Dixville Notch, a tiny resort town in the state of New Hampshire is known for its longstanding tradition of being the first in the United States to complete in-person voting, marked the start of Election Day with a tied presidential vote of 3-3. This quaint community, which has a population of just six residents, cast their ballots at the stroke of midnight, continuing a practice that dates back to 1960.
The unique voting event attracted attention as both Kamala Harris and Donald Trump received three votes each, reflecting the incredibly close national polls in the White House race. As the clock struck twelve, the gathering of journalists witnessed the moment with excitement, which was accompanied by a spirited rendition of the US national anthem played on an accordion.
New Hampshire's electoral laws allow municipalities with fewer than 100 residents to open polling stations at midnight and close them once all registered voters have fulfilled their civic duty. Dixville Notch's residents voted unanimously for Joe Biden in the 2020 election, making history as only the second candidate to receive all the votes since the tradition began.
As the rest of the country prepared for polling stations to open later in the morning, Dixville Notch’s tied vote highlighted the competitive nature of this election. In a surprising twist earlier this year, the town had also delivered a unanimous victory to Republican candidate Nikki Haley in New Hampshire's primary, although she later exited the race due to Trump's substantial lead. Tuesday's result indicates that three voters opted not to back the billionaire in the general election, maintaining Dixville Notch's reputation for unpredictability in presidential voting outcomes.