Joe Biden won a symbolic victory this morning in the small New Hampshire village of Dixville Notch, where voters backed by five to zero over Donald Trump.
Communities near the Canadian border have been casting their ballots on election day midnight for decades. Biden’s clean sweep can be seen as something of a wonder for things to come – were it not for the fact that in 2016 Dixville Notch supported Hillary Clinton.
There was no less good news for the former Vice President from the neighboring town of Millsfield, 12 miles away. Trump received 16 votes compared to Biden’s five. A third Hamlet with Midnight voting, Hart’s location, postponed the tradition due to Kovid’s concerns.
“This is the kind of proof that every vote counts and every vote is part of the system. It is a privilege to be able to do this, ”resident Les Otton told CNN. Another local couple who Casey says, “This is just a demonstration to the rest of the country that democracy works.”
“I’m a Republican and I’m going to break the ranks tonight and vote for Joe Biden,” one of the five voters explained, his mask hanging from one ear.
Social distancing measures were easy to implement with some on the electoral role. The vote took place in a former kitchen school decorated with political memorabilia taken from a wood-paneled location.
Dixville Notch in the White Mountains began early voting in 1948 to accommodate railwaymen who had to be at work before normal voting hours. The tradition ceased in 1964 but returned in 1996.
Communities also vote after midnight in New Hampshire’s first presidential primary. The February 11 primary was not held in Dixville Notch nearly this year, when one person left, with the remaining four residents needing at least one to handle various election responsibilities. This was decided when a developer renovating the now-closed Balsam Resort moved to where the voting tradition began.
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