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All six registered voters in a tiny town in northern New Hampshire cast ballots for former U.S. UN ambassador Nikki Haley in Tuesday’s primary, making it the only Granite State region to participate in the midnight voting tradition.
The six residents of Dixville Notch continued a practice that had begun with the 1960 election by casting their ballots after the polls opened at midnight, Fox News noted.
For some reason, two of the other towns that normally cast the first ballots in the state opted not to hold their midnight elections this year. Voting for the primary will instead take place during the day at Hart’s Location and Millsfield.
“Our population is getting older in Millsfield, and getting up at midnight to go vote is getting harder and harder for our population,” Millsfield election official Shawn Cote previously told WMUR.
Because there aren’t that many people voting in Dixville Notch, the process is fast, and everyone gets their hands on the results right away. There were four registered Republicans and two independents among the community’s midnight voters.
New Hampshire law requires all registered voters to cast their ballots for the party’s nominee. However, those without a party affiliation are required to mark their ballots as Republican or Democrat.
The Democratic National Committee had hoped to hold the party’s first primary in South Carolina this election due to the state’s more diverse population, but New Hampshire held its primary earlier. As a result, President Biden did not file for the primary, so his name will not appear on ballots in New Hampshire.
Nonetheless, Democrats in New Hampshire are actively encouraging Biden to run as a write-in candidate.
On Monday, Haley celebrated Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis dropping out of the 2024 Republican primary.
Haley told a crowd in Seabrook that the Republican primary is now between herself and Donald Trump.
“We just heard that Ron DeSantis has dropped out the race. I want to say to Ron, he ran a great race. He’s been a good governor, and we wish him well. Having said that, it’s now one fella and one lady left!” Haley told the crowd.
Just days before the New Hampshire primary, DeSantis endorsed Trump and withdrew from the Republican presidential race in 2024. The Florida governor took to X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, and made the announcement.
“If there was anything I could do to produce a favorable outcome, more campaign stops, more interviews, I would do it. But I can’t ask our supporters to volunteer their time and donate their resources if we don’t have a clear path to victory. Accordingly, I am today suspending my campaign,” said DeSantis, who was a distant third in the single digits in the latest polls in New Hampshire.
“It’s clear to me that a majority of Republican primary voters want to give Donald Trump another chance. They watched his presidency get stymied by relentless resistance, and they see Democrats using lawfare this day to attack him. I signed a pledge to support the Republican nominee, and I will honor that pledge,” DeSantis added.
WATCH:
Nikki Haley responds to Ron DeSantis ending his campaign: “I want to say to Ron, he ran a great race. He’s been a good governor, and we wish him well. Having said that, it’s now one fella and one lady left.” pic.twitter.com/4GZZrKX7sn
— Dylan Wells (@dylanewells) January 21, 2024
Recent CNN polling out of the University of New Hampshire suggests that former President Donald Trump has a commanding lead in the New Hampshire Republican presidential primary, building on his decisive 30-point victory in last week’s Iowa caucuses.
Among Granite Staters who are likely to vote in the Republican primary, Trump has 50% support, with former South Carolina governor Nikki Haley trailing in second place with 39%.
Since the last CNN/UNH poll in early January, when Trump had 39% of the vote and Haley had 32%, both candidates have gained support due to the reduction in the number of major contenders.
