'Not ready to lose again'; Kamala Harris and Donald Trump neck and neck in early election results

WASHINGTON DC: As the first results of the U.S. presidential election begin to emerge, attention turns to the tiny village of Dixville Notch in northern New Hampshire, where polling commenced at 10:30 AM (midnight Eastern Time). In an unexpected twist, the village’s six total voters split their support evenly, with three casting their ballots for Kamala Harris and three for Donald Trump.

New Hampshire law permits municipalities with populations under 100 to conduct voting at midnight. In 2020, Dixville Notch favored Joe Biden, as all five voters supported the Democratic candidate. Today’s polling in Dixville Notch is just the beginning of a complex electoral process. Voting across the country started at 4:30 PM Indian Standard Time and will continue until 9:30 AM tomorrow (11:30 AM in Alaska), with different states closing polls at various times due to time zone differences. Vote counting will commence immediately after polling ends, with results from the eastern states expected to be released first.

Current opinion polls suggest a close contest, with Trump, the Republican candidate, holding a slight edge in predictions. However, prominent election forecaster Alan Lichtman has provided hope for the Democratic camp, asserting that Kamala Harris has a strong chance of securing victory.

In a statement reflecting on the high stakes of the election, Trump warned of potential legal actions should he lose to Harris. His reluctance to accept defeat was evident in the aftermath of the 2020 election when he contested the results against Biden.