Hillary Clinton calls voting for herself a 'most humbling feeling'

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Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton says that she'll do her very best for the country if she's fortunate enough to win the election on Tuesday. (Nov. 8) AP

Hillary Clinton greets supporters after casting her vote in Chappaqua, N.Y., on Nov. 8, 2016. (Photo: Eduardo Munoz Alvarez, AFP/Getty Images)

NEW YORK — Hillary Clinton concluded a presidential campaign that began in the spring of 2015 by casting a ballot for herself Tuesday, which she described as a "most humbling feeling."

“I’ll do the very best I can if I’m fortunate enough to win today," Clinton told reporters after voting in Chappaqua, N.Y.

Later Tuesday night, Clinton will appear at an election night party at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York City.

In the final hours of Clinton’s historic bid to become the first female U.S. president, the Democratic nominee began the equivalent of a national therapy program to heal the nation, which may be needed after the nastiest and most divisive campaign in modern history.

In last-minute stops across Pennsylvania and Michigan on Monday, states her Republican challenger Donald Trump hopes will pave his path to victory, Clinton underscored the need for Americans to put aside anger — and even hate — that's defined an election dividing Americans along racial, class and gender lines.

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In a sign of confidence, Clinton even began to talk about the road forward at her final rally in North Carolina in the early morning hours Tuesday. "This election will end, but our work together will be just beginning,” Clinton told a gymnasium of about 6,000 at North Carolina State University in Raleigh.

In an interview with a New Hampshire radio station, Clinton was asked how she'd hope to be remembered if elected. "I hope to be remembered as someone who began to help heal our country, to overcome the divide, the very unfortunate feeling that a lot of people have that this election was very much filled with nastiness and negativity," she said.

Clinton’s effort to deliver a more unifying message began far later than she’d originally intended. Her campaign has spent the past couple weeks aggressively highlighting Trump’s negatives rather than her own aspirations for the future of the country.

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However, late Sunday, after FBI Director James Comey notified Congress that a recently announced review of new emails related to the investigation of Clinton's private server had not changed the bureau's recommendation that no criminal charges should be filed, her rhetoric shifted to a more optimistic note.

In her visit to the western side of Michigan on Monday, home to a higher concentration of registered Republicans, Clinton also attempted to highlight her crossover appeal. She told supporters that she did an internship with the House Republican Conference after her junior year in college, a line that is not part of her normal stump speech.

“So many Republicans have spoken out to endorse me and support me and have taken very courageous stands against the nominee of their own party because they believe that we must put country ahead of party when it comes to this election,” she said.

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Prominent surrogates have also emphasized the history-making potential of Clinton's candidacy in recent days. In Philadelphia on Monday night, first lady Michelle Obama told more than 30,000 supporters that their votes could help Clinton "break the highest, hardest glass ceiling and become our president."

Meredith Conroy, an assistant professor of gender and politics at California State University, has predicted this year's election may expose the biggest gender gap since the term was coined.

“We will see a gender gap like none we have witnessed in American history,” she said in a release sent out by the Center for American Women and Politics.

More election coverage from USA TODAY:

• How to make sense of what's happening as polls close
• Plot Trump's or Clinton's path to 270 electoral votes
• See the latest national and state presidential polling averages
• Check out poll closing times in each state
• Candidate info and ratings for all races

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Hillary Clinton: 75 moments

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Hillary Rodham Clinton is shown in her 1965 senior class high school portrait.  AP

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Bill Clinton, then the Arkansas attorney general, announces his candidacy for governor on Feb. 2, 1978, as Hillary looks on.  AP

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The Clintons pose with a one-week-old Chelsea for a family picture on March 5, 1980.  Donald R. Broyles, AP

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The Clintons wave to supporters during a campaign rally in St. Louis on July 22, 1992.  Greg Gibson, AP

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The Clintons embrace after the final presidential debate on Oct. 19, 1992, two weeks before the election.  J. David Ake, AFP/Getty Images

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Bill and Hillary Clinton joke with vice presidential candidate Al Gore and his wife, Tipper, during a brief rest on their bus in Durham, N.C., on Oct. 26, 1992.  Stephan Savoia, AP

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Bill Clinton reaches into a crowd of supporters after his presidential victory as Hillary Clinton and Tipper Gore cheer at the Old State House in Little Rock, Ark., on Nov. 3, 1992.  J. Scott Applewhite, AP

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Bill Clinton shows off a sign for his Oval Office desk during a sendoff for the future first family at the airport in Little Rock, Ark., on Jan. 16, 1993.  Danny Johnston, AP

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The Clintons take part in the inaugural parade on Jan. 20, 1993.  USA TODAY

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Clinton greets pupils at P.S. 115 in the Washington Heights section of New York on Jan. 26, 1993, her first trip as first lady. One child said, "She's tall. She's pretty. She's wonderful and I think she's powerful."  Richard Drew, AP

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Clinton gestures while testifying on Capitol Hill on Sept. 30, 1993, before the Senate Finance Committee, which was holding hearings on health care reform. Earlier that year, she was tapped by President Clinton to head the task force charged with crafting the administration's health care proposal.  John Duricka, AP

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The Clintons talk at a ceremony on the White House South Lawn for the school-to-work bill on May 4, 1994.  Rick T. Wilking, Reuters

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Clinton talks with children as she arrives at the Union Building for the inaugural ceremony of Nelson Mandela on May 10, 1994.  Christine Grunnet, Reuters

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Five former first ladies pose at the National Garden Gala in Washington on May 11, 1994. From left are Lady Bird Johnson, Betty Ford, Rosalynn Carter, Nancy Reagan, Barbara Bush and Clinton.  Wilfredo Lee, AP

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President Clinton, first lady Hillary Clinton and Pope John Paul II at the Vatican on June 2, 1994.  Pool/AFP

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Clinton is greeted by participants in the 41st National Convention of the League of Women Voters on June 14, 1994, in Washington, where she spoke to the group about health care reform.  Charles Tasnadi, AP

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Clinton talks to Health and Human Services Secretary Donna Shalala during a health care rally on June 29, 1994, in Washington. In September, Majority Leader George Mitchell, D-Maine, announces that there is not enough support to pass a health care reform bill in the Senate, effectively ending Clinton's bid to pass the measure unveiled a year earlier.  Charles Tasnadi, AP

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The Clintons appear at a ceremony at the Jackson Lake Lodge in the Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming on Aug. 26, 1995, marking the 75th anniversary of woman's suffrage in the U.S.  Luke Frazza, AFP

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Hillary Clinton shares a light moment with Britain's Queen Elizabeth in the Grand Entrance Hall of Buckingham Palace on Nov. 29, 1995.  John Stillwell, AP

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Clinton gets a look at a gingerbread model of her childhood home in Park Ridge, Ill., on Dec. 4, 1995.  Matt Mendelsohn, USA TODAY

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First lady Hillary Clinton shakes hands with members of land mine detecting teams at the "Alicia" U.S. Army Base as her daughter, Chelsea, looks on near Tuzla, Bosnia, on March 25, 1996.  Doug Mills, AP

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Phil Donahue takes questions from the audience as Clinton autographs a copy of her book, "It Takes A Village: And Other Lessons Children Teach Us," during a taping of Donahue s show in New York on March 6, 1996.  Ed Bailey, AP

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Clinton waves during her sound check on Aug. 27, 1996, at Chicago's United Center, site of the Democratic National Convention.  Ed Reinke, AP

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The first family waves during an election night rally in Little Rock, Ark., on Nov. 5, 1996, celebrating Bill Clinton's re-election to a second term.  Greg Gibson, AP

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The first family walks down Pennsylvania Avenue during the inaugural parade on Jan. 20, 1997.  H. Darr Beiser, USA TODAY

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Clinton and Secretary of State Madeleine Albright share the stage at the State Department on March 12, 1997, during a ceremony commemorating International Women's Day.  State Department

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First lady Hillary Clinton stands with President Clinton during a presentation on new child care initiatives on Jan. 26, 1998. At the end of the presentation, the president strongly denied any sexual relationship with Monica Lewinsky in a statement made in the Roosevelt Room of the White House.  Tim Dillon, USA TODAY

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The first family walks with their dog, Buddy, to board Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House on Aug. 18, 1998. They were headed to Martha's Vineyard for a two-week vacation after the president confessed to a relationship with Lewinsky.  J. Scott Applewhite, AP

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Clinton poses for a photo during a Vogue magazine shoot on a balcony of the White House on Oct. 21, 1998.  AP/Vogue, Annie Leibovitz

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First lady Hillary Clinton looks on as President Bill Clinton makes a statement at the White House on Dec. 19, 1998, thanking Democratic House members who voted against impeachment and vowing to complete his term. The president would be acquitted by the Senate in February.  Susan Walsh, AP

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President Clinton is saluted by a Marine honor guard as he and first lady Hillary Clinton step off of Marine One as they arrive in Littleton, Colo., on May 20, 1999, to meet with family members of the victims of the Columbine High School shooting.  Ed Andrieski, AP

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Clinton tries on her new New York Yankees hat as she stands next to Yankees owner George Steinbrenner during an event honoring the 1998 World Series champions on the South Lawn of the White House on June 10, 1999.  Susan Walsh, AP

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Clinton formally announces her campaign for the U.S. Senate on Feb. 6, 2000, in Purchase, N.Y.  Kathy Willens, AP

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Clinton is greeted on stage by female senators before she spoke to the delegates at the Democratic National Convention on Aug. 14, 2000.  Tim Dillon, USA TODAY

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Senate candidate Hillary Clinton responds to a reporter's question regarding soft money following a campaign appearance on Sept. 23, 2000, in New York.  Lynsey Addario, AP

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Hillary Clinton, left, celebrates with President Bill Clinton and their daughter, Chelsea, during her Senate victory rally in New York on Nov. 7, 2000. She defeated Republican Rep. Rick Lazio to become the first presidential spouse elected to Congress.  Ron Edmonds, AP

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Sen. Hillary Clinton poses for a ceremonial swearing-in photo in the old Senate chamber with Vice President Al Gore, President Clinton and daughter Chelsea on Jan. 3, 2001.  Tim Dillon, USA TODAY

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Sen. Clinton asks for questions from attendees at a __news conference in which she proposed changes to the Sept. 11 Victim Compensation Fund rules on Jan. 13, 2002, in New York, as victims' families listen from the stage.  Kathy Willens, AP

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Clinton autographs copies of "Living History" at the Barnes & Noble bookstore in New York's Rockefeller Center on June 9, 2003  Mary Altaffer, AP

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Bill and Hillary Clinton laugh at remarks made by former president Jimmy Carter during the inauguration ceremony of the Clinton Presidential Center in Little Rock, Ark., on Nov. 18, 2004.  Roberto Schmidt, AFP

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Sen. Clinton attends a Senate Armed Forces Committee hearing on the progress in the war in Iraq on June 23, 2005. Her 2002 vote in favor of a resolution authorizing President Bush to use force would become a hot-button issue in the 2008 presidential campaign.  Tim Dillon, USA TODAY

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Clinton gets a hug from her husband after winning her second Senate term as New York Democrats hold a rally on Nov. 7, 2006.  Timothy A. Clary, AFP/Getty Images

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Sen. Clinton speaks to supporters at a town-hall style meeting on Jan. 28, 2007 in Davenport, Iowa, during her first campaign trip since forming her presidential exploratory committee. Clinton entered the campaign as the favorite to become the 2008 Democratic nominee.  Scott Olson, Getty Images

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Clinton waits to be introduced prior to a speech at Saint Anselm College on April 13, 2007, in Manchester, N.H.  Darren McCollester, Getty Images

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Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton take part in the first debate of the 2008 presidential campaign on April 26, 2007, at South Carolina State University in Orangeburg, S.C.  Win McNamee, Getty Images

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Clinton speaks during a campaign stop at the McConnell Center on Jan. 7, 2008, in Dover, N.H., coming off a third-place finish in the Iowa caucus. She would go on to win the New Hampshire primary, revitalizing her campaign.  Joe Raedle, Getty Images

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Clinton greets supporters at her Super Tuesday rally in New York City on Feb. 5, 2008.  Todd Plitt, USA TODAY

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This March 1, 2008, image provided by NBC shows Sen. Clinton delivering an "editorial response" to a "Saturday Night Live" parody featuring Amy Poehler as Clinton.  Dana Edelson, AP

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Clinton speaks at Baruch College on June 3, 2008, in New York City as Barack Obama was on the cusp securing the Democratic presidential nomination on the final day of the primaries, with contests in South Dakota and Montana.  Spencer Platt, Getty Images

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Clinton greets supporters at the National Building Museum in Washington on June 7, 2008, as she suspends her campaign for president. "Although we weren't able to shatter that highest, hardest glass ceiling this time, thanks to you, it's got about 18 million cracks in it," she told supporters.  Ron Edmonds, AP

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Barack Obama takes the stage with Hillary Clinton in 2008  Elise Amendola, AP

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Clinton speaks at the Democratic National Convention in Denver on Aug. 26, 2008.  Pat Shannahan, for USA TODAY

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Clinton greets Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman John Kerry before the start of the hearing on her nomination to be secretary of State on Jan. 12, 2009.  Jack Gruber, USA TODAY

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Secretary of State Hillary Clinton waves upon leaving for Beijing at a military airbase in Seongnam, South Korea, on Feb. 20, 2009.  Park Ji-Hwan, AFP/Getty Images

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Nelson Mandela sits beside Secretary of State Clinton during a meeting in Johannesburg on Aug. 7, 2009.  Denis Farrell, AFP/Getty Images

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This photo released by Genevieve de Manio Photography shows the Clintons celebrating the wedding of Marc Mezvinsky and Chelsea Clinton on July 31, 2010, in Rhinebeck, N.Y.  Barbara Kinney, AP

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Secretary of State Clinton works from a desk inside a C-17 military plane upon her departure from Malta on Oct. 18, 2011.  Kevin Lamarque, AP

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Secretary of State Clinton meets Salahuddin Rabbani during a Civil Society roundtable discussion at the U.S. Embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan, on Oct. 20, 2011.  Kevin Lamarque, AP

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President Obama makes a statement with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in the Rose Garden at the White House on Sept. 12, 2012.  Chip Somodevilla, Getty Images

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Secretary of State Clinton testifies at a Jan. 23, 2013, Senate hearing on the Sept. 11, 2012, terrorist attack on U.S. diplomatic facilities in Benghazi, Libya.  Jack Gruber, USA TODAY

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Secretary of State Clinton shakes hands after her farewell address to the staff in the C Street lobby of the State Department on Feb. 1, 2013. She left her post after traveling 956,733 miles and visiting some 112 countries.  Chip Somodevilla, Getty Images

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Bill Clinton prepares to make remarks at the Clinton Global Initiative while his wife and daughter take the stage with him on Sept. 24, 2013, in New York.  Mark Lennihan, AP

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Clinton speaks at a book signing for "Hard Choices" at a Barnes & Noble in New York City on June 10, 2014, the day of the book's release.  Andrew Burton, Getty Images

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The Clintons welcome their granddaughter, Charlotte Clinton Mezvinsky, on Sept. 27, 2014, at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York.  AP

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Ten-year-old Macy Friday reacts as she looks back at her family after meeting Clinton while she was in Denver to campaign for then-senator Mark Udall, D-Colo., on Oct. 13, 2014.  David Zalubowski, AP

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Clinton speaks to the media at the United Nations in New York on March 10, 2015, in regard to her use of a private email server while serving as secretary of State.  Andrew Gombert, European Pressphoto Agency

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Clinton meets with local residents at the Jones St. Java House on April 14, 2015, in LeClaire, Iowa, as she hits the campaign trail following her formal entry into the 2016 race.  Charlie Neibergall, AP

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Clinton arrives to make her official launch address on Roosevelt Island in New York on June 13, 2015.  Andrew Gombert, European Pressphoto Agency

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Clinton testifies before the House Select Committee on Benghazi on Oct. 22, 2015, on Capitol Hill.  Chip Somodevilla, Getty Images

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Jim Webb, Bernie Sanders, Clinton, Martin O'Malley and Lincoln Chafee take part in the first Democratic primary debate on Oct. 13, 2015, in Las Vegas.  Josh Haner, Pool/The New York Times/European Pressphoto Agency

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Clinton speaks at a rally in Miami following Super Tuesday victories on March 1, 2016.  Rhona Wise, AFP/Getty Images

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Clinton and Sanders take part in the final Democratic primary debate at the Brooklyn Navy Yard on April 14, 2016.  Justin Sullivan, Getty Images

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Clinton speaks during a primary night rally on June 7, 2016, in New York, after winning the support of enough delegates to clinch the Democratic nomination.  Julio Cortez, AP

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Clinton appears live via video at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia on July 26, 2016, hours after she officially became the Democratic nominee for president.  Robert Deutsch, USA TODAY

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Clinton arrives on stage to speak at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia on July 28, 2016.  Robert Hanashiro, USA TODAY

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