Dixville Notch, Population 9, Casts First Ballots in NH

The village of Dixville Notch is notable not just for the fact that it only has nine registered voters, but for the fact that those voters also are the first in New Hampshire to state their choice in today's primary. Their nine ballots were cast one minute after midnight—unincorporated towns that claim less than 100 residents can open the polls at 12am—and, according to this wee hamlet, Mitt Romney and Jon Huntsman are the very, very early frontrunners, with two votes each. Newt Gingrich and Ron Paul both walked away with one; Barack Obama scooped up the remaining three, reports the AP.

If may seem like a quaint and charming way to kick off today's primary, but the Washington Post would like to point out that it's a bit of a sham: It reports that those nine voters don't actually live in Dixville Notch, but are technically registered to vote there. They voted at the Balsams Grand Resort Hotel, which closed a few months ago for renovations, pushing the few residents to leave and seek work elsewhere. But just for one night, the heating system was cranked up, chicken and ham salad sandwiches were put out, and all eyes fell on Dixville Notch. (More Dixville Notch stories.)