Voters in Dixville Notch favored Barack Obama over his Republican rival, John McCain, 15 to 6, in the first ballots cast in the 2008 Presidential election early on Tuesday.

The town's 21 registered voters came out in cold weather to carry on the tradition of casting the nation's first votes just after midnight. When the results were announced, the ballot room at Balsams hotel was resounding with thunderous applause.

Dixville Notch, in northern New Hampshire, incorporated just for voting purposes and has been casting the first ballots since 1960.

Hart's Location, a small town in New Hampshire, also shares Dixville Notch's enviable status of being one of the first places to cast votes in the elections.

Andrew Bergh, a student at universisty of Franklin Pierce, said Tuesday’s election result at Dixville Notcch is unexpected because this palace is Republicans' area. The result may be an indicator for Obama's victory.

Before the voting, Tillotson Thomas, the Moderator of the polling told Xinhua that according to media reports and Gallop polls, Obama is likely to win nationally, but it is still hard to say, because anything could happen till the last minute.

When asked about the racial issue, Thomas said, the problem is still there, racial prejudice sometime could impact the democratic process in the United States.

Uwe Roggenthien, General manager of Balsams Hotel, told Xinhua that the election situation seems in favoer of democrats because of the economic recession. He said, some people believe that the recession is brought by the Republicans, and they want changes.

But he said, "people will vote for what is right, what is best for the country, and what is best for the future."

Lucy, a clerk at the hotel, said that she is going to vote for Obama, because she backs Obama's values and believes he can bring changes to America, especially for economy.

On Tuesday, the registered voters all over the United States begin to elect their next president and vice president for the next four-year term.

Voting across the continental United States will begin between 8:00 and 11:00 a.m. EST (1300 and 1600 GMT). Alaska and Hawaii will be the last two states to join in, with voting to begin at 1600 GMT and 1700 GMT respectively.

The presidential election this year is unique in the sense that for the first time in the American history an African American is the presidential candidate. Besides, for the first time two sitting senators will be contesting against each other.

Whosoever finally wins the presidential race, history will be made in the United States. If Obama wins, he will be the first African American to become the U.S. president and his vice-presidential running mate Joe Biden would be the first Roman Catholic vice president.

On the other hand, if McCain wins he will be having for the first time a female vice president, also the first one in American history. Moreover, McCain would be the oldest president.

As per the U.S. constitution, the president is the head of both the state and the government, and the commander-in-chief of the armed forces of the United States. The presidency in the U.S. is the highest political office due to its influence and prestige.