The first ballot has been cast in the United States for the 2024 Presidential elections in the small township of Dixville Notch, New Hampshire. This community has a long-standing tradition of being the first to cast votes as the country prepares for elections on November 5 and 6.
Dixville Notch, located along the US-Canada border at the northern tip of New Hampshire, opened and closed its polls just after midnight Eastern Time. This tradition dates back to 1960, according to CNN.
In this year’s voting, Dixville Notch recorded a split decision, with three votes for Vice President Kamala Harris and three votes for former President Donald Trump. This result aligns with national polling trends predicted for both candidates.
The United States uses an Electoral College system to elect its President. There are a total of 538 electoral votes, which include 435 House of Representatives seats, 100 Senate seats, and 3 seats from Washington DC. A candidate must secure at least 270 votes to win the presidency. California has the most electoral votes with 54, followed by Texas with 40 and Florida with 30. In contrast, states like North Dakota, South Dakota, Delaware, and Vermont each have a minimum of 3 electoral votes.
Both Harris and Trump are facing intense competition in swing states. These seven battleground states—Nevada (6), Arizona (11), North Carolina (16), Georgia (16), Wisconsin (10), Michigan (15), and Pennsylvania (19)—are crucial as they do not follow fixed trends and can significantly influence the election outcome.
The race is primarily between the Democratic and Republican parties, despite the presence of other parties. Kamala Harris represents the incumbent Democrats and aims to make history as the first female President of the United States, as well as the first President of Indian origin. Conversely, Donald Trump, the Republican candidate, seeks a historic comeback after his contentious departure from the White House in 2020. If successful, he would be the first president to serve two non-consecutive terms in over a century.
Most polls indicate a very tight race between Trump and Harris, with margins projected within the error range. According to national polls compiled by the ‘FiveThirtyEight’ platform of ABC News, Harris holds a slight lead with 48% compared to Trump’s 46.9%. NBC News and Emerson College report a tie at 49% for both candidates. Ipsos shows Harris with a three-point lead (49%-46%), while AtlasIntel gives Trump a two-point lead (50%-48%).
Polling hours will vary across states, but most locations will be open for voting between 6 AM and 8 PM local time on Tuesday. Exit polls will begin as soon as voting starts, but final results will be announced after counting is completed in all states.
The first polls will close around 7 PM ET (5:30 AM IST) in six states, including Georgia. The last polls will close at midnight ET (10:30 AM IST) in Hawaii and Alaska. Counting will start after the total votes close at 1 PM ET (11:30 AM IST). While results in smaller states may be projected quickly, key battleground states may take hours to declare a winner.
