American voters cast their ballots Tuesday in a highly contentious election that could make Kamala Harris the first woman president or see Donald Trump make a historic comeback. With polling stations open across the U.S., Harris, 60 and Trump, 78 are in a dead heat in what is considered one of the tightest presidential races in modern history.
The final day of the campaign saw both candidates focused on turning out supporters and swaying undecided voters in critical swing states. The race has been marked by dramatic twists from Harris’s unexpected candidacy after Joe Biden’s withdrawal in July to Trump surviving two assassination attempts and a criminal conviction. Despite these events, polling shows no clear winner.
Voter turnout is expected to be high, with tens of millions casting their ballots including over 82 million who voted early. The results may take days to determine, with the outcome likely hinging on key battleground states like Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. Both candidates emphasized the significance of each vote in the final days of the campaign.
Harris rallied in Pennsylvania with celebrities like Lady Gaga and Oprah Winfrey while Trump campaigning in Michigan, framed the election as a choice between an America in decline or one led by him to “new heights of glory.” If Trump wins, it would mark a historic second non-consecutive term while Harris’s victory would make her the first Black and South Asian president.
However, fears of unrest persist, particularly if Trump challenges the result as he did in 2020. With global implications for issues like climate change, the Middle East and Ukraine, the world is watching closely.
