While the 2020 election has already been well underway for many voters, with the nation seeing record numbers of absentee ballots cast ahead of Election Day, today marks the official opening of polls in Hanover and around the country.
As former Vice President Joe Biden and President Donald Trump clash on the national stage, Upper Valley voters will be deciding on a number of key races today, including the battles between Gov. Chris Sununu and Dan Feltes for New Hampshire governor, Sen. Jeanne Shaheen and Bryant “Corky” Messner for U.S. Senate and Rep. Ann McLane Kuster ’78 and Steve Negron for U.S. House of Representatives.
Watch here for live updates from the polls in Hanover and the greater Upper Valley throughout the day.
Want to read more from The Dartmouth over your morning coffee? Check out our reporting on what to expect at the polls amid the pandemic, the results of our 2020 election survey, analysis on whether New Hampshire is a swing state this year and events on campus today. Also, take a look at our guide to today’s races if you’d like a breakdown of who’s on Hanover’s ballot.
2:10 a.m.: Election Day comes to a close
Marco Allen / The Dartmouth Staff
7,171 votes were cast in Hanover this Election Day, in favor of Democrats across the board.
In national elections, Hanover residents overwhelmingly supported former Vice President Joe Biden, Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., and Rep. Ann McLane Kuster ’78, D-N.H.
In Hanover, Biden received 86.6% of the vote, Shaheen 84.0% of the vote and Kuster 82.5% of the county’s vote. Biden, Shaheen and Kuster all prevailed in the statewide vote as well.
Turning to state elections, Hanover supported the Democratic candidate for governor, Dan Feltes, but Republican incumbent Gov. Chris Sununu prevailed, clinching a third term as the Granite State’s governor. Feltes received 70.0% of the vote in Hanover.
Despite pandemic concerns and some initial confusion, voting across the Upper Valley went smoothly on Election Day.
In terms of security, Hanover Police Chief Charlie Dennis said there were “no issues,” with no one showing up to the polls with a weapon nor any instances of voter intimidation or protesting in Hanover.
Wait times remained short at the Hanover polling station and across the Upper Valley.
Some initial confusion arose regarding the eligibility of students living off campus outside the Hanover area to vote at the Hanover precinct, but rules were quickly clarified. After at least two students were initially turned away due to existing confusion, town officials clarified that students who are temporarily living in another town due to COVID-19 but are registered to vote in Hanover were still eligible to vote at the Leverone polling place.
For more in-depth reporting, scroll through our live Election Day coverage below.
12:07 a.m.: Ann McLane Kuster ’78 wins reelection
Maya Kempf-Harris and Caitlin McCarthy / The Dartmouth Staff
Ann McLane Kuster ’78, D-N.H., won reelection to the U.S. House of Representatives for New Hampshire's 2nd Congressional District with 55.3% of the vote, according to the Associated Press. Republican challenger Steve Negron received 42.3% of the vote. In Hanover, Kuster received 82.5% of the vote and Negron received 13.4%.
11:23 p.m.: Official Hanover vote goes to Biden, Shaheen, Feltes
Caitlin McCarthy and Andrew Sasser / The Dartmouth Staff
According to final voting results from Hanover, former Vice President Joe Biden has received 86.6%, or 6,210 votes, to President Donald Trump's 11.8%, or 844 votes.
Incumbent U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., has received 84.0% of the Hanover vote, or 6,027 votes, beating Bryant “Corky” Messner’s 12.7%, or 911 votes. Hanover's votes in the U.S. 2nd Congressional District race will go to Democratic Rep. Ann McLane Kuster ’78 with 82.5% of the vote, or 5,915 votes, to Steven Negron's 13.4%, or 964 votes.
In state races, Hanover voted for Democrat Dan Feltes for governor with 70.0% of the vote. Incumbent Gov. Chris Sununu garnered 24.3%. For the New Hampshire Executive Councilor 1st District seat, incumbent Democrat Mike Cryans received 78.5% of the Hanover vote — 5,629 votes — with Republican Joe Kenney receiving 14.1% — 1,014 votes. Democrat Suzanne Prentiss received 78.1% of the vote, 5,602 votes, in the race for the New Hampshire 5th District state Senate seat and Republican Timothy O'Hearne received 14.3%, or 1,026 votes.
In the New Hampshire House of Representatives race in Grafton’s 12th district, incumbent Democrat Sharon Nordgren earned 5,322 votes, while Democrat Mary Hakken-Phillips received 5,260 votes, Democrat Russell Muirhead earned 5,298 votes and Democrat James Murphy, 5,114. No Republican candidates were on the ballot.
There were a total of 7,171 ballots cast in Hanover, including 4,516 absentee ballots.
10:55 p.m.: Joe Biden wins New Hampshire
Andrew Sasser / The Dartmouth Staff
Former Vice President Joe Biden has won the state of New Hampshire, according to the Associated Press. With 40% reporting, Biden has received 53.8% of the votes counted, to President Donald Trump’s 44.9%. Biden will receive all of New Hampshire’s four electoral votes.
10:30 p.m.: Lyme backs Democrats down the ticket
Kyle Mullins / The Dartmouth Staff
According to preliminary results from Lyme, former Vice President Joe Biden has received 81.6% of the vote, or 1,074 votes, to President Donald Trump's 16.6%, or 218 votes.
For U.S. Senate, Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., has received 81.3% of the vote, or 1,070 votes, beating Republican businessman Bryant “Corky” Messner's 16.4%, or 216 votes.
Lyme’s votes in the U.S. House of Representatives 2nd Congressional District race go to Democratic Rep. Ann McLane Kuster ’78 with 79.4% of the vote — 1,045 votes — to Republican business owner Steve Negron's 17.4%, or 229 votes.
Lyme voted for Democratic state Senate Majority Leader Dan Feltes for governor with 66.0% of the vote, or 869 votes. Incumbent Republican Gov. Chris Sununu received 30.2% of the vote, or 397 votes.
The preliminary vote total is 1,316 ballots, with 650 in-person ballots and 666 absentee ballots cast.
9:45 p.m.: Norwich backs Biden, Welch, Scott
Kyle Mullins / The Dartmouth Staff
According to preliminary results from Norwich, Vermont, former Vice President Joe Biden has received 90.3% of the vote, or 2,316 votes, to President Donald Trump's 8.2%, or 211 votes.
Rep. Peter Welch, D-Vt., won 90.4% of the vote, or 2,266 votes, beating Republican Miriam Berry’s 7.7%, or 193 votes.
Republican Gov. Phil Scott won 52.6% of the vote, or 1,307 votes, more narrowly defeating Democratic/Progressive candidate David Zuckerman’s 46.1%, or 1,143 votes.
9 p.m.: Enfield votes for Biden, Shaheen, Sununu
Emily Lu / The Dartmouth Staff
According to preliminary voting results from Enfield, former Vice President Joe Biden has received 64.3% of the vote — 1,777 votes — to President Donald Trump’s 33.6%, or 930 votes.
In the U.S. Senate race, Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., has received 66.6% of the vote, or 1,826 votes, beating Republican Bryant “Corky” Messner's 30.9%, or 848 votes. Enfield’s votes in the U.S. Representative 2nd Congressional District race will go to Democratic Rep. Ann McLane Kuster ’78 with 65.3% of the vote, or 1,751 votes, and 33.3%, or 906 votes to Republican Steve Negron.
In the gubernatorial election, Enfield voted for incumbent Republican Gov. Chris Sununu with 55.3% of the vote, or 1,513 votes, with Democratic state Senate Majority Leader Dan Feltes receiving 43.3% of the vote, or 1,184 votes.
8:10 p.m.: Hanover votes for Biden, Shaheen, Kuster and Feltes as results come in
Kyle Mullins and Caitlin McCarthy / The Dartmouth Staff
According to preliminary voting results from Hanover, former Vice President Joe Biden has received 86.4% of the vote, or 5,974 votes, to President Donald Trump's 11.9%, or 822 votes.
For U.S. Senate, Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., has received 83.8% of the vote, or 5,798 votes, beating Republican businessman Bryant “Corky” Messner's 12.9%, or 892 votes.
Hanover's votes in the U.S. House of Representatives second congressional district race go to Democratic Rep. Ann McLane Kuster ’78 with 83.3% of the vote — 5,688 votes — to Republican business owner Steve Negron's 13.7%, or 945 votes.
Hanover voted for Democrat Dan Feltes for governor with 71.4% of the vote, or 4,935 votes. Incumbent Republican Gov. Chris Sununu received 24.9% of the vote, or 1,721 votes.
The preliminary vote total is 6,915 ballots. Town moderator Jeremy Eggleton indicated that very few ballots have yet to be counted.
8:10 p.m.: Gov. Chris Sununu wins reelection
Kyle Mullins / The Dartmouth Staff
New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu will win a third two-year term, the Associated Press projected shortly after 8 p.m. His opponent was Democratic state Senate Majority Leader Dan Feltes.
8:05 p.m.: Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., wins reelection, defeating Bryant “Corky” Messner
Andrew Sasser / The Dartmouth Staff
Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., has won reelection, the Associated Press has called, defeating Republican businessman Bryant “Corky” Messner. Shaheen will become only the second New Hampshire Democrat to win a third term in the U.S. Senate.
7:15 p.m.: Biden takes Vermont, Rep. Peter Welch, D-Vt., wins reelection
Kyle Mullins / The Dartmouth Staff
Former Vice President Joe Biden will win Vermont’s three electoral votes, the Associated Press called shortly after polls closed at 7 p.m. Additionally, Rep. Peter Welch, D-Vt., will win reelection to the U.S. House of Representatives for Vermont’s single at-large district, according to AP.
7 p.m.: Hanover polls close, officials prepare to certify ballots
Anais Zhang / The Dartmouth
The last voters have fed their ballots into the counter at Leverone. Preliminary counts indicate 6,915 ballots cast. Officials are still waiting on ballots with unclear markings or that included write-ins, according to town moderator Jeremy Eggleton.
Hanover selectboard member Athos Rassias has been helping voters with the machines and handing out “I voted” stickers after they cast their ballots. Compared to the “incredibly busy” and crowded polls during the 2016 election, Rassias said that the polls were quieter this year.
Rassias does not anticipate any complications this evening as volunteers certify the votes and ensure that all the absentee ballots have been counted.
Poll worker Beverly Balch spent much of the day directing voters to the stations. In the evening, she will help with ballot reconciliation, which involves cross-checking the number of voters that checked in at the poll station with the number of ballots cast. Balch will also document the ballot count for registered Republicans and Democrats, as well as the number of absentee ballots.
Thomas Brown contributed reporting.
5:45 p.m.: Vermont Gov. Phil Scott votes for Biden
Andrew Sasser / The Dartmouth Staff
As polls neared closing time, Vermont Gov. Phil Scott told reporters this afternoon that he had voted for Joe Biden. Scott, a Republican, said that while it had been “a bit of struggle” to vote for Biden, he ultimately “decided to put country over party,” adding that Biden can “bring [the country] together.”
He noted that this was his first time voting for a Democrat for president.
Scott is one of the most prominent Republicans to endorse Biden, and the only sitting Republican governor to do so. Several other Republican politicians, including Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan and Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker announced that they would not vote for President Donald Trump. Romney did not disclose who he voted for, whereas Hogan said he wrote in former President Ronald Reagan. Baker said he left his vote blank.
5:30 p.m.: No security issues at Hanover polling station
Thomas Brown / The Dartmouth
Despite initial concerns, voting in Hanover has proceeded with no security or safety issues, according to Hanover Chief of Police Charlie Dennis.
Dennis added that there were “no issues of anything [or] anyone showing up with a weapon to the polls,” and there have so far been no instances of voter intimidation or protesting in Hanover today.
“I think it was a successful day for not only the police department, but for everyone that showed up to vote today,” Dennis said. “Here in Hanover, things have gone perfectly as smooth as they have each year.”
Yesterday, director of Safety and Security Keysi Montás stated in a campus-wide email that, while Safety and Security had no “information indicating that groups of armed individuals or militias are planning to come to Hanover,” the College was preparing for any potential incidents.
A police car was stationed outside of Leverone Field House as “visibility” to reassure voters that they can vote safely, Dennis said.
According to Dennis, the office of the New Hampshire attorney general recommended that a police officer be on site at the polls from opening until closing in all locations, including “smaller communities” like Hanover — a change from 2016.
Dennis arrived at Leverone at 6:45 a.m., and an officer will remain present while votes are processed after the polls close. Once counted, the ballots will be taken to the police department until they are collected by the state.
5 p.m.: Total number of ballots cast in Hanover likely less than in 2016
Lorraine Liu / The Dartmouth Senior Staff and Anais Zhang / The Dartmouth
As the polls at Leverone Field House near their 7 p.m. closing time, the lines of voters have dissipated. Town moderator Jeremy Eggleton said that an estimated 7,000 absentee and in-person ballots have already been counted, down from the 8,000 total votes in the 2016 presidential election.
So far, the ratio of absentee ballots to in-person ballots is around two to one. According to Eggleton, the number of absentee ballots has increased by almost four times compared to 2016.
However, Eggleton anticipated that voter turnout in Hanover this year will be “under what we would have expected [it] to be,” attributing the lower number to Dartmouth’s decision to bring back only half of its undergraduate student body.
Eggleton confirmed that absentee ballot processing machines have been operating smoothly, adding that a final batch of absentee ballots will be received around 5 p.m.
According to Eggleton, Hanover’s preliminary results are expected to be released at 8 p.m., an hour after the polls close.
Laurel Pitts ’24 voted for the first time today. She cast her vote for former Vice President Joe Biden because she felt that “any votes besides a vote for Joe Biden for president is a vote for racism and sexism.” She also cast her ballot for Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., and Democrat Dan Feltes for governor.
Although she grew up in Connecticut, Pitts opted to register to vote in Hanover since she felt that Dartmouth had created an easy process for students to vote and preferred to cast her vote in a swing state, where it would be more likely to make a difference.
Sonia Eckstein ’23, a first-time poll volunteer who started her shift at the polling station at 2:30 p.m., said she went through an online training for her work and had helped around 30 voters during her shift.
“I definitely thought that there’s a big need for younger people to come in and work at the polls as opposed to older people, who are more likely to contract COVID and have serious complications, and so that’s why I signed up.” Eckstein said.
4 p.m.: Norwich voters brave the cold in outdoor voting
Kyle Mullins / The Dartmouth Staff
Norwich voters cast their ballots next door to Town Hall, at Tracy Hall.
Leverone Field House in Hanover may be a different voting site than usual, but at least it’s heated. In-person voters just across the river in Norwich, Vermont cast their ballots outdoors next to Tracy Hall.
“The snow this morning threw us just a little bit,” town clerk Bonnie Munday said. “Before we put the [tents] up, we had to shovel!”
Most voters in Norwich cast absentee ballots, so wait times at the polling station have been minimal. Munday said that there was a small line when voting first opened, but since then, voters have been moving quickly.
Norwich voters cast their ballots outdoors.
Munday estimated that over 300 voters had voted in person but was not able to provide an exact count, as the town is not separating in-person ballots from absentee ones. As of 4 p.m., 2,526 ballots had been counted in total, exceeding 2016’s 2,333.
Norwich resident Rachel Waters said she was impressed by the volunteers, who had been sitting outside since this morning. She filled out her absentee ballot a week ago but dropped it off today in person. She said she did not have to wait in line at all.
“People in other parts of the country are dealing with long lines, and obviously, that’s not something we’re experiencing here,” she said, gesturing to the group of three election volunteers helping just one newly registered voter.
Waters cast her vote “proudly and enthusiastically” for former Vice President Joe Biden in the presidential race.
“I would like to bring a sense of decorum back to political life,” she said.
3:00 p.m.: Polls running smoothly at all 3 Lebanon stations
Thomas Brown and Manasi Singh / The Dartmouth
Lebanon’s three polling locations are reporting high voter turnout and compliance with COVID-19 precautions among voters. All three wards saw longer wait times when polls opened at 7 a.m., but say that wait times had decreased by the early afternoon.
Crystalee Newton, moderator of Ward 2, shared that a total of 3,300 absentee ballots were sent out to voters in Lebanon. As of 2 p.m., there have been about 1,000 ballots cast in person in Ward 1 and 1,400 ballots cast in Ward 2. Moderator of Ward 3 Karen Sheehan said that she didn’t know how many ballots have been cast at Ward 3, as the processing of absentee ballots was turning out to be increasingly difficult.
“Because the absentee ballots are folded, sometimes they get caught and it jams up the machine,” Sheehan said. She explained that as a result, it is taking poll workers much longer to process the absentee ballots. Sheehan shared that they started counting ballots at 8 a.m.
Ward 1 moderator Kristin Swan said that there have been “extraordinary” numbers of absentee voters — “more than twice what we would have expected in a typical year.”
Despite longer lines in the morning, voters have not had to wait long to cast ballots. Swan said that during the first open hour, wait times were approximately 20 minutes.
All three wards reported that social distancing and masking precautions have been followed.
“It’s been great,” Swan said. “It’s actually been even better than in the primary. I think people know a little bit more what to expect and where to be. We haven’t had any issues.”
Newton agreed, stating that voting was going “very, very well.” In Ward 2, plexiglass panels and a system for one-way movement throughout the building have been set up to ensure distancing efforts.
Sheehan said that Ward 3 had not seen “anyone come in without wearing a mask,” noting that although there is an outside voting station for those who don’t wish to wear masks, it has yet to be used.
Additionally, there have been no reported incidents of voters being unable to cast their ballots. Swan noted one small incident: One voter from a different ward tried to vote in Ward 1, but was asked to instead cast her ballot in the ward in which she was registered.
None of the three polling stations reported incidents of voter intimidation. Each station was equipped with one police officer and two to three members of a voter protection organization.
All three wards hope to have all ballots counted by tonight.
“It might be [a] late night for us if we can’t pick up the pace on the absentee ballots right now,” Swan said. “But we expect to have results this evening.”
2:00 p.m.: After confusion, off-campus students able to vote in Hanover
Griselda Chavez and Daniel Modesto / The Dartmouth
After some confusion earlier this morning, Hanover election officials clarified that Dartmouth students living off campus, including outside of Hanover, are able to vote at Leverone.
Earlier today, two students were not permitted to vote at the Leverone polling station despite being registered in Hanover, as poll workers were unsure as to whether the students could vote in person in Hanover while living temporarily in other towns. The students traveled back to their towns of temporary residence and were able to vote there. Voting officials have since clarified the policy, and any Dartmouth students living off campus who come to Leverone for the remainder of the day will be able to vote.
According to town moderator Jeremy Eggleton, a recent decision by the New Hampshire attorney general solidified rules for where Dartmouth students could vote. Students who are temporarily living in another town due to COVID-19 but are registered to vote in Hanover can still vote at Leverone. However, students who maintain permanent residence in other towns, as opposed to temporarily living away from Hanover, must vote in their towns of residence. Students who are not yet registered to vote should register and vote where they are currently living, Eggleton said, even if that location is temporary.
1:30 p.m.: Rep. Kuster, D-N.H., pays a visit to Leverone polling site
Kyle Mullins / The Dartmouth Staff
Rep. Ann McLane Kuster ’78, D-N.H (center), poses with Mary Hakken-Phillips, State Rep. Sharon Nordgren, D-Hanover, Russell Muirhead and Jim Murphy, the four Democrats who will assume seats in the N.H. House of Representatives after tonight’s election.
Just after 1 p.m., Congresswoman Ann McLane Kuster ’78, D-N.H., and her campaign manager stopped by the Leverone polling site in Hanover to thank supporters, take photos with local candidates and weigh in on the expected high turnout.
“I think there is an incredibly high level of interest, for young people, for women voters, for seniors, people who are so disappointed by the president’s lack of leadership on COVID-19,” Kuster said. She also cited climate change, Social Security, Medicare and reproductive rights as particularly important issues.
Kuster predicted wins in New Hampshire for the Biden/Harris ticket, Sen. Jeanne Shaneen, D-N.H., and her own campaign.
12:10 p.m.: Lines at Enfield polls mark high voter turnout
Kyle Mullins / The Dartmouth Staff
The morning’s snow is melting away, but voting lines at the Enfield Community Building have remained in place since the polls opened at 8 a.m. today.
Most voters said they waited in line for around 15 to 20 minutes before entering the building. Poll workers and Enfield town moderator Lindsay Smith said that this morning, the line stretched around the building and down the block — and the parking lot, twice the size of the one at the pre-COVID polling location, was full.
“We’ve had incredible turnout this morning,” Smith said. In addition to voting traditionally in person, Enfield residents could cast a ballot curbside, which Smith said they were encouraging.
As of 10:15 a.m., over 425 voters had cast ballots in person, a figure that climbed to 850 by noon. Smith also said that 1,028 absentee ballots had been partially preprocessed, and more were expected to arrive. The town has about 3,600 voters on its list, she said, and over 50 new voters have been registered today on site.
Voters did not seem to mind the short wait, though. Larry and Betsy Draper, a retired couple, said voting was “very easy” and “very simple.” Betsy Draper said she voted in person so she could be “sure” her ballot was counted on the day of the election.
They voted straight Democratic tickets — except for Republican Gov. Chris Sununu — because of their dislike for President Donald Trump.
“I think he’s ruining the country and making big fissures in our democracy,” Larry Draper said. “Just the fact that everyone is worried about coming to vote — that’s just not American.”
Unlike Lyme and Hanover, which in 2016 saw Democratic margins of over 50 points, Enfield is more politically diverse, with Trump earning over a third of the vote in the last presidential election. Though most signs near the polling site were for Democrats, some voters did indicate support for Trump, and while the Drapers were talking, a pickup truck roared down Route 4 behind them with a large “Make America Great Again” flag flying behind it.
“My profession, that’s extremely important to me,” Aleya Leombruno, a Vermont police officer who sported a “Thin Blue Line” mask, said of her vote for Trump and several down-ballot Republicans as she exited the polls. “The safety of my community, the safety for my daughter, not only here in Enfield, but in the town I work for as well.”
No voters had arrived without a mask, Smith said, and there had been no security issues thus far. The Enfield police department was present on site directing traffic, and Smith said they were also providing escorts as absentee ballots were transported from their storage location at Town Hall to the community building for counting.
Results are expected to be ready around 9 p.m. or shortly thereafter, but Smith did indicate their counting machine has had trouble accepting the absentee ballots, which have “bends in the paper” from being mailed. “We’re working on that,” Smith said, adding that the ballots would be counted by hand if the machine continued to only accept in-person ballots.
10:15 a.m.: 2,300 votes received so far in Hanover
Daniel Modesto / The Dartmouth
A second wave of snow and voters hit the Hanover polls around 10 a.m. Approximately 500 voters cast their ballots within the first hour of polls opening, according to the poll count posted at the polls. Between 8 and 10 a.m., Hanover received an estimated 2,300 votes, both in person and absentee.
According to Hanover town clerk Betsy McClain, voting has gone well so far.
“Inside, it's going really smoothly, McClain said, noting “a few hiccups along the way,” such as the line, which “was snaking across the front of Leverone and out into left field.”
McClain explained that the long lines posed some challenges this morning. She said that once voters were inside, they were separated by last name. The lines for last names A-M were congested, while the other line for last names N-Z were relatively short.
10:15 a.m.: New Hampshire sees record high number of absentee ballot requests
Andrew Sasser / The Dartmouth Staff
According to data from the New Hampshire secretary of state, over 249,000 absentee ballots have been requested this election, with over 235,000 already returned. This more than triples the about 75,000 absentee ballots cast in 2016. Reporting from New Hampshire Public Radio indicates that 24% of all registered New Hampshire voters have cast an absentee ballot this year.
9:30 a.m.: Leverone lines have shortened
The Dartmouth Senior Staff
Nearly three hours after the polls opened, it is now taking voters in Hanover just about 10 minutes to cast their ballots.
Inside Leverone Field House, lines were manageable by 9:30 a.m.
9:10 a.m.: Estimated 4,000 absentee ballots have already been cast in Hanover
Daniel Modesto / The Dartmouth
The line in Hanover is much shorter than when the polls first opened, and the absentee ballots have slowly trickled in. According to poll worker Sam Farnham ’14, while only seven absentee ballots have been dropped off today, around 4,000 absentee ballots were dropped off prior to Election Day.
He noted that “a couple hundred” students requested their absentee ballot weeks before, during drives on Dartmouth’s campus that encouraged students to vote early. Most locals also requested their absentee ballot early, which may explain why very few absentee ballots have been dropped off today, he said.
9:05 a.m.: N.H. State Rep. visits Hanover polls
Griselda Chavez / The Dartmouth
Spotted among the crowd, New Hampshire State Rep. Mary Janes Mulligan, D-Hanover, is seen holding a “Dan Feltes for Governor” campaign sign.
Mulligan described this presidential election as “critical,” and one for which people have been preparing for the past four years. She said she came to Leverone Field House this morning not only to thank the voters who came to the polls, but to also “show people the Dan Feltes signs.”
8:45 a.m.: Lyme voters praise a smooth, safe voting process
Kyle Mullins / The Dartmouth Staff
Twenty minutes north of the long lines in Hanover, Lyme voters filed into their normal polling place, the Lyme School Community Gymnasium, in what all described as a smooth and COVID-safe process.
“There were a lot of people in there, but everything kept moving and everything felt reasonably distanced,” Lyme resident Jane Kitchel said as she exited the building after casting her ballot.
After sanitizing their hands and having their temperatures checked, voters waited six feet apart to enter the gymnasium. There, they were directed to one of 17 voting stations — including one in a separate room to which voters without a mask were directed — where they marked their ballots. Voters exited out a separate door to ensure one-way traffic.
Town clerk Patty Jenks said about 130 people had voted in person as of 8:20 a.m. Over 700 absentee ballots were partially preprocessed yesterday, town moderator Kevin Peterson said, and processing is likely to continue throughout the day as additional absentee votes trickle in. Turnout among Lyme’s roughly 1,600 eligible voters, he added, looks likely to set records both in terms of number of votes and the percentage of eligible voters who cast a ballot.
“There’s been a lot of energy around voting,” he said, citing the “debate and discussion” prompted by this year’s presidential election. Between 20 and 25 people were in line at 7 a.m. when the polls opened, Peterson said, adding that it made the election feel more like a “normal” year despite the number of absentee ballots already cast.
Most voters interviewed said they voted a straight Democratic ticket. One voter, Sean Ross, who said he is a registered Democrat but considers himself independent, voted for former Vice President Joe Biden for president and Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., for Senate, but also voted to reelect Republican Gov. Chris Sununu.
“I have a lot of issues that are important to me in terms of policy,” Ross said, “but I voted on wanting a more unified country in terms of how we treat each other and a more respectful society.”
7:45 a.m.: Hanover’s long poll lines move quickly
Daniel Modesto / The Dartmouth
The line has shortened, with only five people queued up now. Many noted how quickly the line moved and the efficiency of the voting process.
According to Halle Brody ’22, it took her 15 minutes to vote. Along the way, she saw her professor, who was also voting.
“She told us, ‘Please vote.’ We said, ‘That’s why we’re here.’”
7:15 a.m.: 180 people in line as polls open in snowy Hanover
Griselda Chavez / The Dartmouth
Despite the snow and 30 degree weather, long lines have already formed at Leverone Field House, Hanover’s polling station. According to poll worker Sam Farnham ’14, lines began to form at 6 a.m.
When the polls opened at 7 a.m., 180 people were already in line.
First results from midnight voting locations reported
Andrew Sasser / The Dartmouth Staff
In keeping with its tradition of midnight voting, the communities of Dixville Notch and Millsfield, New Hampshire provided the first results of Election Day.
Dixville Notch reported that Democratic candidate Joe Biden won all five of the votes cast, which is the first time a presidential candidate has clinched every vote in the village since 1960. Republican Gov. Chris Sununu, incumbent Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., and incumbent Rep. Annie Kuster, D-N.H., all won four votes, while their respective opponents — Dan Feltes, Bryant “Corky” Messner and Steve Negron — received one vote.
In Millsfield, President Donald Trump received 16 votes, while Joe Biden received five. Sununu won all 22 votes cast for governor. Messner won 15 votes for senator while Shaheen earned seven, and Negron won 17 votes to Kuster’s five.
Hart’s Location, which has also participated in midnight voting in past years, will instead hold voting from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. due to COVID-19.
Daniel Modesto ’24 is the News executive editor. He is from Brooklyn, New York, and is a Native American and Indigenous Studies major modified with Latin American, Latino and Caribbean Studies.
Manasi Singh '24 is from Cincinnati, Ohio. She is majoring in anthropology and politics, philosophy and economics. At The Dartmouth, she wrote for news and Mirror but later transitioned to the business staff. Manasi now serves as the Publisher.
