2 polling stations in Pennsylvania open late
Two polling stations in Allegheny County, western Pennsylvania - a state considered a "battleground of battlegrounds" in the 2024 US presidential election - were delayed in opening on Election Day, November 5.
Election officials arrived late at the Whitehall polling place, which is now open and operating, said Abigail Gardner, a spokeswoman for Allegheny County.
At the Lincoln Place polling place in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, election officials did not arrive at the polling place on the morning of November 5. "The sheriff is taking the poll book from the election official and will take it to the polling place at Lincoln Place Presbyterian Church," said spokeswoman Abigail Gardner. Election workers have been stationed at the Lincoln Place polling place and the site will be open as usual.
Senator JD Vance votes in Ohio
Republican Vice Presidential candidate JD Vance voted in person on the morning of November 5 (local time) at a polling place in Cincinnati, Ohio. According to CNN, Senator JD Vance seemed very happy when he went to St. Anthony of Padua Church to vote with his wife, Usha, and their children. After voting, he briefly shared with the press.
More than 81 million early ballots cast
Early voting and mail-in ballots are starting to pour in across the country, and state-by-state numbers show growing voter enthusiasm.
States have long allowed at least some Americans, such as military members and people who are sick and unable to get to the polls, to vote early. Many states expanded voting eligibility in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In the 2020 presidential election, mail-in ballots tended to favor Democrats.
According to a 2021 study by the MIT Election Data and Science Lab, in 2020, 60% of Democrats reported voting by mail, compared with 32% of Republicans.
As of the evening of November 4, US time (morning of November 5, Vietnam time), more than 81 million ballots have been cast nationwide.
President Joe Biden watches election results from the White House
President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden will watch the 2024 US presidential election results from the White House along with longtime aides and senior White House staff, a White House official told CNN.
The 81-year-old US president has no public events scheduled for US election day - November 5. He is expected to receive regular updates on developments in this year's White House race as the election unfolds across the US.
State attorneys general call for 'peaceful transfer of power'
Attorneys general from 47 states and three US territories are urging voters to remain peaceful and proactively "condemn any acts of violence related to the outcome" of the 2024 US presidential election.
The proclamation, released on November 5, was signed by attorneys general from every US state except Indiana, Montana and Texas.
The attorneys general from Washington, D.C. and the U.S. territories of American Samoa, the Northern Mariana Islands, and the U.S. Virgin Islands also signed the document.
The attorneys general “urge all Americans to vote, engage in civil discourse, and above all, respect the integrity of the democratic process.”
"Violence has no place in the democratic process; we will use our authority to enforce the law against any unlawful conduct that threatens this process," the state attorneys general stressed.
Concerns about election violence persist in the United States this year following the riot at the Capitol on January 6, 2021 aimed at preventing the certification of the 2020 US presidential election results.
More polling locations open
At 7:00 a.m. ET on November 5 (7:00 p.m. the same day, Vietnam time), polling stations for the 2024 US presidential election opened in more than 25 states.
List of states that have just opened polls include:
- Alabama (some polling places open at 7am ET but most open CT, which means they will open at 8am ET on November 5)
- Delaware
- Washington, DC
- Florida (some polls open at 8 a.m. ET)
- Georgia
- Illinois
- Kansas (some polls open at 8 a.m. ET)
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan (some polls open at 8 a.m. ET)
- Missouri
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- Tennessee (polls in areas with a population of more than 120,000 must open by 7 a.m. ET)
Polling stations open
Polls opened in eight states at 6 a.m. ET on November 5, including Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, New Hampshire, and Virginia. In Indiana and Kentucky, polls opened at 6 a.m. ET, but some in the Central Time Zone opened at 7 a.m. ET.
In Maine, most polls open at 6 a.m. ET, but towns with fewer than 500 people can open as late as 10 a.m. ET.
The small town of Dixville Notch, New Hampshire, voted at midnight, a decades-old tradition. In that state, Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump were tied by three votes.
Donald Trump is confident he will win.
Republican candidate Donald Trump expressed confidence that he will win the 2024 US presidential election, thanks to his "significant lead" over Kamala Harris. However, in an interview with ABC News, the former US President admitted that "bad things can happen" and he could still lose.
Donald Trump argued in his final campaign rally in Grand Rapids, Michigan, early on November 5 that his real opponent in this election is not Vice President Kamala Harris but "a Democratic system".
"The silent majority is back and you need to get out and vote tomorrow," Trump said.
“This has been an incredible journey. All we’re doing is putting ourselves in a position to win, which we can easily do tomorrow if you go to the polls,” the former president added.
Harris calls on voters in battleground states to decide election results
Speaking at her final campaign rally in Philadelphia before Election Day, November 5, Vice President Kamala Harris said her team was "optimistic and excited."
But Ms Harris urged voters to vote, saying Pennsylvania - dubbed the "battleground of battlegrounds" because of its 19 electoral votes - could "decide the outcome" of the election.
"The race is not over and we must finish strong. This could be one of the closest races in history. Every vote matters," she said.
“With just a few hours left, we still have a lot of work to do. And as you've heard me say before, we like to work hard,” she added.
At times, the crowd chanted "We will win" and "We will not back down."
Harris reiterated several campaign promises, including lowering the cost of living, housing, child care, in-home elder care and taxes for workers and small businesses. She also vowed to pass a bill to restore reproductive rights after the Roe v. Wade decision was overturned.
“We started this campaign 107 days ago,” Harris said. “From the beginning, our campaign has not been a fight against something, but for something. A fight for a future with freedom, with opportunity, and with dignity for all Americans.”
"Tonight, we end as we began - with optimism, with energy, with joy, knowing that we, the people, have the power to shape our future. And we can meet any challenge that faces us when we do it together."
Poll results in battleground states
The 2024 US presidential election will likely be decided by a few thousand voters in a handful of so-called battleground states.
A Bloomberg/Morning Consult poll released on October 23 showed that Donald Trump and Kamala Harris were neck and neck. Harris’s surge in support since she replaced Biden in late July has stalled.
About 50% of voters in battleground states, who always consider the economy as the number one issue, expressed more confidence in Mr. Trump in steering the US economy while the support rate for Ms. Harris on this issue was 45%.
>>> See more here.
Initial result: Draw
Kamala Harris and Donald Trump tied in the US election vote at 0:00 on November 5, in Dixville Notch, New Hampshire.
CNN reported that Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump were tied with three votes each in the small town of Dixville Notch, New Hampshire, starting Election Day on November 5.
The town of Dixville Notch, located along the US-Canada border at the northern tip of New Hampshire, opened and closed its polling place at dawn Eastern time on November 5 (12:00 on November 5, Vietnam time) in a tradition that has been in place since 1960. New Hampshire has six registered voters, including four Republicans and two others.
In keeping with New Hampshire election tradition, all eligible voters gathered at the Balsams Hotel in Dixville Notch to cast their ballots after polls opened at midnight.
After every ballot is cast, the ballots are counted and the results are announced — hours before anywhere else, making it a destination for reporters — who often outnumber voters.
Les Otten, one of the town's voters, called the early announcement of results “a civics lesson for the country”.
Dixville Notch voters have backed the Democratic candidate in the last two presidential elections. In 2020, the town cast five votes for President Joe Biden. In 2016, Hillary Clinton won four of the seven votes, Donald Trump won two, and Libertarian candidate Gary Johnson won one.
In January of this year, four registered Republicans and two independents participated in the Republican primary, casting six votes in favor of former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley.
Mr. Otten, 75, said he "has been a Republican since I was 7 years old." He told CNN before the November 5 vote that he would vote for Ms. Harris.
Voters also cast ballots in the country's most competitive governor's race between former one-term Republican Sen. Kelly Ayotte and Democratic candidate Joyce Craig, the former mayor of Manchester, to succeed retiring Republican Gov. Chris Sununu.
Security beefed up around Donald Trump, Kamala Harris' residence
During the 2024 US presidential election, security was increased around the residences of Donald Trump and Kamala Harris as well as around the White House and the Capitol.
The Secret Service stressed that these enhanced measures are not in response to any specific issue but are part of broader public safety preparations for the November 5 election.
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One 9 one 10
US election polls before G-hour show Ms. Harris and Mr. Trump are 9 to 10 in the race for the White House.
The last major national poll and surveys in battleground states showed the race as close as ever.
>>> See more here.
Before G hour
Nearly 75 million American voters have cast early ballots for this year's election, according to data released by the New York Times at 2:13 p.m. ET on November 3 (2:13 a.m. November 4, Vietnam time).
The high turnout of early voters in the second consecutive presidential election adds to the unpredictability of this year's White House race and exposes a paradox of modern politics.
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Possibilities that could lead to a recount
The US presidential election results are usually announced within hours of polls closing. However, with the tight race between Republican Donald Trump and Democratic candidate Kamala Harris this year, the results may take longer, BBC reported.
>>> See more here.
The timing of the winner announcement is difficult to predict.
With all the complex developments in recent months, this election has a lot of historical significance.
AP emphasized that, in fact, no one knows how long it will take for the winner of the 2024 US presidential election to be announced.
>>> See more here.
