First Election Day votes cast: It's a tie in Dixville Notch

Reuters, Getty Images In the final push in the 2012 presidential election, candidates Mitt Romney and Barack Obama make their last appeals to voters. By The Associated Press DIXVILLE NOTCH, N.H. -- Residents of two tiny villages in northern New Hampshire headed to the polls at midnight, casting the first Election Day votes in the nation. After 43 seconds of voting, President Barack Obama and Republican Mitt Romney each had 5 votes in Dixville Notch. In Hart's Location, Obama had won with 23 votes, Romney received 9 and Libertarian Gary Johnson received 1 vote. Thirty-three votes were cast in 5 minutes, 42 seconds. Read more Politics coverage on NBCPolitics.com The towns have been enjoying their first-vote status since 1948 and it's a matter of pride to get everyone to the polls. Hart's Location Selectman Mark Dindorf says you could call it a friendly competition to see who gets votes tallied first, although he says Hart's Location is a town and Dixville Notch is a precinct. NBC's 2012 Election Briefing Book: What you need to know President Obama and Mitt Romney's travel schedules reveal the states that would help them attain the necessary amount of electoral votes to take the White House. NBC's Chuck Todd reports. © 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.