Joe Biden swept the vote in the tiny township of Dixville Notch, N.H., the first presidential candidate to do so since Richard Nixon in 1960.
Dixville Notch residents traditionally cast their ballots just after midnight on Election Day, and are the first to vote in the U.S.
For the first time since 1960, a presidential nominee swept the vote in the general election of midnight voting in #DixvilleNotch. In 1960, Nixon received all 9 ballots cast. Today, @JoeBiden received all 5 ballots cast. #MidnightVote #FITN #Election2020 #ElectionDay #NHpolitics pic.twitter.com/m22lub97ES
— Dixville Vote (@DixvilleVote) November 3, 2020
As of 2010 the census listed twelve residents of the entire township. Five residents voted early Tuesday morning, and all of them cast ballots for a Biden presidency, while four residents voted for Republican governor Chris Sununu‘s reelection.
Senator Jeanne Shaheen and Representative Ann Kuster, both Democrats, received four votes each.
A Republican resident, Les Otten, explained in a video message that he was breaking with his party on the presidential race.
Lifelong #Republican Les Otten to Cast First Vote at Midnight in Dixville Notch for #Democrat @JoeBiden #ElectionDay #Election2020 #NHpolitics # pic.twitter.com/YakXzDMytr
— Dixville Vote (@DixvilleVote) November 2, 2020
“My vote today is meant to send a message to my fellow Republicans, that our party can find its way back. It’s time to return to the values a conservative party has held historically dear: limited government, balanced budgets, support for working families, respect for personal rights, and historically being at the forefront of racial justice,” Otten said.
While Dixville Notch has finished counting results, much of the U.S. will take considerably longer than usual to tally votes because of record-breaking mail-in voting. Philadelphia officials have asked residents to exercise patience while votes are counted, a process that could take several days, and Pennsylvania’s supreme court has extended the mail voting deadline to November 6 as long as the ballot is postmarked by Election Day.
The state of New Jersey will count mail-in ballots before those cast on Election Day, meaning in-person votes will only be tallied next week.