All five votes cast in the New Hampshire township of Dixville Notch, went unanimously for Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden after midnight voting began on Tuesday. Meanwhile Millsfield township, the next town over, went for Trump 16-5.
Dixville Notch is known worldwide as the township with the first votes to be cast and counted on Election Day and Millsfield is gaining popularity for its midnight voting as well. In 2016 Dixville Notch voters were split between Clinton and Trump, with Clinton winning.
The last time Dixville Notch went unanimously for a candidate was when all of its voters went for Richard Nixon in the 1960 election against John F. Kennedy, who ultimately won the election. And despite Biden sweeping, the NH Republican governor won in Dixville Notch.
Voting in the two small New Hampshire townships begins after midnight on Election Day and the votes in Dixville Notch and Millsfield are some of the first to be cast and to be counted in Election Day voting.
Dixville Vote tweeted, “The ballot board with results from the #midnightvote in #DixvilleNotch. #NHpolitics #Election2020 #ElectionDay.”
The ballot board with results from the #midnightvote in #DixvilleNotch. #NHpolitics #Election2020 #ElectionDay pic.twitter.com/ll3VxoSn9t
— Dixville Vote (@DixvilleVote) November 3, 2020
In 2016, voters in Dixville Notch also favored the Democratic candidate, Hillary Clinton. In 2016, Clinton won four votes against Trump’s 2 votes, while a seventh vote was cast for Libertarian Party candidate Gary Johnson. There were two less votes cast in Dixville Notch for the 2020 election than the 2016 election.
Not all five voters in Dixville Notch continued to vote Democratic down-ballot after voting for Biden. Four voters cast their votes in the U.S. Senate race for Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, the Democrat, while one voter cast their vote for Republican challenger Corky Messner. Four voters also cast their ballot for Democratic Rep. Ann McLane Kuster in the U.S. House of Representatives, while one voter voted for Republican challenger Steve Negron.
The Republican candidate for the Governor of New Hamphsire, Gov. Chris Sununu, did win four of the votes cast in Dixville Notch, while one vote went for Democratic challenger Dan Feltes.
In Millsfield, all 22 votes in New Hampshire’s gubernatorial race went to Sununu.
Emily Hottinger, a New Hampshire Trump campaign regional field director posted a photo of Millsfield’s ballot board. “Millsfield, NH. The Birth Place of Midnight Voting, First in the Nation, has voted and have declared @realDonaldTrump as the winner 🇺🇸#nhpolitics #firstinthefield #LeadRight.”
📍Millsfield, NH
The Birth Place of Midnight Voting, First in the Nation, has voted and have declared @realDonaldTrump as the winner 🇺🇸#nhpolitics #firstinthefield #LeadRight pic.twitter.com/ly5qqNP77J
— Emily Hottinger (@emhottinger) November 3, 2020
Dixville Vote posted an interview video with one of the Dixville Notch voters, lifelong Republican Les Otten, who was the first to cast his vote early Tuesday morning and who said he was voting for Biden.
Lifelong #Republican Les Otten to Cast First Vote at Midnight in Dixville Notch for #Democrat @JoeBiden #ElectionDay #Election2020 #NHpolitics # pic.twitter.com/YakXzDMytr
— Dixville Vote (@DixvilleVote) November 2, 2020
Otten said, “I don’t agree with [Biden] on a lot of issues, but I believe it’s time to find what unites us, not what divides us.”
Otten added, “It’s time to rebuild the heart of what makes us a great country, that starts with electing leaders of character, who are truthful and will put the country’s welfare ahead of all else and who will show respect for all people, regardless of their gender, their race, their religion or their political beliefs.”
Otten said his vote is meant to send a message to other Republicans “that our party can find its way back.”
This article and headline has been updated with additional information about additional midnight voting in New Hampshire.
