First in the Nation: Dixville Notch NH

Dixville Notch is among New Hampshire's smallest unincorporated settlements, with only 32 registered voters, virtually all of whom live and work at The Balsams Grand Resort Hotel.

This grand 19th-century style resort owns most of the land around Dixville Notch and is the reason anyone lives in Dixville Notch at all.

Each election day (or, rather, on the Monday night before the Tuesday election day) since 1952 all of Dixville Notch's registered voters have assembled in the wood-panelled Ballot Room of the hotel. At precisely 12 am (midnight), the polls open, the voters cast their secret ballots, the election officials tabulate the tally, and at 12:05 am the results are announced to the voters, the state and the nation.

How is this allowable? Why is Dixville Notch always first to announce its election results?

It's not just because the polls open as early as possible on election day (12 midnight), it's because the polls are allowed to close so early.

By law, polling places must remain open until all registered voters have had the opportunity to cast their ballots. This usually means that polls remain open all day and even well into the evening, just to assure that no voter is denied the chance to vote.

But in Dixville Notch, by mutual accord, 100% of the registered voters come to the Ballot Room in The Balsams at midnight. No registered voter is absent or unaccounted for, so the election officials can be certain that all have their opportunity to vote.

Voters everywhere are interested in learning the results of the election in various cities, towns and states, the better to guess who will be elected.

Some people believe that announcing election results before the polls close may be detrimental to the election process, as the results may affect the voting behavior of voters who have not yet gone to the polls.

With fewer than three dozen voters, Dixville Notch's election results are unlikely to influence the voting behavior of others, and in fact a review of Dixville's election results reveals that its results were usually not the same as those of the state or the nation.

In other words, more often than not, the favorite candidate in Dixville Notch does not win the election!

Oh, well. Next election day, the voters of Dixville Notch will repair to the comfy confines of the Ballot Room at The Balsams, cast their ballots, immediately announce the results to the world, then head off to the bar to await the electoral latecomers.

---

Dixville Notch NH The Balsams Grand Resort Hotel The Balsams Skiing Northern NH White Mountains Mount Washington NH Homepage