While most of America was sleeping, Hillary Clinton took an early lead in New Hampshire thanks to the hamlet of Dixville Notch:
Dixville Notch, the quirky northern New Hampshire town that traditionally votes early on Election Day, has tallied this year’s results — and Hillary Clinton is the local winner.
Clinton won four votes, while Donald Trump picked up two. Libertarian nominee Gary Johnson earned one vote, as did former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney, who isn’t running.
The small community — with a registered population of 12 in the 2010 census — is known for its tradition of casting their ballots shortly after midnight on Election Day while gathered in a single ballroom. The tradition dates back to 1960, when the town cast its nine votes for Richard Nixon’s presidential bid.
Dixville Notch had seen a tie in 2012, with Romney and Democratic incumbent Barack Obama each receiving five votes. In 2008, Obama had been the first Democrat ever to win the hamlet, collecting 15 votes.
In the state’s heated Senate race, Republican Kelly Ayotte and Democrat Maggie Hassan each notched four votes.
In another town in New Hampshire that votes very early, nearby Milsfield, Donald Trump won 16 votes to Clinton’s four.
Clinton also scored a symbolic win on the other side of the world:
HAGATNA, Guam — Hillary Clinton has overwhelmingly won the vote on the tiny U.S. island of Guam.
The territory, located west of the international date line, is 15 hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time and bills itself as “Where America’s Day Begins.”
With 32,071 voters casting ballots, Democrat Clinton received 71.63% of the vote. Republican Donald Trump received 24.16%, and Socialist candidate Emidio Soltysik— the only third-party candidate on the ballot — received 4.22%.
Although all voters here are American citizens, their votes in the presidential race do not count because Guam has no representation in the Electoral College. Unlike U.S. citizens who live in foreign countries, Guam residents are not allowed to vote absentee from states.
While the result of the Guam election has no bearing on the national election, it may be an indicator of how the rest of the country will vote. Residents here have correctly chosen the winner of each presidential race since 1980, when the first straw poll for president was conducted.
Most recently:
• In 2012, President Obama received 72.4% in the straw poll vs. 26.5% for Republican Mitt Romney.
• In 2008, Obama won the island 57.3% to 34% for the GOP nominee, Sen. John McCain of Arizona.
• In 2004, incumbent President George W. Bush won 64% to 35.1% for Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts, the Democratic nominee.
The predictive ability of the island was upset in 1996, when an Election Day typhoon delayed voting. America had already selected Bill Clinton as president before islanders went to the polls.
None of this really counts for anything, of course, but it’s nonetheless fun to watch.
