President Obama and Republican Mitt Romney evenly split the vote in Dixville Notch, N.H., the village near the Canadian border famous for its midnight vote that is traditionally thought to predict the eventual winner of the election.
But on Tuesday night, five residents chose Obama and five selected Romney, suggesting, as the polls have for weeks, that Tuesday's contest could go right down to the wire. It was the first time in the history of the town's early vote that the candidates evenly split the vote.
The town's tradition was popularized on the television show "The West Wing," but in actuality, Dixville voters have only picked the winner successfully seven out of the past 13 elections, dating back to 1960. Still, Dixville has forecast the last three elections correctly. In 2008, President Obama won the precinct 15-6.
In down-ballot voting, Rep. Charlie Bass (R-N.H.) took six votes to three for Democrat Ann McLane Kuster. The 10th voter selected an independent candidate. Republican Ovide Lamontagne took seven votes to Democrat Maggie Hassan's three in the governor's race.
