Dixville Notch, New Hampshire Town Of 6 Voters, Opts For Nikki Haley As Primary Begins
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Dixville Notch, a tiny town of six registered voters, unanimously chose former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley as the state’s primary process began at the stroke of midnight on Tuesday.
The tally was six votes for Haley.
The community has just four registered Republicans and two independents and has long garnered nationwide fame for voting first in the state’s primary process. Tom Tillotson, the town’s moderator, said Dixville Notch gets its “15 minutes of fame every four years.”
An accordionist played the national anthem shortly before voting began.
“How we vote really doesn’t matter in the scheme of things,” Tillotson, who has served as town moderator since 1976, told Politico. “The one message that we try to get out every cycle is that we have 100% [voter turnout] and wish that everybody else would do the same.”
Two other towns that usually voted at midnight, Millsfield and Hart’s Location, opted to hold their votes in the daytime this year.
The Dixville ballot box is displayed in front of voting booths in the Tillotson House during preparations for midnight voting on Jan. 22, 2024 in Dixville Notch, New Hampshire. Dixville Notch is the only community in New Hampshire to vote at midnight on Tuesday during the 2024 Primary Election.
Moments from now - 6 voters in Dixville Notch, NH will cast their ballot. Results will be posted on a small board in the middle of the room. Way more media here than any voter / worker - media outlets from the UK, Japan, and Indonesia - among those here to witness this event pic.twitter.com/rugxYg0wFa
— Mark Meredith (@markpmeredith) January 23, 2024
The voting process in Dixville Notch usually lasts just a few minutes, but is covered by dozens of media outlets looking to portend who will come out on top during the primary. This year, Haley is hoping to leverage her position as the last serious challenger to former President Donald Trump, urging voters to avoid the “chaos” another Trump term would bring.
“America does not do coronations,” Haley said during a campaign event on Monday. “Let’s show all of the media class and the political class that we’ve got a different plan in mind, and let’s show the country what we can do.”
Trump retains a strong lead over Haley in polling averages, even after Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis dropped out of the race. He and many other Republicans have quickly lined up behind the former president.
