Hart's Location, New Hampshre - Today's primary has scarcely begun but already several results have been filed in the Granite State. Dixville Notch and Hart's Location, two tiny hamlets located in the North Country and Crawford Notch respectively, held midnight primaries for their small communities.
In Hart's Location, a town of only 29 registered voters, citizens were faithful to the most recent polls. Governor Mitt Romney garnered the most votes with five, but trailing him closely with four votes was Congressman Ron Paul. Governor Jon Huntsman received two votes, while Governor Rick Perry and Former Speaker Newt Gingrich received just one.
Conspicuously absent from the tally was Senator Rick Santorum, who received none of the 13 votes cast in the Republican primary.
Following a group countdown to midnight, first-time voter Aslyan Dindorf, 19, kicked off the primary by casting her vote for Barack Obama, saying he was "a good guy who deserves another chance at fixing the country." The President received all 10 votes cast in the Democratic primary. By 12:01, the town vote had been completed.
The tradition of voting at midnight began in 1948 when, to accommodate the schedule of residents who needed to operate the train-switch during the day, it was decided to move the vote to midnight. A decrease in the size of the town in the 1960s led to a hiatus from the tradition before it was restored again in 1996.
Meanwhile, a similar midnight vote took place in the far North Country in Dixville Notch , an even smaller town with a population of just 9. There, the vote was divided with governors Huntsman and Romney tying for the lead - with 2 votes apiece. Newt Gingrich and Ron Paul received a lone vote.
Hart's Location Results:
Total Votes Cast - 23 (6 declined to vote)
Republican Primary
Total Republican Voters: 13
Mitt Romney - 5
Ron Paul - 4
Jon Huntsman - 2
Newt Gingrich - 1
Rick Perry - 1
Rick Santorum - 0
Democratic Primary:
Barack Obama: 10
Challengers: 0
Dixville Notch Results:
Republican Primary
Mitt Romney - 2
Jon Huntsman - 2
Newt Gingrich - 1
Ron Paul - 1
Rick Perry - 0
Rick Santorum -0
Democratic Primary
Barack Obama - 3
Challengers - 0