Donald Trump has fought hard this election cycle. And he’s already reaping the benefits.
Because Trump has earned an election victory as votes from this crucial state have already been tallied.
In the tiny New Hampshire community of Dixville Notch, six voters kicked off Election Day by casting their ballots at midnight, in line with a long-standing tradition.
As the first official votes of the day were tallied, the result was an even split between former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris, each securing three votes.
Dixville Notch has maintained this midnight voting custom for years, with only a small number of participants each election cycle.
In 2016, eight residents took part, while in 2020, just five voters made it to the polls. This year, six voters weighed in, marking a 50/50 division between the two prominent candidates.
Although the numbers in this small community may seem negligible, the result carried some significance for Trump, who showed a slight improvement in Dixville Notch over his previous performances.
In 2016, Trump won only two of the community’s votes, while Democrat Hillary Clinton took four, and the remaining votes went to Libertarian candidate Gary Johnson and a write-in for Mitt Romney.
At the time, as Breitbart News reported, “Only eight voters turned up for the traditional early Election Day vote. Almost as many reporters were on hand to record Clinton’s narrow victory. The Democrat picked up four votes. Republican Donald Trump got two. Libertarian Gary Johnson earned one vote, as did write-in candidate Mitt Romney.”
Despite the local win for Clinton, Dixville Notch correctly called the national election outcome in 2000, 2004, and 2008, although it missed the mark in 2012, favoring Romney over President Barack Obama.
The 2020 election saw a clear loss for Trump in Dixville Notch, where Joe Biden swept all five votes, a clean sweep not seen since Richard Nixon took the town’s ballots in 1960. Unlike Nixon, however, Biden went on to win the general election, breaking a potential trend.
The split in Dixville Notch this year has fueled conversations on social media, with some interpreting the tie as a sign of an extraordinarily tight race nationwide.
Polling experts and forecasters have already suggested that the 2024 election could be so close that a winner may not emerge immediately on election night.
Dixville Notch ties 3-3. Poetic. Foreboding. Perfect. It's going to be a long day, folks. Get some rest. pic.twitter.com/ygeRIeHa8I
— Brandon Wall (@Walldo) November 5, 2024
Anticipating a prolonged count, Vice President Kamala Harris spoke to her supporters on Sunday, drawing comparisons to the drawn-out 2020 election process. In a post on X, she acknowledged the possibility of delays, cautioning Americans that it “will take time to count every vote.”
Harris remained confident in her chances but noted, “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 wrote. “It will take time to count every vote, and there may be swings in the count along the way.”
Both the Trump and Harris campaigns are urging their supporters to remain patient and committed. Polling experts and legal analysts have reiterated that voters are entitled to vote as long as they are in line before the official closing time of the polls.
As VerifyThis affirmed, “All of our sources say all eligible voters have a legal right to vote on Election Day once they’re in line. As long as you get in line before your polling location’s scheduled closing time, you are guaranteed the right to cast your ballot. Even if you’re still waiting in line come closing time, no one can legally turn you away.”
As election night progresses, all eyes will remain on key precincts and critical states where the final tally could be razor-thin. The midnight votes in Dixville Notch have provided an intriguing start to a high-stakes day, one that might indeed take time to declare a decisive outcome.
Stay tuned to The Federalist Wire.
