Americans head to the voting booths on Tuesday to elect the 47th president of the United States, in a heated contest between former President Donald Trump, aiming for a White House return, and current Vice President Kamala Harris, who seeks to make history as the first woman to hold the office.

 

Trump, who lost the 2020 race to President Joe Biden, is running on a strong Republican ticket with Sen. J.D. Vance as his vice-presidential pick.

 

Harris, who has gained significant backing within her party following Biden’s withdrawal from the race, selected Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as her running mate in an effort to consolidate Democratic unity.

 

This election unfolds amid intense regional and global challenges, including escalating tensions in the Middle East due to ongoing violence in Gaza and Lebanon, as well as the prolonged Russia-Ukraine conflict.

 

Domestically, voters are focused on pressing issues like the economy, border security, healthcare, and immigration.

 

The next president will be determined by the Electoral College, a system that allocates votes based on state populations. This structure places added weight on battleground states, where the race is especially tight and could tip the balance.

 

With high turnout, over 81 million Americans have cast early votes in the 2024 presidential election, with forecasts indicating a close contest between the main contenders, Trump and Harris.

 

The Harris campaign has suggested the possibility of delays in announcing final results, anticipating that "several days" may be needed to count all votes, and warning against potential attempts by Republicans to "sow chaos" by questioning the election's integrity.

 

As voting begins, Harris campaign manager Jen O’Malley Dillon stated that counting may continue for days, emphasizing that this is "part of the electoral process" and not an indication of fraud.

 

In contrast, Trump, speaking at a rally, promised sweeping changes, pledging to tackle inflation and reduce illegal immigration, and expressed confidence in victory.

 

A recent ABC News poll shows a tight race, with Harris holding 47.9 percent of the vote compared to Trump’s 46.9 percent.

 

Trump vowed to lead the United States to "new heights of glory" as he delivered his closing pitch at the final rally of his campaign today..

 

"With your vote tomorrow, we can fix every single problem our country faces and lead America -- indeed, the world -- to new heights of glory," he told the crowd in the early hours of the morning in Grand Rapids, in the swing state of Michigan.

 

Kamala Harris urged Americans to vote in one of the "closest races in history" as she gave her final campaign speech on Monday in the battleground US state of Pennsylvania.

 

"Just one more day in the most consequential election of our lifetimes and the momentum is one our side," she said in Philadelphia. "This could be one of the closest races in history -- every single vote matters."