In the small New Hampshire township of Dixville Notch, Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump each received three votes, resulting in a tie as the first votes of Election Day were counted. This marks the beginning of the voting process in one of the earliest locations in the country to report its presidential preference.
Dixville Notch, an unincorporated area situated on the US-Canada border in the far northern part of New Hampshire, holds a long-standing tradition of opening and closing its polling station just after midnight ET. This tradition, which dates back to 1960, saw a total of six voters this year – four Republicans and two undeclared voters.
Although Dixville Notch’s results are not always a reliable predictor of the final outcome of the election or even the state’s overall results, the township’s participation remains an important local event. Despite its small and dwindling population, the tradition continues to be a point of pride for the community and a source of early excitement for political enthusiasts.
As part of a long-standing tradition, eligible voters in Dixville Notch gather at the now-closed Balsams Hotel to cast their ballots as soon as polls open at midnight. Once all votes are cast, they are immediately tallied and the results are announced—hours before any other polling location. This early reporting has made the township a destination for national journalists, who often outnumber the voters themselves.
Les Otten, a local voter and the lead developer of the Balsams redevelopment project, described the early release of results as “a civics lesson for the country.” He emphasized that the tradition serves to remind people of the importance of voting as a fundamental American right. “If we can help people understand that voting is a key part of their rights, then that’s the real purpose of what we’re doing here,” Otten said.
Otten also mentioned that he plans to break ground on the Balsams redevelopment next summer. Until then, he added, “As long as we’re here, we own the property, and we have our toothbrushes in the bathrooms, we might as well exercise our right to vote.”
Nearby towns Millsfield and Hart’s Location, which is nestled in the White Mountains, were the first to hold midnight voting before Dixville Notch. However, they haven’t consistently participated in recent years and are not taking part this year. The three towns, including Dixville Notch, were also featured in a fictionalized version in an episode of The West Wing titled “Hartsfield’s Landing.”
In recent presidential elections, Dixville Notch voters have favored the Democratic nominee. In 2020, all five voters cast their ballots for Joe Biden. In 2016, Hillary Clinton received four out of seven votes, while Donald Trump earned two votes, and one went to Libertarian candidate Gary Johnson.
In the January GOP primary, six voters—four Republicans and two independents—unanimously voted for former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley.
Les Otten, the 75-year-old developer of the Balsams and a lifelong Republican, told CNN before this year’s election that he planned to vote for Kamala Harris. “Nowhere in the Pledge of Allegiance does it say anything about pledging allegiance to a person,” Otten explained. “At the end of the day, Trump has made it clear that you need to pledge allegiance to him, and he alone can fix this. That’s as anti-democratic as I can understand.”
In addition to the presidential vote, Dixville Notch voters also cast their ballots in the highly competitive race for governor, which pits former one-term Republican Senator Kelly Ayotte against Democratic nominee Joyce Craig, the former mayor of Manchester. The winner will succeed retiring Republican Governor Chris Sununu.