Trump and Harris tie in the first town to vote in the U.S

In the small town of Dixville Notch, New Hampshire, known for kicking off the electoral day in the United States since 1960, the first voters have recorded an unexpected outcome: a tie between former president and current Republican candidate Donald Trump and his Democratic opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris.

Each received three votes out of the six cast at midnight, a result that, according to EFE, highlights the high competitiveness of this electoral contest.

The historic tradition of Dixville Notch, a small community located in the northeast of the country, dictates that its residents are the first to cast their votes. This event is symbolic and often reflects, at times, the national trend in results.

In 2020, President Joe Biden achieved a resounding victory in this locality with a five to zero vote, mirroring the outcome of the presidential elections nationwide. However, the tie recorded this time between Trump and Harris seems to foreshadow what many national polls suggest: a tight and contested race in several key states.

Voting begins across the country.

While Dixville Notch symbolically kicked off the elections, the rest of the country is preparing for a decisive day.

As the East Coast of the United States wakes up, polling stations open their doors between 6:00 and 8:00 AM (local time), allowing citizens to exercise their right to vote until the scheduled closing time between 7:00 and 9:00 PM.

With more than 538 electoral votes at stake, the winner will need at least 270 to be declared President of the United States.

Although many Americans have already voted early by mail or at early voting centers, the majority of ballots are expected to be cast today.

In recent days, the campaign has focused on seven key states: Georgia, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Wisconsin, Michigan, Arizona, and Nevada. These territories, known as "swing states," have been the battleground for an intense contest between both candidates, marked by significant investments in advertising and visits.

An uncertain outcome

Although the polling places will close today, the vote counting may be a lengthy process, especially if the margins are tight.

Initial projections will begin to be released tonight, but a tie or a narrow lead in key states could postpone the announcement of the winner until final counts are completed.

The polarization in this election, coupled with Biden's decision to not seek a second term and the emergence of Kamala Harris as the Democratic candidate, has turned this race into one of the most controversial in recent U.S. history.

With the eyes of the world on the United States, the outcome of this election will not only determine the next president of the country but also the future of a deeply divided nation facing unprecedented internal and external challenges. Tonight's result will mark a historic moment for the country and its role on the international stage.

The significance of Dixville Notch, a town with four registered voters.

Dixville Notch, along with the communities of Hart's Location and Millsfield in New Hampshire, is known for starting a very unique tradition in the American electoral process: midnight voting.

In these locations, voters cast their ballots at the start of Election Day, a practice that has become a symbol of democracy in the United States and draws national and international attention with each electoral cycle.

This midnight voting tradition began in 1948 in Hart's Location, where residents initially voted at 7:00 a.m. The voting was moved to midnight in 1952 to provide greater flexibility for railway workers, who needed to be at their posts before the regular opening of the polls.

In Dixville Notch, the tradition was officially established in 1960 and has continued ever since. This community has a very small population (currently four, according to the census office), allowing voters to cast their ballots in just a few minutes and the polls to close once all registered voters have voted.

Thanks to a legal provision in New Hampshire, the results can be announced immediately, making Dixville Notch and its neighboring towns the first to report their results to the world.

Historically, Dixville Notch has been a moderate predictor of the final winner of the Republican presidential nomination, correctly identifying the outcome from 1968 to 2012. However, the tradition in these towns has not always mirrored the national result.

In 2024, due to renovations at their usual polling place, the election took place in the Tillotson Room at the Balsams Resort, an iconic facility linked to the electoral history of the region since Neil Tillotson, who introduced this practice in Dixville Notch, cast the first vote in each U.S. presidential election until his death in 2001.

This unique tradition continues to serve as a testament to the commitment of these small communities to democracy and symbolically marks the beginning of each electoral day in the United States.