(ConservativeJournal.org) – In the New Hampshire primary, the first votes were cast in Dixville Notch, a township near the Canadian border. Nikki Haley secured a unanimous victory, claiming 100 percent of the six votes with full turnout. Traditionally held just after midnight, this ritual, in its 64th year, is both something of a spectacle and an interesting Democratic tradition. Journalists outnumbered voters in the town, and, like every year, the spectacle far outweighed the significance the results will have on the upcoming elections.
Valerie Maxwell, a first-time voter, expressed surprise at Haley’s unanimous win. Dixville Notch, once a significant source for predictions regarding US elections, lost its reputation when Donald Trump was defeated in 2016 in their little election, even though he went on to become president that year. Despite its decline in political draw, the symbolic midnight vote holds weight for Tom Tillotson, the township’s moderator. Unhappy with the potential Biden-Trump rematch, he hopes the vote inspires alternative candidate support.
Les Otten, owner of the resort hosting the vote, criticized the negative politics of the current presidential race. He emphasized the strength of the US economy and called for voters to focus on the process rather than party affiliations. Dixville Notch, with a population of six, lacks Democratic representation, but Tillotson emphasizes the vote’s broader message of civic engagement, urging people from all parties to participate.
Once a norm in early voting towns, Dixville Notch now stands alone in maintaining the midnight voting tradition. The township’s moderator, Tom Tillotson, entertained the media with a story about his father, Neil Tillotson, who initiated the midnight voting tradition to outpace other early-voting towns. The midnight vote, a spectacle still happening mostly because of political enthusiasm, gained additional fame through its depiction in an episode of “The West Wing.”
Despite her sweep in Dixville Notch, it was not enough for Haley to win NH. Trump defeated Haley by a large margin.
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