It is election day in the United States today. This is where the people express themselves through a presidential election, and for the first time, a Republican President is up against a Democratic nominee in Vice President Kamala Harris. The polls have been so tight that all attention is now shifted to those crucial swing states that can make all the difference between who will occupy the White House.
While most Americans sleep in to vote today, many have already voted. The votes start from a tiny New Hampshire town that is right next to the US-Canada border, where ballots just entered the counting machines at the break of dawn. This small event reflects all the excitement and eagerness of voters in the country.
The two candidates of this election have both been busy campaigning in key states for days leading up to today. Trump campaigned in North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Michigan, while Harris completed her last round of appeals in both Philadelphia and Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania. In his last rally, Trump painted his battle not only against Harris but against the “evil Democrat system.” Harris herself didn’t address Trump and instead gave a message full of hope for moving away from the previous decade where politics had become a hotbed of fear and division.
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Surprisingly, the turnout has been tremendous. The University of Florida’s Election Lab has reported that more than 78 million Americans have voted early and by mail already. This may translate into a high voter turnout in history.
What Are Swing States?
Swing states in the United States are those that may be won by either a Republican or a Democratic candidate, unlike most of the states that usually go for one party. Among these seven swing states are Michigan, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Arizona, Georgia, Nevada, and North Carolina. The candidate needs to win most of these seven states to get the required 270 electoral votes to become the president.
This year, Pennsylvania holds more importance due to its 19 electoral votes and has now become a battleground. It is the state that earns the maximum number of electoral votes for swing states and is very crucial for both candidates. In preceding elections, Trump was able to win Pennsylvania and other surrounding states such as Michigan and Wisconsin, both of which have been Democratic-leaning states for decades. But, though President Biden flipped those states back to the Democrats, it will be interesting to see if Trump can turn that back his way in these places.
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How the United States elects its president is unique because it mainly focuses on the system of the Electoral College. Instead of a simple popular vote, the president is elected by assigned electors by each state based on its Congressional representation: Senators and House Representatives. Altogether, there are 538 such electors, out of which any candidate must have at least 270 votes to be elected to the presidency. The remaining states give all their electoral votes to the winner of the most popular votes in the particular state, except Maine and Nebraska, which allot proportional distribution.
When Do the Polls Open?
Polling times differ from state to state, taking into account the local time of each state. Some states, like Connecticut and Indiana, will open their polls at 6 AM, while other states, like Arizona and Wisconsin, will only start after 8 AM. As the day progresses, more and more Americans will join in the vote, and this will only be a whirlwind affair all over the nation.
My Thoughts
I think this is an election of great importance. It is so high-stakes, with emotions running both ways, that it feels like the very future of the country hangs in the balance. Indeed, so many have voted already that this would seem to reflect a sense of heightened awareness and concern over which way the country is headed. While I believe the appeal of Donald Trump still resonates with a huge chunk of the electorate, perhaps Harris’s ‘unity in divinity’ message is what many are seeking at these divided times.
It will be interesting to watch how all of this plays out, especially in those crucial swing states. Whatever the outcome, today will surely be a day to remember in American history.
Minutes by M31GlobalNews
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