Clinton Wins Dixville Notch And Guam

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.

FILED UNDER: 2016 Election, US Politics, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Doug Mataconis
About Doug Mataconis
Doug Mataconis held a B.A. in Political Science from Rutgers University and J.D. from George Mason University School of Law. He joined the staff of OTB in May 2010 and contributed a staggering 16,483 posts before his retirement in January 2020. He passed far too young in July 2021.

Comments

  1. michael reynolds says:

    As Dixville Notch goes, so goes Guam. Or is it the other way around?

  2. CSK says:

    @michael reynolds:

    It would have to be the other way around.

  3. michael reynolds says:

    @CSK:
    Unless of course the connection is at the quantum level where temporal causality breaks down.

  4. CSK says:

    @michael reynolds:

    Cue the theme music from The Twilight Zone.

  5. MarkedMan says:

    So, if their votes don’t count, why do they vote?

  6. Mu says:

    It’s three in the afternoon in Guam when Dixville votes. So Dixville results come before the voting ends in Guam.

  7. CSK says:

    @MarkedMan:

    I suppose for the same reason that they have a delegate to the U.S. house of representatives who…doesn’t vote.

  8. Mister Bluster says:

    News From the Future!
    Dateline Guam USA Wed Nov 9, 5:00 AM Chamorro Standard Time

    Legislature gets shaken up
    Democrats were poised to retain their 9-6 majority in the next Legislature, and control of the committees. They needed to gain an extra seat to have a veto-proof supermajority.
    http://www.guampdn.com

  9. Liberal Capitalist says:

    @michael reynolds:

    I have detected disturbances in the wash.’

    ‘The wash?’

    ‘The space-time wash.’

    ‘Are we talking about some sort of Vogon laundromat, or what are we talking about?’

    ‘Eddies in the space-time continuum.’

    ‘Ah…is he. Is he.’

    ‘What?’

    ‘Er, who is Eddy, then, exactly?