A little village on the US-Canada border gives Nikki Haley an early advantage before their meeting with President Trump

On Tuesday, voters in Dixville Notch, a small community with only six registered voters, began the New Hampshire presidential primary, giving Nikki Haley an unexpected early lead.

After a ten-minute midnight voting and count, front-runner Donald Trump received zero votes, while Haley, his lone challenger in the Republican Party’s nomination contest, received six.

Since 1960, the little town in the northeast, tucked away in the heart of the forest and close to the Canadian border, has been known for casting the “first in the nation” votes in both the primaries and the actual presidential election.

According to New Hampshire’s election regulations, towns with less than 100 inhabitants are permitted to open their polling places at midnight and shut them once all registered voters have completed their civic obligations.

On Tuesday, the majority of voting places in New Hampshire will open from 6:00 am (1100 GMT) until 8:00 am.

The national song was sung to begin the voting process in Dixville Notch by an accordionist wearing a sparkling red blouse, while people’s dogs strolled about the polling place sniffing at voters. It was a laid-back mood.

The six registered voters took their votes one by one from the election authorities who were sitting at a table, went behind a curtain into a booth to mark their ballots, and then emerged again to deposit them in a box.

According to polls, Trump is expected to easily defeat Haley, putting him in a strong position to win the nomination and force a rematch with Joe Biden in the 2020 presidential contest.

Following Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’ withdrawal over the weekend, Haley, a former governor of South Carolina, is the only contender remaining.