Dixville Notch in New Hampshire kicks off in-person Election Day voting
DIXVILLE NOTCH, N.H. – As has been a tradition for decades in New Hampshire, voters in the tiny resort town of Dixville Notch kicked off Election Day at the stroke of midnight.
Dixville Notch vote
In a presidential election that couldn't be closer, it seemed fitting that the first votes cast on Election Day were evenly split, with three for Donald Trump and three for Kamala Harris.
The Dixville Notch vote is a tradition that dates back to 1960, the first in the nation to complete in-person voting each election. After a rousing accordion version of the national anthem, the town's six voters began casting their ballots at the stroke of midnight and the vote count was complete 15 minutes later.
Leslie Otten cast his vote for Harris, the Democratic nominee.
"It came down to a simple question of loyalty. Harris is willing to give me hers. Trump wanted mine. To me, that's backwards. A president is supposed to be loyal to the people. People are loyal to a king or a dictator. But the president works for the people," Otten said.
Valerie Maxwell voted for Trump, the Republican candidate.
"I voted for him for the policies. Those are the ones that align with my beliefs. So it wasn't necessarily voting for the man, it was voting for the policies," she said.
New Hampshire governor race
Dixville Notch voters also cast their ballots in the contentious race for New Hampshire governor.
Five people voted for Republican Kelly Ayotte, while one selected Democrat Joyce Craig.
The winner of that race will become the third female governor in New Hampshire history. Current New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu is not seeking another term.