New Hampshire primary kicks off at small town

BEDFORD, New Hampshire, Jan. 8 (Xinhua) -- The New Hampshire 2008 presidential primary, the nation's first this year, kicked off in the wee hours of Tuesday at Dixville Notch, a small town in the United States.

No more than 10 minutes later, local officials announced that Democratic candidate Barack Obama took a lead with seven votes, followed by John Edwards with two. Hillary Rodham Clinton pocketed no vote.

In the Republican side, John McCain led Mitt Romney four to two and Rudy Giuliani brought home only one vote.

For most voters in the state, primary will start around 6:00 a.m. and the final result is expected to be announced in the evening.