Students Capture Historic Midnight Vote in Dixville Notch

Seven Franklin Pierce University students from the PoliticsFitzU program had the unique opportunity to capture the excitement of the first ballots cast in the 2024 Presidential Election in Dixville Notch, NH. Under the guidance of Dr. Kristen Nevious, Director of the Marlin Fitzwater Center for Communication, the students worked on tight deadlines to report for both the Granite State News Collaborative and Student News Live. Engaging with voters and sharing their insights with national and international media, students Colin Struckman, Dominic Howard, John McKenna, Grace Rich, Megan Lachance, Martina Spackova, and Allison MacDonald gained invaluable hands-on experience in political journalism, building their skills and contributing to the election coverage firsthand.

Harris and Trump Split in Dixville Notch 
By Colin Struckman ’25 

DIXVILLE, N.H. – The voting in Dixville Notch fell in line with the national polls on Tuesday night in a race that couldn’t be any closer. Republican candidate Donald Trump and Democratic candidate Kamala Harris split the vote 3-3 to open Election Day in the 2024 race. 

The tie is the first in Dixville Notch since 2012, when Democrat Barack Obama and Republican Mitt Romney split the vote 5-5 among the 10 registered voters.  

Voting took place at midnight in Dixville Notch on Tuesday, a unique tradition in New Hampshire that began in 1960. Six voters, including four registered Republicans and two undeclared, cast their ballots.  

The results are declared first at Dixville Notch, the “first in the nation” vote for the presidential election. The press flooded into The Balsams Resort at the Tillotson House in Dixville, covering a nationally televised event on stations like CNN and Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), as there were more media covering the event than there were voters casting their ballots.  

Donald Trump has typically struggled in Dixville Notch but this year earned a split in the tight battleground state of New Hampshire. The split goes against a common trend at Dixville Notch. President Joe Biden won all five votes cast by Dixville Notch voters in the 2020 presidential election. Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton defeated the Republican candidate 4-2 in the 2016 presidential election.  

Harris and Trump aim to carry their momentum from Dixville Notch into today’s rambunctious Election Day. As the candidates made their final arguments, the nation is one day closer to knowing the final results of this incredibly tight race.