1st Election Day Votes in New Hampshire

HART’S LOCATION, N.H. -- The nation’s first election day votes were cast and counted just after midnight today in this mountain hamlet, with President Bush and Sen. John F. Kerry each receiving 15 votes. Ralph Nader received one.

The communities of Hart’s Location and Dixville Notch since 1948 sporadically have been taking advantage of a state law that allows communities to close polls early if all registered voters have cast ballots.

Voters in Dixville Notch backed Bush over Kerry 19 to 7, election officials said. Independent candidate Nader received no votes.

In 2000, both communities chose Bush over Democrat Al Gore. In Hart’s Location, Bush won 17 to 13. In Dixville Notch, about 50 miles to the north, Bush had 21, Gore five and Nader one vote.

By state law, polls must be open between 11 a.m. and 7 p.m. But nothing prevents a town from opening the polls earlier and closing after all potential voters have cast ballots.

Hart’s Location began doing just that in 1948 because nearly everyone in town worked for the railroad and many had to be at work before normal voting hours. Dixville followed in 1960.

National media attention to these “first votes” began in 1952, when New Hampshire let voters in the state’s earliest presidential primary vote for the candidates themselves rather than delegates to the national party conventions.