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First of the First

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January 07, 2008 3:40 PM

ABC News' Karen Travers Reports: New Hampshire residents take great pride in their First in the Nation status and some even take it so far that they vote just after the clock strikes midnight on primary day.

Dixville Notch, N.H. (population 24) had the honor of being the first of the first. The residents of this tiny hamlet just 20 miles from the Canadian border gather at 12:01am on primary day at the Balsams Grand Resort Hotel to cast their votes for president.

It's still early but Barack Obama and John McCain are in the lead. McCain picked up 4 votes, Mitt Romney 2 votes and Rudy Giuliani 1 vote. On the Democratic side, Obama received 7 votes, John Edwards 2 votes and Bill Richardson 1 vote

Adding that up - there were 17 votes cast tonight. Yet Dixville Notch town clerk Rick Erwin told ABC News this afternoon that there are only 16 residents of voting age in the town -- three registered Republicans, two Democrats and 12 registered as undeclared.

Will Dixville Notch go down as the first voting irregularity of this election?

Dixville Notch resident Neil Tillotson held the distinction of being the first voter in the nation for every general and presidential primary election from 1964-2000. He passed away at the age of 102 in October 2001.

The just-after-midnight voting tradition actually began in Hart’s Location, N.H. (approximate population: 42) back in the 1940s but the town shortly thereafter gave up the practice due to too much media attention.

In 1996 the voters of Hart’s Location decided Dixville Notch shouldn’t get all of the press attention and decided to bring back the 12:01am voting tradition again. They will vote again at midnight tonight – 29 people are registered to vote (eight Democrats, eight Republicans and 13 undeclareds).

The voting in Dixville Notch will lead the morning newspaper and television coverage on primary day for its novelty but it is not a reliable measure how the rest of the state will vote. On the Republican side in 2000, George W. Bush beat John McCain 12 votes to 10 votes, but McCain ended up winning the state primary and on the Democratic side, Bill Bradley beat Al Gore 4 votes to 2 votes, but Gore won the state.

No candidates are scheduled to drop by the midnight voting tonight in Dixville Notch.

In 2004, Wesley Clark actually showed up in Dixville Notch as the votes were being cast. The personal appearance seemed to have helped – Clark won eight of the 15 votes cast that night in the Democratic primary (eventual winner John Kerry won 3 votes).

Town Clerk Rick Erwin tells ABC News that no candidate in recent memory has won the White House without passing through the town at some point in the campaign.

Then-Gov. George Bush paid a visit in Nov. 1999 and Bill Clinton did the same when he was still governor of Arkansas. John Kerry and Al Gore sent proxies – Kerry sent his brother in 2004 and Gore sent his wife Tipper in 2000.

So far the town has only been visited by Republicans – Rudy Giuliani, John McCain and Ron Paul.

January 7, 2008 in Tancredo, Tom, Thompson, Fred | Permalink | User Comments (21)

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Hillary Clinton is the best candidate to run this country. She did more then all the first ladys combind, plus her husband would be the best First man because he was a President who would or could do any better. Everyone forgets that Bill Clinton did , he had our country unemployment at it's lowest, wages went up and we didn't own billions it was going to $0 .

If americans does not wake up and see that Obama is blowing a smoke screen. Then it will be to late. If Obama is elected he will do worst then what Bush did.

Obama family back ground is very unstable , doesn't really care what he really has to do when in office he will do no better then Bush and the poor or middleclass will not go any where because Obama just wants a pay check.

Posted by: Ron | Jan 8, 2008 8:01:20 AM

The collapse of Hillary continues. The WSJ reports today that a big win by Obama today will provide huge momentum and swamp her in the next two states and will cause a fracture in her support in the party establishment. They report that already some Clinton associates have begun lobbying for her early exit if she loses the primary by a big margin, as polls suggest she could. Several Senate colleagues who have sat on the fence are now in talks with Obama advisers about endorsing the freshman Illinois senator over his more experienced colleague.

=======

Folks, I think we are witnessing the end of the Clinton empire.

Posted by: Bob, DC/USA | Jan 8, 2008 9:03:43 AM

I hope people wake up and snap out of the Obama celebrity craze...the man has no experience in anything but preaching, my vote will go to John Edwards. The mainstream media has made Obama into some larger than life rockstar, I feel that the media coverage has been totally unfair to the other candidates.

Posted by: Gina Alford | Jan 8, 2008 9:14:18 AM

Romney is finally admitting he is the "Change" candidate. If the flip doesn`t work, he flops. If the tuth is not helpful, lie (he didn`t know his campaign ad accused McCain, and Bush of supporting Amnesty.) His dogs seem to keep eating his homework!

Posted by: Luke | Jan 8, 2008 10:05:12 AM

The Revolution is here and it is being televised. Viva OBAMA!

Posted by: im4obama | Jan 8, 2008 11:19:20 AM

It's unfortunate that I can sense the viseral hatred on the part of some posters for people that express support for a candidate other than the one they've chosen, as seen by the more personal attacks as opposed to the issues that the nation faces going forward. It reminds me of a guy in the baracks when I was in the Navy who looked at the new guy coming into the company and says, "I don't like his face." That was the new guys one and only shot with him and he failed. These are the primaries and the time to disagree and support the individual that we believe will meet the demands of the nation moving forward. And everyone needs to be able to take some good ol' American ribbing, but it is the issues and not "their faces" that I'm concerned with. And of course, anyone that disagrees with my candidate should have their teeth plucked out one at a time.

Posted by: Dale | Jan 8, 2008 11:26:59 AM

That math doesn't make sense...17 votes but only 16 registered, of which 3 are GOP, 2 are Dems, and 12 are independents? I count 17 there...

Posted by: Kyle | Jan 8, 2008 11:28:43 AM

I agree the media is very biased and have made Obama "it" and have neglected the rest of the candidates.

Posted by: Donna | Jan 8, 2008 12:00:00 PM

"Good Morning World" There is a possibility that we "Americans" just might elect a new generation of leaders to lift the "Ship of State" back to a level of respectability, resposibility and honor that we once enjoyed in the world and at home. Americans are deciding for change after 20 years of drifting without a moral base. I personall do not care if it is Obama, Edwards or Huckabee, I simply want a new direction. We should all get on board for change.

Posted by: murl41 | Jan 8, 2008 1:01:10 PM

If the Democrats do not wake up and recognize that Obama has had no real detailed examination then they could lose the general election. If Obama gets the nomination the news media will finally start looking below the surface as will the Republicans and he will not beable to withstand that and the Democrats will lose the election they should have won easily. Hillary Clinton has had that examination and attacks and can survive them.

Posted by: Ross Green | Jan 8, 2008 2:22:36 PM

Bill gets tons of credit for things that the republicans, lead by Newt, did. It was poll driven politics and a republican push which is why Bill agreed to welfare reform and cuts of that nature. It was also Reagan oppointed Greenspan and the tech boom that should be given credit for the 90s boom. Not our president. People give the president too much credit for things they had no control over.

As far as the deficit, which is the only thing I give Bill some credit for, he did so by cutting intelligence and the military, probably too much, and by raising taxes on not just the rich but also the middle class. He also raised the corp tax to a level where we are the 2nd highest of all non-3rd world countries. that and Bill's NAFTA, are no doubt the reason so many jobs are moving to China.

Sorry, but the old establishment era of politics is over. Obama or McCain will be our next president, and you will actually have someone in there who cares more about the country than just winning. At least I can sleep at night knowing that a man of principle will be in office given that contest. The choice between the two should just come down to your political bias and not dirty Clinton/Rove-like politics.

Posted by: gk | Jan 8, 2008 2:31:23 PM

Isn't it odd that Muslim leaders around the world are saying nothing about Barack Obama? If Obama was once a Muslim but now a Christian they would be calling for removal of his head; as no one can leave the muslim religion. Since the media has never asked Obama his real religion, if he is indeed still a Muslim, you have to conclude that with the silence of Muslim leaders about his candidancy that he is still a Muslim. Could this be why Obama is not on the Michigan Primary ballot? The largest group of Muslims in the United States are in Dearborn, Michigan. Obama side-stepped Michigan because a huge Muslim turnout for Obama would not look right. Is Obama still a Muslim? Why is the media afraid to ask? The media has been all over Mitt Romney about being a Morman but they will not ask Obama if he is still a Muslim. Media bias.

Posted by: No to Dems in 2008 | Jan 8, 2008 2:39:35 PM

does Obama have a relationship with the black leader Farakkan..

Posted by: Mary | Jan 8, 2008 3:14:15 PM

Really? All this stuff about Obama's religion and the Michigan ballot is ridiculous. Both Obama AND Edwards are boycotting Michigan's primary ballot as punishment for the state's decision this past summer to move up the date of their primary. Additionally, the DNC revoked Michigan's delegates.

It's more than obvious that the discussion on Obama's personal religion is intended to be solely inflammatory. The only reason why it would make a difference to anyone is if you believed that every person of Islamic faith is hellbent on the dissolution of America. Does that sound like a reasonable statement? Of course it isn't. It's racist or prejudiced or whatever you want to call it.

Fight your battle with facts, not hate. Fearmongering is how we as a country ended up in our precarious political situation to begin with, seven years ago.

Posted by: FactChecker | Jan 8, 2008 3:53:22 PM

Please, please please...anyone...give me 3 things hillary clinton ACCOMPLISHED in her time in the white house and her 7 years in the senate that helped minorities and/or the middle class in this country

I'll even give you one...she saved 130 jobs in schenectady NY

Posted by: TateK | Jan 8, 2008 4:02:39 PM

30+ years has been more than enough time for McCain to change something in Washington, yet he has virtually nothing to show for all of those years. If people really want to see change, then the only real choice is the man who changed a 2 billion dollar deficit in Mass. into a 4 billion dollar rainy day fund, or the man who changed a corrupt driven bankrupt Olympics into a huge success,or the man who has taken control of numerous failing and collapsing businesses and "changed" them into profitable success stories. The only real choice is Mitt Romney for President!!!

Posted by: Will | Jan 8, 2008 4:12:46 PM

Hillary Clinton is a strong candidate, and has been endlessly bashed, put down and condemned by the media. However, Obama hasn't ever been so treated (even when he was well-behind Hillary), and he's been treated like the media's own, dear rock star. There is no strength to be found in that.

Posted by: GT | Jan 8, 2008 4:26:29 PM

I'm still waiting for someone to give me something, anything that supports her ridiculous claim that she is ready to be president. Again, please let me know what she has accomplished in her time in the senate that qualifies her for president.

Posted by: TateK | Jan 8, 2008 4:51:09 PM

Hey Clinton supporters.....that noise you hear in the background is me and all the others cheering the decline of Clintonism.....hip hip hooray...hip hip hooray.....now don't go away mad....just go away

Posted by: DOC | Jan 8, 2008 5:34:00 PM

hello am not american but am a political scientist in campbrish university in england, i belive obama is teh idea candiate for the presidency, he is the one that revolutionise american once more to a country that once has respect.

Posted by: serge | Jan 8, 2008 5:57:54 PM

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