HU GUANGYAO / Xinhua / Landov
Dixville Notch , NH , is a bantam unincorporated town of about 75 resident situated at the groundwork of the scenic White Mountains and home to The Balsams Grand Resort Hotel . But the hamlet ’s call to celebrity is the legendary midnight right to vote , which often earn it “ first balloting in the body politic ” bragging rights . So , how did this all set out , and how exact are Dixville Notch ’s fabled foretelling ?
Back in 1960 , a retired rubber industry baron appoint Neil Tillotson had Dixville incorporated for voting purposes — the approximate polling post had been 50 mile away . The township held its first general election that year in the dance palace of The Balsams .
Richard Nixon got nine votes ; John F. Kennedy did n’t get any . JFK went on to come through the presidency . Dixville chose Nixon again in the 1964 Republican primary feather . That yr , the nomination go to Barry Goldwater . So why is Dixville considered something of a Punxsutawney Phil of the election cycle ? Because since 1968 , the Republican candidate with the most Dixville Notch elemental suffrage has gone on to win the nomination every time ( though in 1980 , Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bushtied ) .
The townsfolk is less impressive at forecasting Democratic nominees — they chose Bradley over Gore in 2000 and Wesley K. Clark over John Kerry in 2004 . Barack Obama clean up in 2008 , taking seven of the 10 ballot mold .
Though nearby Hart ’s Location occasionally beats Dixville Notch to the cultivation line for “ first vote ” status , the hamlet ’s verify electoral distinctions include the recollective continuous record of midnight voting and the highest bit of midnight primary ballot ( tonight will make 14 ) .
Vote Early
From 1960 through 2000 , Neil Tillotson was the first elector to redact his ballot , which he dropped into the box promptly at 12 am , followed by the remaining constituents . The intact operation takes less than a arcminute , and thanks to a natural law that allow pate to close after all registered voters have participated , the identification number are chalk up and the effect are broadcast just a few instant after the hour . These days there ’s a special “ Ballot Room ” where each voter has his or her own voting booth . Since Tillotson ’s death in 2001 , the first elector is pick out by random ballot .
Can Dixville Notch ’s nine registered voter cover their streak to 44 years of truth prefigure GOP nominees ? We ’ll ascertain out around 12:05 am EST , when the votes are numerate and the results are beam .
Here ’s a wonderfulBoston Globevideo about the stemma of the tradition :
Update (12:06am)
On the Republican side , Jon Huntsman and Mitt Romney wed with two votes each .
