Harris, Trump make final push on US vote

Election Day kicks off with Harris-Trump tie in Dixville Notch vote

Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump have tied with three votes each in the tiny New Hampshire township of Dixville Notch, kicking off Election Day as one of the first locations in the country to report its presidential preference.

The unincorporated township, situated along the US-Canada border in New Hampshire’s northern tip, opened and closed its poll just after midnight ET, a tradition that dates back to 1960.

Four Republicans and two undeclared voters participated in the early voting.

While Dixville Notch is not always predictive of the eventual winner or even the state’s choice, its annual voting tradition remains a success story for local leaders and provides political enthusiasts with an early taste of the day’s events.

Eligible voters gather at the now-dormant Balsams Hotel in Dixville Notch to cast their secret ballots at midnight.

After all votes are cast, results are tallied and announced hours before anywhere else, drawing national reporters to the small township, often outnumbering the voters.

Les Otten, one of the township’s voters and the lead developer for the Balsams, referred to the early release of results as “a civics lesson for the country,” adding, “if we can help people get out and understand that voting is an important part of their right as an American citizen, that’s perhaps the key to what we’re doing.”

Otten anticipates breaking ground on the redevelopment project next summer, stating, “as long as we’re here and we’re property owners and we have, you know, our toothbrush in our bathrooms, we might as well exercise our right to vote.”

Nearby Millsfield and Hart’s Location, which is tucked in the White Mountains, were the first to offer midnight voting before Dixville Notch but have not participated continuously and are not conducting it this year.

A fictionalized version of the three towns was featured in an episode of Aaron Sorkin’s “West Wing” titled “Hartsfield’s Landing.”

In the last two presidential elections, Dixville Notch voters supported the Democratic nominee, unanimously casting five votes for President Joe Biden in 2020 and four of seven votes for Hillary Clinton in 2016, with two going to Trump and one to Libertarian candidate Gary Johnson.

Here’s how electoral college works and why 270 votes are needed to win

When Americans cast their votes today, they are not directly electing presidential candidates.

Instead, voters select competing slates of “electors” who will cast the actual votes for president and vice president on December 17.

Collectively, these electors from all 50 states and the District of Columbia form the “Electoral College.”

Winning the majority of the popular vote on election night does not guarantee a candidate victory in the White House.

To win the presidency, a candidate must secure a majority of votes in the Electoral College.

Here’s how the Electoral College operates:

The Electoral College comprises 538 electors representing all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Each state has between three and 54 electoral votes, determined by adding its total number of US senators and representatives.

The District of Columbia receives three electoral votes, the minimum for any state. A candidate needs at least 270 electoral votes to win.

In 48 states and the District of Columbia, all electoral votes are awarded to the candidate who wins a plurality of the popular vote in that state, a system known as “winner-take-all.”

Maine and Nebraska are exceptions, allocating their electoral votes differently.

After the general election, electors meet in their respective states on the first Tuesday after the second Wednesday in December to cast separate ballots for president and vice president.

This year, that meeting is scheduled for December 17, typically held in the state capitol or state house. The Electoral College results are counted and certified by a joint session of Congress on January 6.

In the village of Thulasendrapuram, India, residents are praying for Kamala Harris as she vies for a historic victory in the US elections.

The temple resonated with rhythmic Sanskrit and Tamil hymns as a Hindu priest held a flame before the deity during the gathering, attended by a throng of reporters seeking to capture the moment.

Nestled in Tamil Nadu, Thulasendrapuram is a typical rural community, but it holds a unique connection to Harris, who could become the first US leader with South Asian roots.

Harris’ maternal grandfather was born in the village, about 350 kilometers (215 miles) from the southern coastal city of Chennai, more than 100 years ago

As Americans cast their votes, the village’s connection to Harris is palpable, with conversations about her unfolding in local tea shops and her image adorning banners and billboards throughout the area.

“Our deity is a very powerful God. If we pray well to him, he will make her victorious,” said M. Natarajan, the temple priest, as he led the prayers before the image of the Hindu deity Ayyanar, a form of Lord Shiva.

In his final rally of the 2024 election campaign, Donald Trump concluded the event with remarks from his children, Don Jr., Eric, and Tiffany. Trump focused on boosting economic growth while launching attacks on immigrants and his political opponents.

“They put America last, we put America first,” he declared.

Trump urged his supporters, saying, “The silent majority is back and tomorrow you need to get out and vote,” labeling his rivals as “the most sinister and corrupt forces on Earth.”

Trump, fresh off several months of intense campaigning and controversy, focused his final rally in Grand Rapids, Michigan, on winning over voters in the Rust Belt.

The former president, who has made it clear that a win in Michigan is crucial to his path back to the White House, delivered his typical high-energy performance.

Surrounded by fervent supporters, Trump promised to restore the country’s strength and economic prosperity. “We’re going to bring this country back, bigger and stronger than ever before,” Trump declared.

The rally in Michigan was vintage Trump.

As the clock neared midnight, he offered his supporters a blend of familiar themes—stark criticism of the Biden administration, attacks on the “deep state,” and repeated promises of economic revival under his leadership.

Trump emphasized the pain that everyday Americans have felt over the past four years, from rising prices to supply chain disruptions.

Former President Donald Trump described the United States as an “occupied country,” pledging to “rescue every city and town that has been invaded and conquered.”

His remarks highlighted his focus on immigration as he and Vice President Kamala Harris made their final appeals to voters ahead of Tuesday’s election.

Trump blurred the lines between undocumented immigrants and those who have entered the country legally, stating that both groups contribute to the challenges facing American communities.

He cited an incident in Colorado where undocumented immigrants were said to have overrun an apartment complex and referenced thousands of Haitian migrants living legally in Springfield, Ohio.

‘Deep ties’ with US regardless of election outcome, UK official

The UK government is focused on maintaining the “deep ties” between the UK and the US, regardless of the outcome of the upcoming US election, according to Health Secretary Wes Streeting.

In an interview with LBC Radio, Streeting stated, “The prime minister, the foreign secretary and others have been working hard to make sure that whatever the outcome of the US presidential election, the deep ties that bind our two nations are as strong as they have ever been.”

Streeting highlighted the importance of this relationship amid ongoing geopolitical challenges, noting, “I think that is particularly important in a world in which we see war on the continent of Europe, in Ukraine, war in the Middle East, wider geopolitical risks and threats where the US and the UK have common history, but also common cause in terms of the future we want to build, in the future of democracy.”

He acknowledged the American people’s role in determining their president, adding, “We will work with whoever they choose.”

On the topic of Donald Trump, Streeting remarked, “I think it’s fair to say that we may not be ideological bedfellows with President Trump, but if he’s returned as president of the United States, there will be a really good working relationship.”

Trump and Harris show 34-point gender gap in latest NBC poll

The gender gap in the upcoming election is significant, according to the latest NBC News national poll, which shows Donald Trump leading among men by 18 percentage points, while Kamala Harris holds a 16-point advantage among women—resulting in a combined 34-point gender gap, up from 30 points in October’s poll.

While not every poll indicates such a large gender divide, many do, suggesting it could become a defining storyline of the election.

The poll also reveals a pronounced educational divide, with Harris significantly outperforming Trump among white women with college degrees, while Trump maintains strong support among men and women without college degrees.

Factors such as the potential election of the first female president, backlash against Trump, and the fall of Roe v. Wade contribute to the growing gap favoring Harris among women, alongside Trump’s focused appeals to male voters.

Last night it was reported that betting markets had narrowed on the eve of the election.

The Trump campaign and its supporters have cited Trump’s lead over Kamala Harris at leading bookmakers as a more reliable forecast than the tight polls that are too close to call.

Current data from the Betfair betting exchange however shows Trump still holds an advantage, with approximately a 60% chance of winning the election compared to Harris’s 40%.

Donald Trump has announced that Joe Rogan had endorsed his presidential run, calling it “very big” news.

“Oh wow, I have some more big news,” Trump said to the enthusiastic crowd.

“Somebody that’s very respected asked me to do his show two weeks ago, and I said, ‘Why not?’ To me, it’s very big because he’s the biggest there is, in the world by far. His name is Joe Rogan and he’s never done this before. It just came over the wires that Joe Rogan just endorsed me, isn’t that great? Thank you, Joe!”

Rogan’s endorsement carries significant weight, especially given his extensive reach among younger audiences through his podcast, “The Joe Rogan Experience.”

Trump had previously appeared on the show, suggesting to Rogan that he endorse him for president.

Vice President Kamala Harris has emerged with a 4-point lead over former President Donald Trump among likely national voters, according to the latest PBS News/NPR/Marist poll.

The survey indicates that Harris garners the support of 51% of likely voters, compared to Trump’s 47%, a margin that falls just outside the poll’s 3.5-point margin of error.

The poll also reveals that just over half of independent voters favor Trump, giving him a 5-point advantage over Harris within that demographic.

Kamala Harris scheduled five campaign stops in Pennsylvania, including two cities where Trump also visited, Reading and Pittsburgh.

She ended the day in Philadelphia with a star-studded event at the “Rocky steps” of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the site of a famous scene from the movie “Rocky.”

Donald Trump and Kamala Harris both predicted victory as they campaigned across Pennsylvania and other battleground states on Monday in the final, frantic day of an exceptionally close U.S. presidential election.

The campaign has seen head-spinning twists: two assassination attempts and a felony conviction for Republican former President Trump, and Democratic Vice President Harris’ surprise elevation to the top of the ticket after President Joe Biden, 81, dropped his reelection bid under pressure from his own party.

More than $2.6 billion has been spent to sway voters’ minds since March, according to AdImpact, an analytics firm.As election day looms, the world braces for the finale of a campaign unlike any before. It’s been a razor-thin race between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump, with twists and turns still to come as polls close on 5 November.

A guide to election night timings

Here’s what to expect as results begin to trickle in:

First exit poll data arrives

After months of speculation, we’ll get our first real look at what voters have decided as exit poll data is released. Unlike UK polls, which project a final result right as polls close, American exit polls provide insights into voters’ concerns and priorities, later breaking down by demographics to show trends across key voting groups.

Expect frequent mentions of seven swing states – Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin – which are crucial and could swing Republican (red) or Democrat (blue). These battleground states are a focus for both campaigns.

East Coast closes and counting begins

Polls first close in states like Indiana, Kentucky, and Virginia, but these aren’t swing states, so results are predictable. However, polls will also close in the first swing state of the night: Georgia. With its 16 critical electoral votes, a win here for either candidate could signal the night’s direction.

Georgia, narrowly won by Joe Biden in 2020, was also mired in false claims of fraud. The candidate with the majority here will collect 16 of the 538 electoral college votes needed to reach 270 – the target to win the White House.

At 19:30 EST (00:30 GMT), polls in North Carolina close. While the presidential race dominates, the governor’s race here has also drawn attention, as state Attorney General Josh Stein faces Trump-backed candidate Mark Robinson, whose campaign has seen its share of scandals. Ohio polls will close at the same time, where Trump’s running mate JD Vance is a senator.

Projected winners and media calls

Around now, major US media outlets may start “calling” results, projecting winners based on exit polls and early vote counts, even before full counts are complete. This is done when they judge one candidate’s lead to be insurmountable, though in close swing states, a call may take much longer. The BBC will rely on data from Edison Research to make these projections.