A long election day has started in Dixville Notch.
This hamlet lost in the forests of New Hampshire, near the Canadian border, is every four years, since 1960, "the First in the Nation", the first to vote in the American elections.
Twelve residents live in Dixville Notch and that night, within minutes, five voters have voted.
The count was also very quick, giving Democrat Joe Biden five votes.
The panel published on the village's Twitter account perfectly illustrates the complexity of the American electoral system, on this voting day for many layers of state and federal power.
The ballot board with results from the #midnightvote in #DixvilleNotch.
#NHpolitics # Election2020 #ElectionDay pic.twitter.com/ll3VxoSn9t
- Dixville Vote (@DixvilleVote) November 3, 2020
Les Otten, “a lifelong Republican voter” voted for Biden.
“I don't agree with him on a lot of things but I think it's time to find what unites us, not what divides us,” he said.
“Paradoxically, this vote will make it possible to find republican values” while respecting differences, he argues.
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
New Hampshire's election laws allow municipalities with fewer than 100 residents to open their polling stations at midnight and close the ballot as soon as all of those on the electoral roll have fulfilled their civic duty.
This is how the neighboring village of Millsfield also voted on the night.
A third village in the area, which followed the same tradition, canceled the night vote because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
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But being the first does not make Dixville Notch an oracle: in 2016, Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton defeated Donald Trump, who ultimately won.
And besides in Millsfield, it was Trump who won the election, by 16 votes to 5.