A New Hampshire precinct retains its habit of midnight voting, and the results of the 10 ballots reflect the polls – five for President Barack Obama and five for Republican challenger Mitt Romney. Another small hamlet also voted early and gave Obama a decisive victory.
Voters in Dixville Notch continued to put their town on the map once every four years by being the first precinct in the nation to cast ballots, as they have done in every presidential election since 1960.
With only 10 voters, it did not take long to tally the results. The 5-5 tie is an exact mirror of most polls, which show the two candidates running neck-and neck.
Attention is focused on “swing states” and New Hampshire is one of them, with four electoral votes. Romney wound up his campaign in the state on Monday, while Obama chose to campaign in Iowa, another critical state.
State polls rate New Hampshire a toss-up, while Obama has an insignificant one point lead in the polls.
The Dixville Notch results were the first time since 1968 that the precinct has split its votes evenly between two candidates. The precinct usually votes Republican, but it backed Obama instead of Republican candidate John McCain in 2008.
The Hart's Location village cast its ballots after midnight and gave Obama 23 votes and only nine for Romney. A third party candidate won two votes.
Dixville Notch actually was legally named in 1960 to promote itself with midnight voting, taking away the limelight from the nearby Hart’s Location, which also votes early -- but not at midnight.