9 8 ▁– ▁ 1 7 ▁October ▁ 2 0 0 1 ), ▁who ▁was ▁tradition ally ▁the ▁first ▁vot er ; ▁he ▁would ▁reported ly ▁hold ▁his ▁ball ot ▁over ▁the ▁ball ot ▁box ▁while ▁watching ▁his ▁w rist watch . ▁At ▁the ▁moment ▁of ▁mid night , ▁Till ot son ▁would ▁drop ▁the ▁ball ot ▁into ▁the ▁ball ot ▁box ▁and ▁the ▁rest ▁of ▁the ▁town ' s ▁residents ▁would ▁follow ▁suit . ▁Since ▁Till ot son ' s ▁death ▁from ▁p neum onia ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 1 ▁at ▁the ▁age ▁of ▁ 1 0 2 , ▁the ▁first ▁vot er ▁has ▁been ▁chosen ▁by ▁random ▁ball ot ▁before hand . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁president ial ▁election ▁of ▁November ▁ 2 , ▁ 2 0 0 4 , ▁the ▁village ▁had ▁ 2 6 ▁registered ▁vot ers , ▁roughly ▁half ▁of ▁whom ▁were ▁registered ▁Republican ; ▁the ▁other ▁half ▁were ▁registered ▁" und ec la red ", ▁i . e ., ▁una ff ili ated ▁with ▁a ▁party . ▁New ▁Ham pshire ▁law , ▁though , ▁allows ▁a ▁vot er ▁to ▁declare ▁or ▁change ▁a ▁party ▁affili ation ▁upon ▁arriv ing ▁at ▁the ▁pol ling ▁place , ▁so ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁independent ▁vot ers ▁vote ▁in ▁the ▁Democratic ▁party ▁primary . ▁ ▁The ▁votes ▁are ▁counted ▁immediately ▁after ▁all ▁are ▁received ; ▁the ▁D ix ville ▁Not ch ▁results ▁of ▁the ▁primary ▁( and ▁now ▁the ▁Hart ' s ▁Location ▁ones ▁as ▁well ) ▁often ▁lead ▁morning ▁news ▁programs