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N.H. primary polls open: Kasich, Sanders get early leads

By Shawn Price
Ohio Gov. John Kasich and Sen. Bernie Sanders took early leads in their parties' New Hampshire primaries after midnight votes in the northern village of Dixville Notch. Photo by Matthew Healey/UPI
1 of 2 | Ohio Gov. John Kasich and Sen. Bernie Sanders took early leads in their parties' New Hampshire primaries after midnight votes in the northern village of Dixville Notch. Photo by Matthew Healey/UPI | License Photo

DIXVILLE NOTCH, N.H., Feb. 9 (UPI) -- The polls in New Hampshire opened at midnight Tuesday morning and Ohio Gov. John Kasich and Sen. Bernie Sanders quickly picked up the victory in the tiny village of Dixville Notch and its total of nine votes.

Kasich took the Republican vote over billionaire Donald Trump, 3-2, and Sen. Sanders, D-Vt., swept all four Democratic votes.

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The longstanding tradition of midnight polling in the small towns of Dixville Notch, Hart's Location, and Millsfield are given somewhat oversized importance due to the area's ability to often predict how their parties eventually will go.

Then-Texas Gov. George W. Bush won Dixville Notch in 2000. Then-Sen. Barack Obama won in 2008. As did Sen. John McCain. In 2012, former Gov. Mitt Romney won in a tie with former Gov. Jon Huntsman.

The Kasich campaign said the governor reached out to all nine voters during his travels there.

The three mountain villages in northern New Hampshire get to be the first tallied votes almost a full day ahead of the rest of their state. The victors get at least a temporary boost as other voters head to the polls.

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In nearby Millsfield, Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas won the GOP tally 9-3 over Trump, and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton edged out Sanders 2-1.

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