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Election Day 2016 is here. Finally. Vote!

November 8, 2016

Nov. 8. Election Day 2016. Blessed relief, at least from one of the most divisive campaigns for the White House in modern memory.

Vote here sign_voters standing in line

N.H. earliest votes: Three small communities in rural New Hampshire, as is tradition every four years, cast the first 2016 presidential ballots of the day just after midnight Eastern Time. Under state law, towns with fewer than 100 voters can open voting locations at midnight and close them as soon as all registered voters have cast their ballots.

Dixville Notch voters opted for Hillary Clinton over Donald Trump 4-2. Libertarian Gary Johnson got one vote. Clinton also won in Hart's Location, taking 17 votes to Trump's 14, with Johnson getting three.

Meanwhile, Millsfield is Trump country. The Republican nominee won that N.H. hamlet 16-4, with Bernie Sanders getting one write-in vote.

The combined very early Granite State tally gives Trump the edge 32-25.

Now it's up to the rest of America's voters who weren't among the more than 46 million early voters in 28 states and the District of Columbia.

Tax matters to decide: If you've made your ballot decisions, great. Get to your polling place today. If you need help finding it, the Voting Information Project, HeadCount, Rock the Vote (yes, it's still around) or the ubiquitous Google with its special voting place search can help.

If, however, you're still making up your mind and some tax info could help you decide — you are at a tax blog after all — then the ol' blog has some items you might find useful.

No, sorry, we still don't have Donald Trump's tax returns. If he doesn't win tonight, we'll never get a glimpse of the Republican candidate's 1040s. 

We do have, though, 30 years of Hillary Clinton tax returns, as well as a decade of filings from her Democratic running mate, Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine. Trump's VP, Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, also shared a decade's worth of his taxes.

You also can see what Trump and Clinton had to say about their taxes, sort of, during their three televised debates, the final of which took a "nasty" turn. There also was the lone head-to-head by the Kaine and Pence.

State measures, too: And don't forget about more local election concerns. In addition to U.S. House and Senate candidates, 154 statewide ballot measures will be decided today.

My previous post on some of the key tax-related initiatives, which range from marijuana and tobacco taxes to ground-breaking climate change and sales tax questions, includes an interactive map you can use to find details on ballot questions in your area.

Selfie or not: Finally, all y'all voting today deserve credit. And I know many of you will want to mark this Election Day with, what else, a selfie. 

Before you snap that smartphone photo, make sure it's legal. In some states, selfies of yourself in the voting booth or of your marked ballot are deemed an activity "that threatens the orderly process of voting or the privacy of another voter's ballot" and are prohibited.

The Associated Press has details on where you can and can't say "cheese" at your polling place.

Yeah, there's a lot to be decided today. And it's all important.

So do your final voting review and get to your polling place!

You also might find these items of interest:

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The More Tax Posts tab at the top of this page will take you to, well, more tax posts. You also can search below for a tax topic. 

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TAX-SAVVY WAYS 
TO WRAP UP 2026

It’s over! With October’s extended filing deadline behind us, it is now time to focus on year-end moves to reduce your 2026 tax bill. 

You’ll find ways to do just that on the Tax Tips page (see the More Tax Posts drop-down menu at the top of the blog), as well as the separate tax tip pages for each month, notably October through December. If you’re on the Tax Tips page, you’ll find a monthly list at the end of this column. If you’re on another blog page, you can head straight to the October tips; at the bottom of that tips page you’ll find links to all the other 11 months’ collections of tax advice.

Not to spoil what you’ll find in that tax advice, but it does cover such things as tax deductions for charitable donations, investment moves that could reduce tax due, and ways to max out your tax-favored retirement savings. 

Finally, as the year winds down, things get hectic. There are lots of other things to occupy our time, like the much more fun upcoming holidays. But don’t lose sight of taxes, since timing is key. To be of use, most tax moves must be made by the end of the tax year. That’s Thursday, Dec. 31, which also is the last business day of the year. 

So that you don’t miss that final tax year deadline, also keep an eye on the countdown clock below. It will keep you on top of just how much time is left to make important, tax-saving moves. (Note: I’m in the Central Time Zone, so adjust accordingly for where you live.)

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