Primary voting starts at midnight with only five voters in Dixville Notch, New Hampshire
In Dixville Notch, a tiny town in New Hampshire, voting for Tuesday's primary starts at midnight. But this year, the tradition almost didn't happen because there simply weren't enough voters.
"In Dixville, we take advantage of some quirks in the New Hampshire laws that allow us to open the polls at midnight," town moderator Tom Tillotson told CBS News correspondent Nikole Killion. Two other towns in the state also open polls at midnight each year.
But this year, Dixville was down to only four voters.
Then developer Les Otten offered to move back.
"The town moderator's saying, 'You might be the fifth. We need you," Otten said.
Otten added that "Dixville voting at midnight is to New Hampshire what snow is to skiing," Otten said.
Past presidents, including Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, as well as presidential candidates like John McCain, have campaigned in the town.
Asked why it's important for the candidates to come here to Dixville Notch, Tillotson said, "In retail campaigning, anything, I guess you can do to get an edge."
Colorado Senator Michael Bennet is the only candidate in the current presidential field who has visited.
"Does it make a difference though to have that presence just to press the flesh, take a photo?" Killion asked.
"It does make a difference, but again I think we are getting a good feeling of who the candidates are. We would love to see them, but I think we can carry on our tradition without them being here," Otten said.
Neither Tillotson nor Otten would say who they plan to vote for.
