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By Song Sang-ho
WASHINGTON, Nov. 5 (Yonhap) — American voters went to the polls Tuesday to pick a new president who will steer the United States through a litany of nettlesome issues, including deep national division, still-high prices and global security challenges, like North Korea’s nuclear adventurism and Russia’s war in Ukraine.
The high-stakes Election Day capped an extremely close and eventful race between Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris, 60, and her Republican rival, Donald Trump, 78 — two sharply contrasting candidates in terms of age, gender, race, political inclinations and policy orientation.
The first in-person votes were cast in Dixville Notch, a small town in New Hampshire, in line with its decadesold tradition of midnight voting — a practice that was started to accommodate railroad workers who could not make their way to the polls during normal voting hours.
In the Granite State town, Harris and Trump were tied with three votes each, according to CNN. The poll in Dixville Notch is not always predictive of the national result, but the outcome came after polls showed the candidates in a dead heat.
Though voting schedules vary from state to state, polls generally open between 5 a.m. and 8 a.m., and start closing at around 7 p.m. Polls in Nevada, one of the seven battleground states, close at 10 p.m.
According to the Bipartisan Policy Center, roughly 244 million Americans are eligible to vote in 2024. If voter turnout is as high as that of the 2020 election at 66.6 percent, more than 162 million will cast ballots in this election cycle.
More than 81 million Americans have already cast an early ballot, data from the University of Florida’s Election Lab showed.
This combined photo, released by AFP, shows U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris (L) and former U.S. President Donald Trump. (Yonhap)
To occupy the Oval Office, a candidate must win at least 270 electoral votes out of the total 538 electors representing the 50 states and the District of Columbia. Seven swing states — Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, Georgia, Arizona, Nevada and North Carolina — are expected to play an outsize role in hitting that magic number.
Pennsylvania has been at the center of election-year attention as the Keystone State has 19 electoral votes — the highest among the seven toss-up states — that could provide a substantial boost for either of the candidate to surpass the 270 Electoral College threshold.
After voting in Florida, Trump voiced confidence over his electoral chances, claiming that he will have a “very big victory.” He also cast this year’s campaign as the “best” of the three campaigns that he ran.
“I felt very confident … We went in with a very big lead today and it looks like Republicans have shown up in force,” he told reporters with his wife, Melania Trump, standing by his side.
Regarding a question about whether he would concede should he lose in the presidential vote, he said he would be the “first” to acknowledge it if it is a “fair” election.
“So far, I think it’s been fair. I think there’s been a lot of court cases,” he said. “Part of that is because we have too complicated a process.”
He closed his remarks with his campaign’s rallying cry: “Make America Great Again.”
Former U.S. President Donald Trump, accompanied by former first lady Melania Trump, speaks to reporters as he votes at Mandel Recreation Center on Election Day in Palm Beach, Florida on Nov. 5, 2024 in this photo released by Reuters. (Yonhap)
Appearing on a Pittsburgh-based radio show, Harris also called on people to get out and vote.
“I would urge everyone to just remember that in our democracy, the people get to decide, and your vote is your power,” she was quoted by CNN as saying.
Harris plans to attend an election night watch party at her alma mater, Howard University in Washington, a historically Black university. Trump is scheduled to watch election results in Palm Beach, Florida.
The Democratic standard-bearer’s vice presidential running mate is Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, while Trump’s running mate is Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance.
South Korea has been carefully watching developments in the U.S. election as a new occupant of the White House could bring a shift in America’s foreign policy that affects the Seoul-Washington alliance as well as the way Washington handles Pyongyang’s evolving nuclear and missile threats.
Having underlined the importance of America’s leadership on the global stage, Harris, if elected, is expected to build on key tenets of President Joe Biden’s foreign policy, including cementing a network of U.S. allies and partners to confront shared security challenges.
Should Trump return to office, he could highlight his “America First” credo that is expected to put pressure on allies and partners to take greater responsibilities for their own security and curtail America’s costly involvement overseas.
A man fills out his ballot during early voting for the U.S. general election at a polling station at Ottawa Hills High School in Grand Rapids, Michigan, on Nov. 3, 2024, in this photo released by AFP. (Yonhap)
This year’s election cycle has been marked by a spate of unprecedented events, including two assassination attempts against Trump, Biden’s surprise exit from the White House race, and Trump’s conviction in a hush-money trial and other legal woes.
It remains uncertain when the winner will be named. In the 2020 election that proceeded amid COVID-19, the race was called for Biden four days after the vote. But the 2016 election was called for Trump in the wee hours of the morning after Election Day.
Should Harris be elected, she would make history by becoming the first female, first Asian American and first Black woman to occupy the Oval Office. Should Trump prevail, he would be the second president to serve non-consecutive terms after Grover Cleveland in the late 1800s.
Observers said that given the dead heat between the two candidates, more time could be needed to get the election outcome. A razor-thin margin in a battleground state could trigger a recount of votes, and any missteps at polling stations or other unforeseen mishaps could delay the counting process.
The victor of this year’s presidential race is to take office Jan. 20.
Also up for grabs in Tuesday’s election are 34 Senate seats and all 435 House seats.
Currently, Democrats hold a slight majority in the Senate, controlling 51 seats with the help of three independents that caucus with the Democrats, while Republicans hold 49 seats. In the House, Republicans have a slim majority with 220 seats to Democrats’ 212.
Among Korean American politicians, Rep. Andy Kim has been leading a successful campaign to become the first U.S. citizen of Korean descent to join the Senate. The Democrat is seeking to represent New Jersey, a state that has not elected a Republican as its senator since 1972.
There are also three Korean American congresswomen seeking a third-term in the House of Representatives. They are Reps. Young Kim (R-CA), Michelle Park Steel (R-CA) and Marilyn Strickland (D-WA). Aside from the current lawmakers, Dave Min, a Korean American Democrat, is bidding to join the House.
A poll worker motions to voters waiting to cast their votes during early voting in the U.S. presidential election at a polling station in Detroit, Michigan, on Nov. 3, 2024, in this photo released by Reuters. (Yonhap)
sshluck@yna.co.kr
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