In election that was close to call, it seemed fitting that the first votes cast were evenly divided three for Donald Trump and three for Kamala Harris

The small New Hampshire town of Dixville Notch, known for its tradition dating back to 1960, was the first in the nation to complete in-person voting

Spirited accordion rendition of the national anthem, the town's six voters began casting their ballots at midnight, and by 12.15 am, the vote count was finished

The result closely mirrors the national polling trends, which have shown both candidates vying for a tight race

The US electoral system is based on 538 electoral votes, consisting of 435 seats in the House of Representatives, 100 Senate seats, and 3 electoral votes from Washington, D.C. 

To win the presidency, a candidate must secure at least 270 votes, states are allocated electoral votes based on their population size

California, with 54 electoral votes, has the largest share, followed by Texas with 40 and Florida with 30

Smaller states like North Dakota, South Dakota, Delaware, and Vermont each have a minimum of 3 electoral votes

Polling data indicates a neck-and-neck race between Harris and Trump, with many surveys showing results

Harris holds a slight edge of 1 percentage point over Trump (48% to 46.9%)

Ipsos gives Harris a 49%-46% lead, and AtlasIntel forecasts Trump ahead by 50%-48%