropolis Mayor Michael Bloomberg within the Democratic major, however went on to help the eventual winner within the normal election, unanimously casting five votes for Joe Biden.
Biden’s identify did not appear on the poll, and no delegates can be awarded due to a dispute between the state and the Democratic Nationwide Committee, which moved the primary permitted major to South Carolina. Democratic Rep. Dean Phillips of Minnesota appeared on the ballot however didn’t obtain any votes.
Based on City Moderator Tom Tillotson, his father – former Balsams resort proprietor Neil Tillotson – labored to get Dixville Notch included particularly so the group may vote and residents wouldn’t be pressured to journey near an hour away within the snow to take part in elections.
However he cautioned towards pondering the midnight outcomes can be too instructive.
“There’s no magic bullet that comes out of right here that tells folks what to do or what’s going to occur. Generally we’re proper. Generally we’re unsuitable,” stated Tillotson.
The core takeaway, he stated, is that folks mustn’t draw back from taking part within the democratic course of.
“If all these folks within the wilderness can rise up at midnight and go vote, 100% of the city, perhaps we must always take voting just a little extra severely. If we do something optimistic, it’s perhaps encourage just a few additional folks to vote,” Tillotson stated.
CNN’s Ethan Cohen, Molly English, Gregory Krieg and Eric Bradner contributed to this report.