CCTV News Report:

At just past midnight Eastern Time on November 5, voters in the small town of Dixville Notch, New Hampshire, were the first to begin voting, marking the official start of the 60th U.S. presidential election.

The candidates for this presidential election are Democratic candidate and current Vice President Kamala Harris and Republican candidate and former President Donald Trump. U.S. media generally believe that the 2024 election is the most closely contested presidential election in recent years.

This exceptionally tight race highlights the strong polarization in today's American politics and society, with a 34-point gender gap in voting tendencies between men and women. Overall, Harris's campaign is buoyed by the issue of abortion rights and enthusiasm from Democratic voters, while Trump has an advantage on economic and cost-of-living issues. However, polls show that regardless of who wins, 60% of voters believe that American public opinion will continue to be divided. About two-thirds of voters believe that the U.S. is heading in the wrong direction.

This election can be considered the most closely watched and the most expensive election in the history of the United States.