National polls show both candidates in a dead heat. With voter turnout reportedly surging across the country, the next U.S. president will likely be determined by razor-thin margins in a few key battleground states.

Trump and Harris urge Americans to vote

On social media, both Trump and Harris issued rallying calls to voters as polling began. Kamala Harris, addressing Americans via X, emphasized the election’s importance, saying, “America, this is your moment to make your voice heard.”

Trump, meanwhile, took to social media with a familiar message, urging supporters to “Make America Great Again” and to “stay in line no matter how long it takes.”

 Vice Presidential candidate JD Vance casts vote in Ohio

Republican Vice Presidential candidate JD Vance cast his ballot early this morning in Ohio, underscoring the high stakes of the election. Trump himself voted in Palm Beach, Florida, accompanied by his wife, Melania, and family members, as cameras captured the scene at his polling location.

Trump expressed optimism about the election outcome, telling reporters, “We have a great country but it’s in trouble right now – we have to fix it, and I’m confident that we will succeed by a large margin.”

Kamala Harris leads in Pennsylvania

According to recent reports from British media, Harris is currently leading in Pennsylvania, one of the pivotal battleground states. However, Trump holds narrow leads in Nevada, Georgia, North Carolina, and Arizona, while Harris has a slight advantage in Wisconsin and Michigan.

With 78.9 million early ballots already cast, all eyes are on these key states as both candidates aim for the 270 electoral votes needed to win.

Swing states see strong turnout

Polling has started in more than 34 states, including crucial swing states like Florida, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Georgia, and Arizona.
Turnout is reportedly high, with long lines observed in states like Pennsylvania and North Carolina. Delays and extensions in voting hours are expected, as high turnout and technical glitches test the election infrastructure.

Voting machine issues

In Pennsylvania’s Cambria County, a software glitch in voting machines led the Board of Elections to request a court extension of voting hours from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. This delay has raised concerns about potential disenfranchisement.

“The [electronic voting system] software malfunction is jeopardizing the right of a large number of voters,” the board noted in court filings.

Bomb threat in Georgia’s Fulton county

Two polling stations in Fulton County, Georgia, were temporarily evacuated due to a bomb threat, adding to the challenges of Election Day.

Georgia election bomb threat: Poll worker arrested for sending chilling letter about concealed ‘boom toy’ – Hindustan Times

Officials have since confirmed that the threats, suspected to originate from Russian sources, were deemed false, and voting has since resumed. County officials are requesting that polling hours be extended to account for the disruption.

First vote cast in Dixville Notch, New Hampshire

As is tradition, the small town of Dixville Notch in New Hampshire kicked off Election Day voting, casting the first ballots of the 2024 election. Both Trump and Harris received three votes each, reflecting the tight nature of this race.

This New Hampshire town, located near the Canadian border, has held this tradition since the 1960s and often offers an early indicator of the nation’s mood.

Trump pledges to accept results If “fair”

After casting his vote, Trump addressed the issue of election integrity, stating he would “be the first one to acknowledge” the results if the election is fair.

However, he did not specify what he considers “fair,” and when pressed by reporters, he mentioned no plans to instruct his supporters against violence in the event of a loss, saying, “My supporters are not violent people.”

Results expected in early morning, Pakistan time

As Americans vote, those watching from Pakistan can expect early election results to start trickling in between 5 a.m. and 11 a.m. on Wednesday, November 6, Pakistan Standard Time.

Given the extended hours for vote counting in western states, a definitive result may not emerge until later, particularly if the outcome hinges on close margins in swing states.

With early voting numbers exceeding 70 million, the outcome of the 2024 presidential race may still be days away. Each candidate will need a minimum of 270 electoral votes from a total of 538 to claim victory.

Swing states like Pennsylvania, Arizona, Georgia, and Michigan are expected to be pivotal, and their delayed results may extend the election’s suspense well beyond Election Day.

United States Vice President Kamala Harris and former president Donald Trump remain in a tight contest across seven battleground states with just over two weeks until the November 5 US presidential election, a Washington Post/Schar School opinion poll showed on Monday.

Democratic former prosecutor Harris led among likely voters in Georgia 51 per cent to 47pc, while Republican Trump was slightly ahead in Arizona with 49pc to 46pc. Both findings fell within the plus or minus 4.5 percentage points margin of error in the poll, which surveyed 5,016 registered voters from September 30 to October 15.

Harris, who became the party’s candidate after President Joe Biden stepped aside in July, also had an edge in Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin — three states where she will campaign later on Monday with Republican former US Representative Liz Cheney.

Trump led in North Carolina and was tied with Harris in Nevada 48pc to 48pc, according to the poll. The former president will hold a rally in North Carolina later on Monday after surveying recent damage from Hurricane Helene.

Trump, 78, is making his third consecutive White House bid after losing to Biden.

Harris, 60, is a former San Francisco prosecutor, state attorney general and US senator seeking to rebuild the party’s diverse coalition of young voters, women and people of colour as well as pick up some Republicans disillusioned with Trump.

Monday’s findings from the Post and George Mason Univeristy’s Schar School of Policy and Government echoed other recent polls that found a neck-and-neck race in the seven battleground states ahead of Election Day on Nov 5, even as Harris holds an edge nationwide, according to some surveys.

Overall, 49pc of likely voters said they support Harris and 48pc backed Trump, the Post poll showed. Among registered voters, Reuters/Ipsos polling last week found Harris holding a steady, marginal 45pc to 42pc lead over Trump.

However, state-by-state results of the Electoral College will determine the winner of November’s contest. The seven battleground states are likely to be decisive, with surveys of their likely voters offering an indication of the race so far.

US President Joe Biden said he was discussing possible Israeli strikes on Iranian oil facilities, in comments that sent oil prices spiking on Thursday just a month before the US presidential election.

Biden told reporters at the White House however that he was not expecting Israel to launch any retaliation for Tehran’s missile barrage on Israel before Thursday at least.

When asked by a reporter if he supported Israel striking Iran’s oil facilities, Biden said, “We’re discussing that. I think that would be a little … anyway.”

Oil prices jumped five per cent over concerns about the Middle East after Biden spoke.

A rise in oil prices could be hugely damaging for Biden’s Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democrat confronts Republican former president Donald Trump in a November 5 election where the cost of living is a major issue.

Biden said he did not expect any immediate action from Israel — even if Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has recently paid little heed to calls for restraint as he targets Iran-allied Hezbollah in Lebanon.

“First of all, we don’t ‘allow’ Israel, we advise Israel. And there is nothing going to happen today,” Biden told reporters when asked if he would allow Israel to retaliate against Iran.

Biden said on Wednesday that he would not back Israel attacking Iranian nuclear sites.

Iran launched around 200 rockets in a direct missile attack on Israel on Tuesday, prompting Netanyahu to warn that Tehran would pay. Iran said it was in retaliation for the killing of Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Hezbollah.

Hezbollah has been launching rockets at Israel since shortly after the October 7, 2023, attacks on Israel by Hamas, and Israel’s crushing retaliatory offensive in Gaza that has killed over 41,000 people.