Politics

This race is real bellwether for a number of reasons: the district itself demographically perfectly balanced between liberal and conservative voters, both candidates have held the seat before meaning they are more-or-less on equal footing in terms of name recognition, and both are party stalwarts have voted with their partys’ leadership high in 90th the percentile.

Polling stations in Nashua opened at 6 AM this morning. And many stood patiently long before the sun appeared.

With temperatures hovering around 30 degrees, at least 150 voters wrapped around the Amherst Street School building before dawn.

Arthur Barrett is the town’s moderator.

He says by around 10 AM, almost 1500 had already cast their ballots.

He compares this turnout to that of 2008:

Record numbers of voters lined up this morning at the polls in Nashua.

Priscilla Betses of Nashua is in her late 70s and has been voting she was 18.

That’s a lot of election cycles. But she says this one stands out.

It’s too negative. They’re spending an awful lot of money of advertising. I’ll be happy when it’s over. Too many robo-calls and TV and the whole bit.

Octogenarian Liona Wilson has voted since before World War II and shares similar concerns:

In the towns of Dalton and Whitefield in Coos County voting was heavy Tuesday morning.

Dalton Town Moderator Ann Craxton seemed quite pleased with the way things were going.

“The turnout for us has been very heavy. We have 540 registered voters. We have more than 50 that voting absentee and here by 10 o’clock in the morning we’ve already had 80 come through the polls.

Beyond that Craxton says the voters are an eager and happy bunch.

With voting underway the first reports from the North Country indicate a strong turnout.

From right after the polls opened voting in Littleton was so heavy that parking became a problem, says Police Captain Chris Tyler.

“By 8’o’clock there was full capacity. The sides streets started filling up.”

By about 9:30 police had three people directing traffic.

Inside, voting booths were consistently full.

Gerald Winn is the town moderator.

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