Millions Turn Out to Vote in Historic U.S. Presidential Election

Washington: Millions of Americans are headed towards polling stations to cast ir votes across United States on Tuesday to elect 47th President between Republican leader Donald Trump and Democratic minee Kamala Harris in an election billed as one of most consequential contests for White House race in decades.

race remained tightly deadlocked for weeks, with some election forecasters giving 60-year-old Vice President Harris an edge over 78-year-old former President Trump in key battleground states like Pennsylvania.

In her campaign rallies, Harris outlined her top priorities as president, including supporting middle class, implementing a tax cut for over 100 million Americans, ensuring affordable housing, and lifting abortion ban to protect women's reproductive rights.

Trump has pledged to strengn ecomy, lower energy costs, impose higher tariffs on foreign goods, particularly imports from China, and eliminate undocumented immigrants through a large-scale deportation program.

According to various surveys ahead of elections, most important issue for people are inflation, prices rise, jobs, healthcare and overall state of ecomy.

In her campaign in last few days, Harris has been projecting election as one to protect country’s fundamental freedoms, safeguard constitutional values, ensure women’s rights and make a “fresh” beginning.

In his concluding arguments, Trump maintained his aggressive rhetoric and even suggested that he should t have left White House after 2020 election, triggering apprehensions that he may t accept polls if defeated.

“This is most consequential election in our lifetime,” senior US senator Bernie Sanders told CNN, while explaining why Trump as president will be detrimental to USA’s foundational values.

Ahead of voting, both Harris and Trump urged citizens to come out of ir homes and vote.

Dixville tch, a town in New Hampshire state was first place in US where voting began.

first voting closes at 18:00 EST on Tuesday evening (4:30 am India time Wednesday) and last at 01:00 EST (11:30 am India time) on Wednesday.

As fears of post-election violence loomed large, cities and towns across US have been put under strong security cover with police erecting barricades around White House and Capitol Hill in Washington DC.

In ir final rallies last night, Harris and Trump concluded ir campaigns with virtually opposing visions of how to take country forward with Harris calling for a vision to overcome “hate and divisiveness” and Trump warning of a bleak future under a Democratic regime.

"Tonight, n, we finish, as we started with optimism, with energy, with joy,” said Harris, closing her campaign in Pennsylvania.

In his concluding remarks, Trump said: “My mess to you, and to all Americans tonight is very simple, we don’t have to live like this.” US has 50 states and most of m vote for same party in every election except swing states. Based on volume of population, states are assigned electoral college votes.

Overall a total of 538 electoral college votes are up for grabs. A candidate with 270 or more electoral votes is declared winner in election.

If both candidates register victory in all states that historically support same party, n it will leave Harris 44 electoral college votes short of victory and Trump 51 votes short.

In that situation, 93 votes of swing states will decide who next American president will be.

swing states of Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, kwn as part of Rust Belt, have been traditionally strongholds of Democratic Party. However, Trump won three of m in 2016. states returned to Democratic fold in 2020 election.

Political experts said Harris will be next US president if she wins Rust Belt swing states.

four swing states of Arizona, Georgia, Nevada and rth Carolina are called Sun Belt with a total electoral college vote of 49.

Republicans have a stronger support base in Sun Belt states. Even if Trump wins all four Sun Belt states, he will still require to win one more in Rust Belt.

While Harris will watch election results at her alma mater of Howard University in Washington DC, Trump is having an election watch party at Palm Beach County Convention Centre near his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida.

If Harris wins race, she will make history by becoming first woman, first Black woman and first person of South Asian descent to become US President.

(With PTI inputs)