Donald Trump and Kamala Harris have made their final pitches to voters, with polls indicating one of the closest races in US history
Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris, and Republican nominee former President Donald Trump. © AP Photo
Americans are heading to the polls to choose between Republican former President Donald Trump and Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 race for the White House. Polls have shown Harris and Trump locked in a dead heat nationally, as well as in key swing states, with pollsters predicting one of the closest presidential races in US history.
By Monday morning, more than 78 million Americans had already cast their ballots in early voting, according to data from the Election Lab at the University of Florida. Harris and Trump spent the last full day of campaigning making a final push in battleground states, selling wildly different visions of the country’s future to voters.
Harris was a late entrant to the race, securing the Democratic nomination after President Joe Biden ended his campaign in July following a disastrous debate performance against Trump, in which he appeared confused and struggled to finish sentences.
US presidential elections are decided by the Electoral College system, meaning that a candidate who loses the popular vote can still win the contest overall. Either Trump or Harris must secure 270 out of the 538 electoral college votes to win the presidency, with each state allocated a certain number of votes corresponding roughly to its population.
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05 November 2024
06:33 GMT
American podcaster Joe Rogan has endorsed Donald Trump after releasing a three-hour interview with Elon Musk. In a post on X, Rogan said the Tesla CEO “makes what I think is the most compelling case for Trump you’ll hear, and I agree with him every step of the way”.
“For the record, yes, that’s an endorsement of Trump,” he added.
- 06:06 GMT
A judge in Pennsylvania has refused to block an election giveaway launched by X owner and Trump supporter Elon Musk, who pledged $1 million each day to a swing state resident who signs a petition backing values promoted by the former president.
According to the Hill, Angelo Foglietta announced the decision in a one-page order with no explanation, adding that the reasoning would be made in writing separately. He earlier stated, as quoted by Reuters, that he would place the lawsuit against Musk on hold while a federal court considers whether to take up the case.
- 05:13 GMT
US elections offices have beefed up their security measures, with media outlets reporting that many have trained their staff in “de-escalation tactics” in anticipation of possible violence. Hundreds of offices have reportedly been reinforced with bullet-proof glass and steel doors.
In Arizona’s Maricopa County, Sheriff Russ Skinner said snipers would be posted on rooftops, if necessary, according to the Washington Post. Some states are also said to have distributed panic buttons for poll workers.
- 04:25 GMT
A final poll from NBC News on Sunday showed Harris and Trump both on 49%, with only 2% of respondents still unsure of their choice. If margins are as close as polls predict, NBC News reported that it could take “as long as a week” for its Decision Desk to name a winner.
“The days of projecting a winner on election night itself are almost certainly over,” the outlet said.
Trump, however, has predicted that the winner will be declared on election night, telling ABC news that he has “a substantial lead” over Harris.
PRESIDENTIAL RACE TIED, FINAL NBC POLL SAYS pic.twitter.com/PGnl9HlpKU
— NewsWire (@NewsWire_US) November 3, 2024
- 04:15 GMT
According to data from the University of Florida’s Election Lab, some 78 million Americans had already cast their ballots as of Monday morning. Of those early voters, the majority (54%) were women. Approximately 41% of early voters were registered Democrats, while 39% were Republicans.
Around 42.6 million of the pre-election-day ballots were cast in person, while 35.3 million were returned by mail.
- 03:37 GMT
Kamala Harris spent Monday campaigning in Pennsylvania, a battleground state where 19 coveted Electoral College votes are up for grabs. Former President Trump, meanwhile, held four rallies across North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Michigan.
On Sunday, Trump told a rally in Pennsylvania that he should “never have left” the White House in January 2021. The former president has never admitted to losing the 2020 election to Biden and said the US had become “a failed country” under the Democrats.
Trump supporters determined to stop the certification of the election for Biden ultimately stormed the US Capitol on January 6, 2021, in an event that the Democrats characterized as an “insurrection.”
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