US Elections 2020 in line for highest voter turnout in a century; '160 million' on cards

The polling in the United States is underway amid the Coronavirus pandemic and the country appears to be on track to see over 160 million votes cast in the 2020 presidential election, as per US media. The turnout rate is said to be about 67 % which is higher than the country has witnessed in over a century as President Donald Trump and his Democratic rival Joe Biden campaigned through the final day to get more voters to the polling booths.

'One for the record books'

The pandemic, as well as a strong drive among Americans to have their voices, heard on the ballot box resulted in a record 101 million early votes cast in person and by mail before the polls even opened on Election Day. The New York Times reported that the 2020 presidential campaign was shaping up to be one for the record books, on pace to attract the highest turnout in more than a century.

The report quoted University of Florida professor Michael McDonald, who compiles data from across the nation, as saying that America appeared to be on track to see roughly 160 million total votes cast. "That would mean a turnout rate of about 67% of the eligible voting population -- higher than the United States has seen in more than a century," it said, adding that the last time the turnout was more than 65% was 1908, according to the United States Elections Project.

"The huge turnout appeared to be spurred by the momentous issues that have upended the lives of nearly every American, including the surging Coronavirus outbreak and the struggling economy, the political passions of the Trump era, and the steps that many states took this year to make voting easier and safer during the pandemic," the report said.

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The NYT reported that at least six states -- Texas, Colorado, Washington, Oregon, Hawaii and Montana -- recorded more votes in early voting than they did during the whole 2016 election. Several battleground states, including Florida, Georgia and North Carolina, were nearing their 2016 totals.

'There's no reason to play games'

Meanwhile, Donald Trump on Tuesday said that he would declare victory in the presidential elections "only when there is a victory". "There's no reason to play games. I look at it as being a very, very solid chance of winning here. I don't know how they rate the chances," Trump said on "Fox & Friends" during a morning phone interview, as quoted by CNN and added, "I think a lot of that has to do with the tremendous crowd size."

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