Joe Biden takes all 5 of votes in tiny township that is one of the first to release results on Election Day, Photo :CNN News 

Joe Biden Wins Dixville Notch's First Votes in 2020 Election, Continuing a 60-Year Tradition

In the early hours of Election Day, former Vice President Joe Biden secured all of the votes cast in Dixville Notch, a small township in New Hampshire along the US-Canada border. Known for being one of the first places in the country to make its presidential preference known, Dixville Notch's tradition of midnight voting continued this year, with ballots cast and counted in the minutes after midnight, making them some of the first to be tallied on Election Day.

By tradition, all registered voters in the unincorporated township gather in the historic "Ballot Room" at The Balsams resort to cast their secret ballots shortly after the polls open at midnight. Once the ballots are cast, results are immediately tallied and announced — hours before anywhere else — making Dixville Notch a favored location for reporters and election watchers hoping to catch an early glimpse of potential outcomes.

Despite its reputation for being an early indicator, Dixville Notch's voting results don’t always predict the eventual winner, nor do they necessarily reflect New Hampshire’s choice. For instance, in the 2016 election, Dixville Notch went for Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton, while Republican nominee Donald Trump won the state and the Electoral College. In nearby Millsfield, which also opens its polls at midnight, Trump won by a landslide, securing 16 votes to Biden's 5.

However, the global pandemic disrupted some of the area's traditional voting practices. In Hart's Location, a town further south in New Hampshire's White Mountains, plans for midnight voting were canceled. Instead, the town's 48 voters cast ballots during regular daytime hours, as officials cited concerns over public health and safety.

Though Dixville Notch has a dwindling population, with just 12 residents as of the 2010 census, the town’s tradition of midnight voting has remained strong for over six decades. Despite challenges, including a brief uncertainty about how the town would hold its February primary after the town's selectman moved away, the election position was filled, and the tradition carried on. Political enthusiasts who have closely followed Dixville Notch's early votes can rest assured that the tiny town remains an important stop for anyone hoping to track the nation's electoral trends.