The midnight voting tradition began as a way to accommodate rail workers who had to start their shifts before the polls opened

By tradition, all eligible voters gather at the now-dormant Balsams Hotel in Dixville Notch to cast their secret ballots once polls open at midnight.'

The tradition of midnight voting started in Dixville Notch in 1960 after town moderator Neil Tillotson campaigned for the New Hampshire Legislature to recognize the town as a stand-alone voting precinct.

In a tradition dating back to 1960, residents of Dixville Notch, New Hampshire, cast their ballots at the stroke of midnight (05:00 GMT). The remote, unincorporated resort town opened its polling station several hours ahead of much of the country,