The “Dixville Notch vote” is a thing, and it’s actually just clever branding by an eccentric New Hampshire town. In Dixville Notch, residents gather to vote in person just after midnight on Election Day. The results are announced within minutes, and Dixville Notch gets national headlines throughout Election Day before the polls close around the country. It doesn’t hurt that these days, New Hampshire is a swing state and Dixville Notch is seen as something of a bellwether, correctly or incorrectly. So, bellwether this:
The results are already in from two New Hampshire towns where voters famously head to the polls just after the stroke of midnight on Election Day. In Dixville Notch, where a handful of masked residents voted shortly after midnight on Tuesday, all five votes for president went to Joseph R. Biden Jr., the Democratic nominee. He is the first presidential candidate to sweep the general election vote in Dixville Notch since the midnight voting tradition began there in 1960, when Richard M. Nixon won all nine votes over John F. Kennedy.
The other northern New Hampshire town that voted around the same time on Tuesday, Millsfield, favored President Trump by 16 votes to 5.
A third town, Hart’s Location, canceled its traditional midnight voting this year because of the coronavirus pandemic. The 48 voters there will have to wait until the morning like everyone else.
Antsy journalists and political types often look to these New Hampshire towns for clues as to how the election will unfold across the country, but they have a spotty track record. While Millsfield voted for Mr. Trump in 2016, Dixville Notch went for Hillary Clinton. And in the Democratic primary election — which also kicks off in New Hampshire — Dixville Notch cast three of its five votes this year for Michael R. Bloomberg, the former mayor of New York. He suspended his campaign less than a month later.
My concern isn’t so much about the votes, it’s about the size of these “towns.” Do five voting-age adults constitute a “town” now? Lordy. Anyway, I’m glad Biden brought a blue wave to Dixville Notch, and Hart’s Location wishes they had Dixville Notch’s sense, patriotism or clever branding. Sucks to be a Hart’s Location Nazi.
First vote in Dixville Notch, NH is for Biden, from a lifelong Republican:
“I don’t agree with him on a lot of issues, but… my vote today is meant to send a message to my fellow Republicans that our prty can find its way back.”
pic.twitter.com/w86aJ06omz— Andrew Solender (@AndrewSolender) November 3, 2020
Photos courtesy of Getty.
I am keeping my fingers crossed for you.
Thought I’d share this Trump prayer I saw:
“Our President, who art a heathen,
Hollow be thy soul.
The time has come.
You’re sick and dumb
And worthy to go to prison.
Give us this day our country back,
And forget we exist, as we will forget that you did.
And lead us not any longer,
So we can deliver ourselves from you.”
Sending up many a prayer that we will be delivered today from this nightmare.🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼
Let’s keep the Blue Wave going!
I have such anxiety today. I hope to god we vote this mother f*cker out.
I have a huge knot in my stomach, and I know I’m gonna be on the verge of a panic attack all damn day.
My dad actually bought a bottle of really good scotch so we can celebrate when Trump is defeated. We also have some Ambien ready if things don’t go our way and we just wanna be knocked the f**k out.
Yes on the scotch and ambien. I will totally subscribe to that tonight.
Yes, everyone I know is a wreck. I don’t know how we are going to get through this day. I have occasional flashes of optimism but mostly I am queasy and terrified. I have been up since 3:30am, went to the office really early hoping to distract myself.
Please remember that it is going to take DAYS (plural) for all the votes to be counted and for us to know the outcome. Early voting is at a record high, and many states cannot count ballots before Election Day. (Despite what Trump is claiming, most states have laws requiring them to continue counting ballots until they are all counted. Election Day is not a “cut off”.) So stay calm, don’t get scared if Trump claims an early victory. He’s going to try and bluff his way through this to cause chaos. Just be patient.
I know what you are saying because I keep having flashbacks to 2016. I’m trying to keep my mind of what horrible thing could happen and hope that the blue wave will happen. I know that Trump is going to play dirty because that’s his brand but I have to hope for the best. Trump is going to cause a mess and he’s not going to make this easy. He’s like a tumor, once it gets in, it’s hard and horrible to remove.
Sigmund, I hear you, I know it will take time to make sure all the votes are counted. But I feel like just this day is the hardest, not knowing at all which direction we are headed, all the phone calls we have been making to GOTV for the past 12+ weeks have ended. Sigh.
@Sigmund, as you say. Note too that a number of states count mail in ballots as legal as long as they are postmarked by Nov 3 (date may vary by state) and received by a certain date (also varies by state). For example, in NJ, mail in ballots must be postmarked by Nov 3 and received by 8 pm on Nov 10. Think I read in NJ the election won’t be finally certified until Nov 20.
Hopefully the majority of people have voted well in advance if by mail, or by ballot box or in person at the polls, and the outcome is overwhelmingly clear (and blue). But some ugly weeks could lie ahead
we actually gave our US based staff a day off today, so they can vote but also because everyone is so anxious they won’t be able to work anyway!
Good luck my American friends!
I’ll take any good news. That said, I’m gonna lay low on the news today. I’ll probably occasionally peep on Twitter tonight to see where the wind is blowing. But I don’t have the stomach to Election watch.
same
Doing the same. I’m tuned out for the whole day and night.
I usually have tv tuned to MSNBC all day but today we’ve agreed to keep it off, if for nothing else than to preserve my sanity.
I will most likely not check till tomorrow morning. Maybe. Trying to keep in mind that it may be days before the actual outcome.
Possibly the only time I am grateful to be heavily medicated due to a sinus infection. Everything’s sort of foggy and blunted
I’ll take any good news today.
I am praying for you guys to come through and are able to get him out but from what I’ve been reading, polls are saying that Trump is gaining on Biden in those swing states. But i guess it depends on how trusted the polls are!
I’ve been up since 6 am on a day when I can actually sleep in. I hope tomorrow will be brighter.
I know, I have been up since 5am😭 But I am much calmer today than I have been in weeks. I am taking that as a good sign. I really think Biden will win and the Dems will also get the Senate. All these record turn outs have to mean people want CHANGE. There are lawyers working to protect our voting rights and they are winning! We got this, you guys!
it’s the lawyers working their asses off and republican courts agreeing with them and rejecting the planned voter fraud. Tiniest, glimmer of hope on that one
If the Dems can flip the senate in their favour – even if Chump ‘declares himself the winner’, it would be golden. The senate can put more people on the Supreme Court and fight any court cases over the result.
It seems that even hard core republicans want him out and are voting for/endorsing Biden. Makes you wonder what Russia and the Dumps have on the GOP leadership.
I keep reminding myself that he’s never had a 50 percent approval rating during these 4 years. Yet he gaslights us into thinking he’s the greatest since Lincoln.
My hopes are that we exit this horrible reality show and turn the page to calmness, truth and decency. An administration as inept, cruel and shady as this needs to be tossed into the dustbin of history.
I know it’s unlikely, but I really hope we find out tonight. I can’t take much more of this!
Still think polls did not catch all the secret Trumpers who never confess they vote for him and are happy with his divisive agenda.
That’s a possibility but they also haven’t caught any of the brand new voters in polls either. They only poll likely voters. Did you ever see “Knock Down the House”? It was a documentary that included AOC. The polls showed her opponent winning big but she won because she recruited new and young voters who never voted before.
That’s what I’m hoping for this election. That the young and the formerly apathetic have gotten off their asses and finally voted.
I am hoping the pollsters learned from 2016 and are taking this into account when making their predictions. I also know that there are definitely Republicans who voted for Dump the first time who haven’t this time. My dad’s best friends are two of them.
Also, the last four years have seen my two nephews become registered voters. They both voted blue. Proud of those kids.
Dixville Notch has a decent record of predicting the winner of the popular vote.
I think Biden will win the popular vote but it’s the EC that I’m worried about
Me too. Very much so.
I was at the polls before 6am in NY. Still had wait over an hour, have not seen that before and I vote every year. I don’t know what it means since I’m on LI. I know you can’t wear campaign merch to the polls, so instead I wore my Taylor Swift “there’s nothing like a mad woman” tshirt. Yes, the official Taylor Swift t. Yes, I am that basic of a b, you would all hate me, but I don’t care because I was blasting the song on my way to vote, and I loved it!
Is she smiling or is she MOUTHING F U FOREVER. And that last part I screamed.
I love you for wearing that shirt 🙂
I love this!
That’s awesome Darla!! These long lines are such B.S., though! Biden administration better fix this voter suppression mess real quick.
💙💙💙
I’m from MA and I know a lot of people who moved from MA to NH who are voting Biden. I have faith in my neighbors up North to do the right thing!
Two first time voters in my NH family. They voted straight blue ticket, as did the rest of the extended family, including three Republicans, who thought that Sununu hadn’t distanced himself enough.
My parents live in NH and they were up at 6am this morning voting for Biden!
Sending strength and love from Canada to all my US celebitches today! Fingers crossed for a more hopeful tomorrow.
I’m not American and I live in the UK but this is giving me physical anxiety for all of you. I’m staying away from the news as even seeing headlines about the election makes my stomach clench! Wishing you all the best and a leader who understands what the presidency is for.
Thank you for the good wishes. Hopefully this election (which is really a job performance review for an incumbent) will help much of the world feel better. Let us hope!
That’s how I felt during the referendum vote in Britain, so thanks for your support.
Really need a blue wave today
Voted bright and early this morning – felt great to vote for Biden in a swing state.
Now I’m watching 80s movies and ignoring the news for several hours.
I’ve been scrubbing my house since 7 am this morning while sporting my Biden tank top. Only taking short breaks to read My fellow CBers comments. I’m a total nerve ball today.
I dreaded work today, simply because I am in a red area. Fortunately, not a single co-worker has uttered anything about either major party candidate.
The co-workers actually came up with an “election guessing game” – which made me shudder at first. However, the goal is to guess how many votes *Kanye* will get, without going over. It was a much-needed chuckle and distraction!
Something worth mentioning is there’s an organization called Pizza at the Polls that sends free pizza and food to voting locations with long lines. Husband and I already donated (you can donate online).
I already voted, but I’m thinking of all my fellow voters out there waiting for hours to vote today. Sit tight and don’t leave until you’ve voted.
One of my many internet boyfriends, Dan Levy, tweeted about this just now. He donated too.
It’s a good group. And now more than ever, with all the voter suppression going on, it’s important that people vote. Even in long lines. Don’t give up and don’t leave until you’ve voted.
Also, speaking of long lines— if you are already in line to vote when the polls close tonight, you are legally guaranteed the right to vote. Do not leave. Stay and vote.
Voting machines went down in Spalding County GA. GA employees get two hours off to vote today. Doubtful that’s going to be enough time.
I’m heading to pizza at the polls now. Thanks for the tip.
Thanks for the reminder! I meant to donate to Pizza at the Polls earlier. I’ve voted but we have to make sure EVERYONE gets a fair chance to vote. Donating now!
An American born Canadian citizen so left leaning I might fall over living in a crazy red neck province sends my fellow North Americans a hearty HELLO AND GOOD LUCK!
Oh, and PLEASE VOTE THIS STAIN ON HUMANITY OUT!
💙 👋 🌊
This was the first time I ever voted in advance. My husband and I walked to our local library last week to turn in our ballots at an official drop off location. Two days ago I checked online to make sure that my ballot had been accepted. I was so happy to see that it was. If you voted in advance, make sure that your ballot was accepted and not rejected for any reason. We cannot afford to lose any blue votes!
Staying off Twitter today and hoping for the best while battening down the hatches. I have high (but nervous) hopes for Joe and Kamala so I hope to wake up to some positive news Wednesday.
I’m not staying up to watch the results because last time that happened, something weird happened to the count in Florida (it had an odd delay which I still think were hackers having fun with the numbers) and the next day it all went sideways. Sticking to my Apple TV thing like glue today and watching old shows, and some criterion cinefile stuff that I love (rec: the movie “Good Morning” is a beautifully shot Japanese film about life, community, intergenerational relationships and a much sought after TV set ). I love films, like calgon they take me away…..
I want to add to my previous comment that two things have me nervous: Russians hacking into our voting computer systems and secret racists who won’t admit publicly that they’re voting for Grump. I wish I didn’t have to worry about these things but I do.
That is a concern, both Russia and China would love to see a Trump win. They are loving all of the turmoil going on in the USA.
Hoping the blue wave washes away the nightmare our country has endured. Of course, Vice President Biden winning would be the best kind of wonderful, but I will breathe a little easier if we at least flip the Senate.
On a selfish note, I just want to sleep soundly again. I haven’t since 2016!
🌊💙🌊💙🌊💙🌊💙🌊💙🌊
And to think the reason for our collective insomnia and anxiety is someone who is supposed to be employed by *us* and looking out for *us*!
I look forward to not having to watch / read the news about the WH every darn day. I never had to when Barack and Joe were running the show!
I won’t be able to sleep easy until he actually is walked to his go away plane on Jan. 20th. Until then, I will continue to be on edge praying for a return to some kind of faith in the leadership of this country. No matter who was in office before and no matter how little I agreed with them, I’ve never before felt this constant state of panic waiting for the next shoe to drop, not knowing what horrors I’m waking up to each day feeling. Life won’t be perfect if Biden wins and actually is sworn into office in January, but I will feel hopeful again like we can get through this.
I am here working at my town’s polling location here in New Hampshire and the traffic has been very busy. I am hopeful.