In New Hampshire’s iconic Dixville Notch, the first six official votes of the presidential election were cast and counted at midnight on Tuesday, resulting in a tie between former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris.
Dixville Notch, known for its midnight voting tradition, has only a few registered voters who participate. In 2016, eight voters cast ballots, while only five voted in 2020. This year, six voters participated, evenly splitting their votes between Harris and Trump, each receiving three.
Though the tie might seem minor, the result marks an improvement for Trump compared to past elections. In 2016, Hillary Clinton won four votes, while Trump received just two, with the remaining two going to Libertarian candidate Gary Johnson and a write-in for Mitt Romney.
Only eight voters participated in the traditional early Election Day voting at Dixville Notch, with nearly as many reporters present to document Hillary Clinton's narrow victory.
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Clinton secured four votes, while Donald Trump received two. Libertarian candidate Gary Johnson garnered one vote, as did write-in candidate Mitt Romney.
Dixville Notch voters have a history of accurately predicting election outcomes in 2000, 2004, and 2008, though they incorrectly favored Romney over Barack Obama in 2012. In 2020, Trump faced a significant setback as Joe Biden swept the vote 5 to 0, marking the first sweep since Nixon's victory in 1960. Unlike Nixon, Biden went on to win the overall election, breaking the historical precedent.
While the tie in Tuesday's vote showed no definitive winner, many on social media viewed it as a potential bad omen for Election Day. Forecasters have suggested that the race could be so close that a clear winner may not emerge on the night of the election.
Vice President Kamala Harris cautioned on Sunday that Americans might face a situation similar to the 2020 election, where the winner was not determined on the night the polls closed.
In a post on X, Harris expressed her confidence in winning the upcoming election but emphasized that “it will take time to count every vote.”
“The margins are going to be close, but our campaign is on track to win this election. Americans all across the country are casting their votes in record numbers, ready to turn the page,” she stated. “It will take time to count every vote, and there may be swings in the count along the way.”
Regardless of whether the election outcome extends into the week, both the Trump and Harris campaigns have urged their supporters to remain in line and cast their votes. As VerifyThis pointed out, voters have a legal right to vote if they are in line when the polls close.
“All of our sources confirm that all eligible voters have a legal right to vote on Election Day as long as they are in line before their polling location’s scheduled closing time. Even if you’re still waiting in line when the polls close, no one can legally turn you away,” it stated.
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