U.S. Elections 2024 voting LIVE: The Trumps cast their ballots in Palm Beach

Over 186 million Americans are eligible to vote as the countdown for U.S. election day has begun to decide the country’s 47th president

Former U.S. President Donald Trump, flanked by former U.S. first lady Melania Trump, speaks to reporters as he votes at Mandel Recreation Center on Election Day in Palm Beach, Florida, U.S., on November 5, 2024. | Photo Credit: Reuters

Voting commences in New Hampshire, the first state to poll in the U.S. Presidential election today.

Many political observers billed the unpredictable race for the 47th President of the U.S. as the most consequential one in decades while appearing to project a grim picture for the country’s future under a Trump presidency.

 In her closing remarks  in her Michigan rally on Sunday Nov. 3,  2024 Kamala Harris sought to strike on an optimistic note, saying that the U.S. had an opportunity for a “fresh start” and could “turn the page on a decade of politics driven by fear and division.” Donald Trump focused on the security of the U.S.-Mexico border, attacking Democrats and saying he will improve the economy, during his closing arguments in Raleigh, North Carolina on Monday Nov. 4, 2024 .

An early Voting station was set up at the John Jay College in the Manhattan area of NYC. Voters flocked the read and cast their ballots days ahead of the main election day on November 5. Suzan, the coordinator of the station, said the early voting process is witnessing a very positive response.

• November 06, 2024 00:25 Police have arrested a man trying to enter the US Capitol with a torch and flare gunU.S. Capitol Police say the man was stopped during a security screening at the Capitol Visitor Center. Authorities say he smelled of fuel and was carrying the flare gun and torch.Officials have cancelled public tours of the Capitol for the remainder of the day. Police say they are still investigating.The arrest comes as authorities are on heightened alert for security issues around the nation’s capital and have increased patrols in areas downtown and near the White House around Election Day. — AP
• November 05, 2024 23:45 Trump refused to comment on his vote on Florida’s abortion ballot measureAsked about the measure, which would keep the state’s six-week restriction in place, he avoided answering by simply saying he’d done “a great job bringing it back to the states.”Trump had previously indicated he would back the measure, but then changed his mind, saying he would vote against it.The abortion measure would prevent lawmakers from passing any law that penalises, prohibits, delays or restricts abortion until fetal viability, which doctors say is sometime after 21 weeks. If it’s rejected, the state’s current abortion law would stand. — AP
• November 05, 2024 23:16 Man threatened to burn down a polling site in upstate New York, arrested The man went to vote in the town of Fowler near the Canadian border at about 6:30 a.m., New York State Police said in a news release. He had previously convicted a felony and was told that he was ineligible to vote because he had not re-registered after being released from prison. The man became irate and began threatening to return with a gun or to burn the place down, police said. — AP
• November 05, 2024 22:33 After software problems, voting hours will be extended in a Pennsylvania county A Pennsylvania state judge on Tuesday ordered polls to remain open for two extra hours in Cambria County, which sought the extension after a software malfunction affected ballot-scanning machines. County officials said the problem caused some voter confusion, with some leaving without casting a ballot, as well as long lines at some locations. They stressed, along with state officials, that no one was being turned away from the polls and all ballots would be counted. — AP
• November 05, 2024 22:26 Markets rally, signaling a solid U.S. economyAs Americans head to the polls, investors cheered the latest evidence of a strong U.S. economy, boosting the stock market. The S&P 500 was up 1% in midday trading, rising closer to its record set last month. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 334 points, or 0.8%, as of 11:35 a.m. Eastern time, while the Nasdaq composite was 1.3% higher. Investors are closely tracking the election. If the results are unclear or contested, it could disrupt the market. Investors tend to prefer a party split between the White House and the houses of Congress because massive swings in policy — especially things that would balloon the deficit — can slow the economy. The economy is a top issue for voters, many of whom have had to contend with rising grocery prices and a housing and rental market that is growing more unaffordable. But voters are split on which candidate would be better for the economy. Ms. Harris has focused her economic message on housing affordability, boosting the child tax credit for families with newborns, and raising taxes on the affluent. Mr. Trump wants to cut taxes for corporations, raise tariffs and end income taxes on social security benefits. Economists have warned his proposal to raise tariffs could worsen inflation and drive up prices. — AP
• November 05, 2024 22:24 The Trumps cast their ballots in Palm BeachFormer U.S. President Donald Trump has cast his ballot in Palm Beach, Florida and says his latest presidential campaign was the best yet. “I ran a great campaign. I think it was maybe the best of the three. We did great in the first one. We did much better in the second one but something happened. I would say this is the best campaign we’ve run,” he said, standing next to his wife, Melania Trump. After casting his vote, Mr. Trump told reporters in Palm Beach that “It seems that the conservatives are voting very powerfully.” “It looks like Republicans have shown up in force,” he said.Asked if he had any regrets about his campaign, Trump responded, “I can’t think of any.”– AP
• November 05, 2024 22:22Joe Biden is laying low at the White House on Election DayU.S. President Joe Biden has no public appearances on his schedule and his press secretary, Karine Jean-Pierre, won’t be holding her typical daily briefing on Tuesday. Mr. Biden made his final campaign appearance on Saturday when he delivered a speech to laborers on behalf of the Harris-Walz campaign in Scranton, Pennsylvania. He hasn’t taken a question from reporters since gaggling at an event in Baltimore last Tuesday. Later that same day, Mr. Biden created an uproar in remarks to Latino activists when he responded to racist comments at a Trump rally made by the comedian Tony Hinchcliffe, who referred to the U.S. island territory of Puerto Rico as a “floating island of garbage.” Mr. Biden, according to a transcript prepared by the official White House stenographers, told the Latino group on a Tuesday evening video call, “The only garbage I see floating out there is his supporters — his — his demonization of Latinos is unconscionable, and it’s un-American.” The transcript released by the White House press office, however, rendered the quote with an apostrophe, reading “supporter’s” rather than “supporters,” which aides said pointed to Biden criticizing Hinchcliffe, not the millions of Americans who are supporting Trump for president.
• November 05, 2024 22:17 Kamala Harris urges Americans to ‘get out and vote’ Kamala Harris urged Americans to “get out and vote” on Election Day, particularly in battleground states, as her White House duel with Donald Trump reached its climax Tuesday.“We’ve got to get it done. Today is voting day, and people need to get out and be active,” she said on Atlanta station WVEE-FM. — AFP
• November 05, 2024 22:14 On Nov. 5, 1872 Susan B. Anthony defied law by voting in the presidential election
• November 05, 2024 22:11 A strike by technical workers at The New York Times has endangered The NeedleThe newspaper said early Tuesday it was unclear whether it will be able to include the feature on its website during election night coverage since it relies on computer systems maintained by engineers at the company, including some who went on strike early Monday. The Needle, as its name suggests, is a graphic that uses voting results and other calculations to point toward the likelihood of either presidential candidate winning. Introduced in 2016, it became nightmare-inducing for supporters of Democrat Hillary Clinton, who the Times determined had an 85% chance of winning the election. Readers watched as the Needle moved from forecasting a “likely” Clinton victory at the beginning of election night, to “toss-up” by 10 p.m. Eastern to “leaning Trump” at midnight. Trump won the election. The Times said that “we will only publish a live version of the Needle if we are confident” that the computer systems it relies upon for data are stable. Even if the Needle is sidelined, the Times said journalists plan to run its statistical model periodically and give readers a sense in its live blog where the race stands as the night goes on. Some 650 members of the Times’ Tech Guild are on strike. — AP
• November 05, 2024 22:06 Elizabeth Warren hopes to brush back challenge from John Deaton Democratic U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren is hoping to brush back a challenge from Republican John Deaton on Tuesday as she seeks a third term representing Massachusetts. Deaton, an attorney who moved to the state from Rhode Island earlier this year, tried to portray the former Harvard Law School professor as out of touch with ordinary Bay State residents. Warren cast herself as a champion for an embattled middle class and a critic of regulations benefitting the wealthy. Warren has remained popular in the state despite coming in third in Massachusetts in her 2020 bid for president. Warren first burst onto the national scene during the 2008 financial crisis with calls for tougher consumer safeguards, resulting in the creation of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. She has gone on to become one of her party’s most prominent liberal voices. — AP
• November 05, 2024 21:59 This election would be close; Go out and Vote, says Barack ObamaAs Americans woke up Tuesday morning to elect a new president, many of them received a message from former president Barack Obama, urging them to go out and vote and telling them that this election is going to be close. “Folks, this election is going to be close. In some states, just a handful of votes in every precinct could decide the winner,” Mr. Obama said in a short but powerful video message that appeared on the screens of millions of people through various digital mediums like email, messaging apps like WhatsApp and social media platforms like X and Facebook. The next President of the United States, political pundits say, depends on the results of the seven battleground States. These are Arizona, Nevada, Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania, North Carolina and Georgia. Experts say that the poll is so close that in some of these states, the margin of victory could be a few thousand votes. “So you need to get out there and tell your family, talk to your neighbours, make a plan, go to the polls with your friends and vote,” Mr. Obama said and made an appeal to vote for Vice President Kamala Harris and her running mate Tim Walz, the Governor of Minneapolis. “Vote for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz,” Mr. Obama said. Mr. Obama is said to be the pioneer in the “Go Out and Vote” campaign developed by the ruling Democratic Party. — PTI
• November 05, 2024 21:49 Harris looking forward to an election night party at her alma mater“The first office I ever ran for was freshman class representative at Howard University,” Kamala Harris recalled in her Tuesday interview with the Big Tigger Morning Show on V-103 in Atlanta. “And to go back tonight to Howard University, my beloved alma mater, and be able to hopefully… recognize this day for what it is — really it’s full circle for me.” Howard, located in the nation’s capital, is part of a network of historically Black colleges and universities founded before 1964 for African American students. If she wins, Kamala Harris will be the first HBCU to serve as President. — AP
• November 05, 2024 21:35 Voter Voice: ‘I got my sticker. I’m showing that off today’Geoff Grace has a tremor, and filling out the little circles on his Wisconsin ballot was a difficult task. But he got it done — with some help from his mother — and got a round of applause from poll workers for getting through the process when his ballot was deposited. “They were very nice and accommodating for that,” Grace said. “And I got my sticker. I’m showing that off today.” Grace voted for Harris. “I strongly believe a woman should have a chance at being president,” he said. — AP
• November 05, 2024 21:33 Kamala Harris does last-minute radio interviews targeting key voter groupsKamala Harris talked about immigration and bridging the political divide on The Big K Morning Show with Larry Richert on NewsRadio KDKA in Pittsburgh. With the popular Big Tigger Morning Show on V-103 in Atlanta, she discussed how her policies would impact Black men and the historical implications of the election. On the Bigger Tigger show, Harris also homed in on a theme she’s pushed hard in her final days on the campaign trail: She wants to win to help regular Americans while Trump wants back in the White House to strike out at enemies. “He will walk into the Oval Office if he were elected with his enemies list,” Harris said. “He is full of vengeance, he’s full of grievance. It’s all about himself. When I walk in on January 20th, I’ll walk in with my to-do list on behalf of the American people.” Her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, also recorded several radio interviews airing Tuesday with stations in Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania and North Carolina, according to the campaign. — AP
• November 05, 2024 21:31 An Alabama county is printing emergency ballots after discovering a missing page St. Clair County Probate Judge Andrew Weathington said the problem was discovered Tuesday morning when packs of sealed ballots were opened at polling places and many were found to be missing the back page, which contains proposed constitutional amendments. He said it appeared to be a printing error. The proposed ballots were proofed before printing and were correct, he added. The Alabama Secretary of State’s Office confirmed emergency ballots are being printed. The ACLU of Alabama has asked the St. Clair probate office to extend voting hours by the number of hours it takes to get new ballots, a spokesman for the organization said. Weathington said he is seeking legal guidance from the Alabama secretary of state and the county attorney. Alabama voters are deciding local constitutional amendments and one statewide amendment. The statewide amendment relates to allowing a local school board to sell land, located in another Alabama county, to a developer. Voters in the county were also voting on a local amendment related to local school board governance. — AP
• November 05, 2024 21:19 Florida’s voter information website experiences issuesFlorida voters turning to a State-run website to check their voter registration status were getting an error message Tuesday morning. A spokesperson for Florida Secretary of State Cord Byrd confirmed the State’s online Voter Information Lookup tool was experiencing technical issues but did not answer questions about what was causing the problem.“We’re working to resolve it,” spokesperson Mark Ard said. “We’re providing alternative websites and locations for voters to find their voter information, their precinct.”Floridians can check their voter registration status and find their polling place by going to their county supervisor of elections website. — AP

November 05, 2024 21:02 Foreign election interference issues quiet so farCait Conley, senior adviser to the director of the Cybersecurity Infrastructure and Security Agency, said during a briefing that “we are not currently tracking any national level, significant incidents impacting the security of our election infrastructure. We are tracking instances of extreme weather and other temporary infrastructure disruption to certain areas of the country, but these are largely expected routine and planned for events.” Conley said CISA, the FBI and intelligence communities did anticipate that foreign actors would try to influence the election later today and in the following weeks. — AP

• November 05, 2024 20:57 Why you hear about Dixville Notch every presidential electionIt’s practically an Election Day tradition now. The news media gathers in tiny Dixville Notch, New Hampshire, a picturesque town near the Canadian border, to watch the first voters cast their ballots at midnight. Dixville Notch started its tradition in 1960. Neil Tillotson, who owned the town’s Balsams Grand Resort Hotel, heard about midnight voting from an Associated Press reporter, his son Tom told CBS News. The elder petitioned the legislature to let the community create its own voting precinct. Even though two other towns had midnight voting — including one that opened early for railroad workers — Dixville Notch was the only one with a hotel that made it convenient for reporters and photographers to file, with phone lines and a dark room. The first polling place was inside Tillotson’s resort. Per the tradition, AP reporter Nick Perry was on hand when a half-dozen voters cast their ballots at the polling place, which has moved to the living room of the Tillotson home. He documented the scene, and made sure not to miss that the polling place featured “ a couple of very friendly dogs.” — AP
• November 05, 2024 20:53 Flooding causes voting headaches in MissouriFlooding has knocked out power to one Missouri polling site, made another one hard to reach and closed dozens of roads in the state. More than 7 inches of rain has fallen in some areas over the past two days. And the National Weather Service issued flood and flash flood warnings and watches across a large swath of the State, extending from its southwest corner to the St. Louis area in the east. The flooding left some drivers stranded in their vehicles and disrupted bus service on multiple routes in the St. Louis area. In Jefferson County, just to the south of St. Louis, the sheriff’s office warned in a news release that one polling site is not accessible by many people because of flooding. In St. Louis County, the weather flooded electrical equipment in one suburb, knocking out power to a church that is serving as a polling place, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported. Poll workers there are now running the elections using a generator. Despite the problems, many voters lined up in the rain to cast their ballots. — AP
• November 05, 2024 20:51 NFL, NBA facilities in use on Election DayThere are no NFL or NBA games today. Plenty of fans will be going to stadiums anyway. At least 17 NFL and NBA facilities are either polling locations or ballot drop-off stations. Some teams even offered voters personalized “I Voted” stickers with team logos. Tuesdays aren’t game days in the NFL. The NBA, for the third consecutive year, isn’t playing any games on Election Day to support “civic engagement,” the league said. And players from all 30 NBA teams wore warm-up shirts with a simple message Monday night: “Vote,” they said. — AP
• November 05, 2024 20:47 Giuliani ordered to appear in court after missing deadline to turn over possessionsU.S. District Judge Lewis Liman issued the order late Monday after lawyers for Ruby Freeman and her daughter, Wandrea “Shaye” Moss — two former Georgia election workers who were awarded a $148 million defamation judgment — reported to the court that Rudy Giuliani cleared out his Manhattan apartment weeks before the Oct. 29 deadline to surrender his possessions. Lawyers for Freeman and Moss say Giuliani has not yet surrendered any of the items that he was ordered to turn over — including his $5 million New York apartment, a 1980 Mercedes once owned by movie star Lauren Bacall and a variety of other belongings including sports memorabilia. A spokesperson and lawyers for Giuliani did not return email messages seeking comment Monday night and Tuesday morning. Giuliani was ordered to pay the former election workers for falsely accusing them of ballot fraud during the 2020 presidential election, as part of Donald Trump’s unfounded claims that the election was stolen from him. — AP
• November 05, 2024 20:40 U.S. September trade deficit widest in over two yearsThe US trade deficit expanded in September to its widest since early 2022, government data showed Tuesday, as imports increased while companies braced for a dockworkers strike and sweeping tariffs if Donald Trump is reelected. The world’s biggest economy saw its trade gap jump 19.2 percent to $84.4 billion, said the Department of Commerce, with imports growing by 3.0 percent. The expansion was significantly more than a market consensus forecast by Briefing.com. The rise in imports came ahead of the year-end holiday season, and may be due to companies stocking up in anticipation of a dockworkers’ strike in early October. The strike was suspended after three days. “We should see some payback over the next couple of months,” Ryan Sweet of Oxford Economics told AFP. “The widening in the trade deficit isn’t any cause for concern,” he added. — AFP
• November 05, 2024 20:31 Kamala Harris campaign stresses patience as votes are talliedThe seven battleground states have varying rules on when votes are counted, so it is expected to take some time before all votes are tallied in the key states that are expected to decide the razor-tight race. “We’re going to be patient,” Harris campaign chair Jen O’Malley Dillon said during a Tuesday appearance on MSNBC. “We’re going to be very focused on what’s happening in the early part of the night. But we know some of our bigger battleground states are not going to be fully tallied until later in the night or early in the morning.” O’Malley Dillon was hopeful that early turnout in Georgia and North Carolina was a positive sign for the Harris campaign. By the time early voting in North Carolina had ended on Saturday, over 4.4 million voters — or nearly 57% of all registered voters in the state — had cast their ballots. It was particularly robust in the 25 western counties affected by Hurricane Helene and was even stronger at 59% of registered voters. Georgia meanwhile saw more than 4 million voters cast early ballots, a record-breaking number for the State. — AP
• November 05, 2024 20:22 Wall Street edges higher as Americans head to the pollsU.S. stock indexes edged higher as voters head to the polls on the last day of the presidential election. The S&P 500 was up 0.4% in early trading on Tuesday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.1%, and the Nasdaq composite was 0.6% higher. Excitement about the artificial-intelligence boom helped lift Wall Street, as it has for much of the last year. Software company Palantir Technologies jumped 16.3% after delivering bigger profit and revenue than analysts expected for the latest quarter. Treasury yields edged higher in the bond market. — AP
• November 05, 2024 20:21 Voter Voice: Harris is ‘going to go out and get the ball’ on Social SecurityAtlanta audio-visual technician Mark Butler wasn’t working on Tuesday and planned to watch election coverage after he cast his ballot in the morning.He said he voted for Harris.“What matters to me is Social Security,” Butler said. “I think she’s going to go out and get the ball on that one.”Butler, a lifelong Atlanta resident, said he’s fully aware of the weight Georgia will likely carry in deciding who wins the White House.“It’s very important. We’re a swing state, probably one of the most important swing states,” he said. — AP
• November 05, 2024 20:14 FBI warns of fabricated videos misusing its name and insigniaA news clip that purports to come from the FBI tells voters that they should vote remotely because of a high terror threat at polling stations.But the FBI said that the clip is bogus, did not come from the bureau and does not accurately represent concerns about safety at polling locations.Also false is a video depicting a fabricated FBI press release claiming that the management of prisons in several key battleground States rigged inmate voting and colluded with one of the political parties. The FBI did not identify anyone who it thought might be responsible for the manufactured videos. Over the past two weeks, the agency has blamed Russian influence actors for a variety of manufactured internet postings and videos officials say were released as part of a broader disinformation campaign. — AP
• November 05, 2024 20:13 Vance casts his ballot in OhioRepublican Vice Presidential candidate JD Vance voted in Cincinnati this morning.“Look, I feel good. You never know until you know, but I feel good about this race,” Vance said after he and his wife cast their ballots.Vance said he would depart for Palm Beach, Florida, later today to be with Donald Trump as results come in. — AP
• November 05, 2024 20:13 The post office is open today, but it may be too late to send your mail-in ballotThe U.S. Postal Service is open as usual on Election Day, but before voters drop their ballots in they should check their state’s deadlines. Some states require mail-in ballots to arrive by Election Day. Others only require ballots to be postmarked by Election Day. And some states, too, allow mail-in ballots to be dropped off in ballot boxes or at polling places through Election Day. Voters should check their state election websites to determine the deadlines. — AP
• November 05, 2024 20:12 Migrant caravan starts walking in southern MexicoSome 2,500 migrants from at least a dozen countries have started walking in southern Mexico, hoping Mexican authorities will allow them to eventually reach the U.S. border.The caravan departed on U.S. Election Day after a tight race that frequently put immigration at its center.Those walking voiced more immediate concerns than U.S. politics like safety for their families and job opportunities.Groups of several hundred to several thousand migrants moving together en masse has become more common in recent years.In October 2020, a caravan that formed in Honduras ahead of the U.S. election was stopped by authorities in Guatemala. In October 2018, ahead of U.S. midterms, another caravan that started in Honduras grew to about 7,000 and eventually reached the U.S. border.In recent years, caravans haven’t made it out of southern Mexico. — AP
• November 05, 2024 20:11 Voters fend off stormy weather as they head to the pollsIt’s raining across much of the nation’s midsection this morning and forecasters say storms are possible in large swaths of the country later today.In Houston, local television cameras showed voters huddled together under umbrellas as they waited to enter polling locations. In Miami Lakes, Florida, at least one voter held a sample ballot over his head in a largely futile effort to fend off a quick downpour.And it’s not just rain in the forecast. Voters in Colorado and Montana might see snow later today, forecasters say. — AP
• November 05, 2024 20:11 Trump and Harris are on the ballot in Puerto Rico. But it’s symbolicAs a presidential campaign that engendered fury on the island over a comedian’s incendiary remarks at a Trump rally culminates, Puerto Ricans can support Harris or Trump in a symbolic vote if they wish. While Puerto Ricans are U.S. citizens, those on the island are not allowed to vote in U.S. presidential elections. The election is still consequential, as voters will elect a new governor. If Jenniffer González of the pro-statehood New Progressive Party wins, it will mark the first time in the island’s history that the party secures three consecutive terms. If Juan Dalmau, who is running for Puerto Rico’s Independence Party and Citizen Victory Movement, wins, it will be the first win for a candidate not representing either of the two main parties that have dominated the island’s politics for decades. Voters also will be asked for a seventh time about Puerto Rico’s political status. Nearly 2 million voters in Puerto Rico are eligible to participate in Tuesday’s election, though it remains to be seen how many will do so. Voter apathy has dominated recent elections. — AP
• November 05, 2024 19:27 Voter Voice: ‘I was just waiting for this day to come’In Scranton, Pennsylvania, Liza Fortt, a 74-year-old Black woman, arrived at her polling location in a wheelchair and not feeling well.But she ventured out anyway to vote for Kamala Harris.“It means a lot to me and my grandkids, my granddaughters, my nieces…. I was just waiting for this day to come,” Fortt said.She said she never thought she’d have such an opportunity, to cast a ballot for a Black woman in a presidential race.“I’m proud, to see a woman, not only a woman, but a Black woman,” Fortt said. — AP
• November 05, 2024 19:13 Federal judge says Missouri can’t block federal election monitors in St. LouisAt issue is a settlement agreement with the St. Louis Board aimed at ensuring people with mobility and vision impairments can access polling places. The 2021 settlement was reached under Trump’s Justice Department after federal officials found problems, such as ramps that were too steep and inaccessible parking, according to the court papers. Missouri is among several states pushing back against federal election monitors. On Monday, Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft argued in a lawsuit that state law “clearly and specifically limits who may be in polling places.” He also accused the federal government of “attempting to illegally interfere in Missouri’s elections.” U.S. District Judge Sarah Pitlyk wrote Monday night that the case boils down to two individuals at one polling place to ensure compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, as has happened at least twice before without any problems. “Being prevented from enforcing its election laws may also be a harm to the State of Missouri, but that harm also has a counterweight in the United States’ interest in enforcing the ADA,” Pitlyk wrote. — AP
• November 05, 2024 19:11 Thulasendrapuram residents pray for Kamala Harris victory in U.S. Presidential polls“ Vetri pera vaazhthugirom thirumathi Kamala Harris” — read a caption in Tamil on a colourful vinyl sheet put up at ​Thulasendrapuram — the ancestral village of the U.S. Democratic Presidential candidate Kamala Harris​ — wishing her an emphatic victory on the day of polling.The ​nondescript village in Tiruvarur district in central Tamil Nadu​ and situated thousands of miles away from the USA came alive on Tuesday (November 5) even as Americans were all set to elect a new president.
• November 05, 2024 19:07 Bernie Sanders seeks to win fourth six-year term Bernie Sanders, the Vermont independent beloved by progressives, is seeking to win a fourth six-year term in the U.S. Senate on Tuesday. The 83-year-old senator is a self-described democratic socialist who caucuses with the Democrats and twice came close to winning the presidential nomination. More recently, he’s worked closely with the Biden administration to craft its domestic policy goals on health care, education, child care and workers’ rights. The longest-serving independent in Congress is being challenged by Republican Gerald Malloy, a U.S. Army veteran and businessman. Also on the ballot are independent Steve Berry, as well as minor party candidates Mark Stewart Greenstein, Matt Hill and Justin Schoville. Sanders says he’s running again because the country faces some of its toughest and most serious challenges of the modern era. He described those as threats to its democratic foundations, massive levels of income and wealth inequality, climate change, and challenges to women’s ability to control their own bodies. “I just did not feel with my seniority and with my experience that I could walk away from Vermont, representing Vermont, at this difficult moment in American history,” he said at a recent WCAX-TV debate. Malloy, 62, who served 22 years in the Army and was a defense contractor for 16 years, said he thought Sanders was going to retire — and thinks he should — after 34 years in Congress. Malloy said Sanders isn’t delivering results. — AP
• November 05, 2024 19:04 A Palm Beach precinct is preparing for Trump’s arrival at the pollsIn Palm Beach, Florida, precinct 5604 had a large police presence Tuesday morning, about an hour after polls opened.At least 15 officers — from local sheriff’s deputies to Secret Service agents — were seen using the same walkway that voters were utilizing on their walk into the polling location, preparing for Trump’s arrival. The former president is expected to vote there later in the day.The voting line flowed without interruption, with a steady stream throughout the early hours. — AP
• November 05, 2024 19:03 U.S. Senator Tim Kaine fights for a third term in Virginia against GOP challenger Hung CaoDemocratic U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia is vying for a third term against a GOP challenger who is trying to become the first Republican in the state since 2002 to win a seat to the upper chamber. Hung Cao broke through to win a crowded Republican primary and face off against Kaine, who won reelection in 2018 by 16 percentage points. Kaine, Virginia’s junior U.S. senator, said last year that he was preparing for a tough race and noted that “Virginians will vote for Republicans in statewide elections,” as they did in 2021 for Gov. Glenn Youngkin. “Nobody can take that for granted,” Kaine said when he announced his reelection bid. Cao scored former President Donald Trump’s endorsement during a crowded Republican primary race. And the former president stated then that Cao would help to stop inflation, secure the border and “defend our always under siege Second Amendment.” Political scientists have said there’s a narrow path to victory for the GOP given Virginia’s moderate electorate, aversion to Trump in the 2020 election and Kaine’s salience with voters. — AP
• November 05, 2024 18:59 Police steps up its presence in all eight wards of DC, says Mayor Muriel BowserBusinesses around the White House on Tuesday morning continued to board up windows and erect temporary fencing, precautions being taken amid worries that Election Day — and the days ahead — could lead to unrest.DC Mayor Muriel Bowser says the police department is also stepping up its presence in commercial districts in all eight wards of the city. Metropolitan Police Chief Pamela Smith at a Monday new conference also sought to assure the city’s residents that her department is prepared for whatever Election Day might bring.“Our team has been fully engaged and vigilant,” she said. “We are the best in the country at what we do, and we will keep working around the clock to keep Washington, D.C., safe and keep our residents safe.” — AP
• November 05, 2024 18:55 Attorneys general urge a ‘peaceful transfer of power’The attorneys general from 47 states and three U.S. territories are urging people to remain peaceful and to preemptively “condemn any acts of violence related to the results.” The statement, released Tuesday, was signed by chief prosecutors from every U.S. state except Indiana, Montana and Texas. Attorneys general from the District of Columbia and the U.S. territories of American Samoa, Northern Mariana Islands and U.S. Virgin Islands also signed. “We call upon every American to vote, participate in civil discourse and, above all, respect the integrity of the democratic process,” they wrote. “Violence has no place in the democratic process; we will exercise our authority to enforce the law against any illegal acts that threaten it.” Fears of election violence persist nearly four years after Trump supporters rioted at the U.S. Capitol in an attempt to stop the election certification. Rather than condemning the violence during his campaign, Trump has celebrated the rioters, pledging to pardon them and featuring a recorded chorus of prisoners in jail for their roles in the Jan. 6 attack singing the national anthem. — AP
• November 05, 2024 18:54 Most Florida voters cast their ballot before Election DayWhen polls opened at 7 a.m. local time in Florida on Tuesday, a majority of the state’s registered voters had already cast a ballot early — including voting by mail and early in-person voting, according to an analysis of state data by the University of Florida Election Lab.Of those who waited to vote on Election Day, many were getting their civic duty out of the way early, according to elections officials.In Orange County, home to the city of Orlando, more than 4,700 people voted in the first 20 minutes of polls being open, according to a social media post by the county elections supervisor’s office. — AP
• November 05, 2024 18:53 Puerto Rico holds general election that promises to be historicPuerto Rico is holding elections that will be historic regardless of which of the top two gubernatorial candidates wins. If Jenniffer González of the pro-statehood New Progressive Party wins Tuesday’s election, it will mark the first time in the island’s history that the party secures three consecutive terms. If Juan Dalmau, who is running for Puerto Rico’s Independence Party and Citizen Victory Movement, wins, it will be the first win for a candidate not representing either of the two main parties that have dominated the island’s politics for decades. For decades, the New Progressive Party and the Popular Democratic Party would receive at least 90% of all votes, but that began to change in 2016, with newer parties attracting more voters amid economic and political turmoil. “That has been a very big change,” said Jorge Schmidt Nieto, a political analyst and university professor. Results are not expected late Tuesday, with analysts warning it might be a couple of days before that happens. During the 2020 elections, it took officials four days to release preliminary results. Puerto Rico’s State Elections Commission is still counting more than 220,000 early and absentee votes it received, with officials from various political parties noting the process is slow-going. The counting of those votes began more than two weeks later than usual. On Tuesday, voters also will be asked for a seventh time about Puerto Rico’s political status. The nonbinding referendum offers three options: statehood, independence and independence with free association, under which issues like foreign affairs, U.S. citizenship and use of the U.S. dollar would be negotiated. Regardless of the outcome, a change in status requires approval from the U.S. Congress. In addition, Puerto Ricans on Tuesday can support Kamala Harris or Donald Trump in a symbolic vote if they wish. While Puerto Ricans are U.S. citizens, those on the island are not allowed to vote in U.S. presidential elections. Nearly 2 million voters are eligible to participate in Tuesday’s election, although it remains to be seen how many people will do so. Voter apathy has dominated recent elections. — AP
• November 05, 2024 18:46Voting in Dixville

• November 05, 2024 18:27Federal agencies say Russia, Iran ramping up influence campaigns targeting U.S. votersThe nation’s federal law enforcement and election security agencies debunked two new examples of Russian election disinformation on the eve of Election Day, highlighting attempts by foreign actors to sow doubt in the US voting process and warning that the efforts run the risk of inciting violence against election officials.In a joint statement late Monday, federal officials pointed to a recent article posted by Russian actors falsely claiming that US officials across presidential swing states were orchestrating a plan to commit fraud, as well as a video that falsely depicted an interview with an individual claiming election fraud in Arizona.US intelligence reveals that Russia-linked influence actors “are manufacturing videos and creating fake articles to undermine the legitimacy of the election, instill fear in voters regarding the election process, and suggest Americans are using violence against each other due to political preferences”, read the statement issued by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, the FBI and the US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. “These efforts risk inciting violence, including against election officials.” The Russian Embassy called the officials’ announcement “baseless” in an emailed statement, saying Russia “has not interfered and does not interfere in the internal affairs of other countries, including the United States”.Federal officials warned that Russia would likely release additional “manufactured content” on Election Day and posed “the most active threat” when it comes to foreign election influence. The statement also noted that Iran remains a “significant foreign influence threat to US elections”. — AP
• November 05, 2024 18:22 Voting in process in U.S. presidential

• November 05, 2024 18:15 Democratic Rep. Angie Craig seeks a 4th term in Minnesota’s tightest congressional raceDemocratic U.S. Rep. Angie Craig is seeking a fourth term in Minnesota’s tightest congressional race, a face-off against Republican former federal prosecutor Joe Teirab. And in the race for the open seat being vacated by Democratic U.S. Rep. Dean Phillips, Kelly Morrison, a Democratic former state senator, was favoured over retired Washington County District Judge Tad Jude. He’s a Republican who also served on the Hennepin County Board and in both chambers of the state Legislature, where in 1972 at age 20 he became the youngest member ever elected to the House. Mr. Craig and Teirab ran in the second District, which includes a political mix of outer suburbs of Minneapolis and St. Paul south of the Minnesota River, and rural areas farther south that trend Republican. It’s Minnesota’s sole swing district. Morrison and Jude competed in the third District, which includes suburbs surrounding Minneapolis and has gone Democratic in recent elections. Mr. Craig lost to Republican Jason Lewis by less than 2 percentage points in 2016 before beating him by just over 5.5 points in their 2018 rematch. She defeated Marine Corps veteran Tyler Kistner by just over 2 points in 2020 and just over 5 points in 2022. Mr. Craig, who was targeted with death threats and forced to move after fighting off a mentally disturbed attacker in the elevator of her Washington apartment building, staked out centrist positions on many issues. But she supports abortion rights and accused Teirab of being an anti-abortion activist. Teirab disputed that, saying he’d vote against any federal ban or restrictions. — AP
• November 05, 2024 17:39 Dixville Notch splits presidential vote 3-3 in first Election Day voteIn a presidential election that couldn’t be closer, it seemed fitting that the first votes cast on Election Day were evenly split, with three for Donald Trump and three for Kamala Harris.The tiny New Hampshire resort town Dixville Notch has a tradition that dates back to 1960 for being the first in the nation to complete in-person voting.After a rousing accordion version of the national anthem, the town’s six voters began casting their ballots at the stroke of midnight and the vote count was complete 15 minutes later. 
• November 05, 2024 17:15 Voting starts in New HampshireVoting commences in New Hampshire State of the U.S. It is the first state to poll in the U.S. Presidential election today.
• November 05, 2024 16:30 In Maryland, competitive US House race focuses on abortion, economy and immigrationIn Maryland’s most competitive U.S. House race, voters on Tuesday will decide whether the sprawling 6th Congressional District will flip red after being represented by Democrats for over a decade.Maryland’s congressional delegation is currently all-male, with eight Democrats and one Republican. Three women are vying for open seats this election cycle, when Maryland voters will also consider a constitutional amendment to enshrine abortion rights in the state constitution. – AP
• November 05, 2024 16:17 A former Trump aide and a longtime congressman are likely to win in high-profile Georgia racesA one-time aide to former President Donald Trump will likely win election to Congress from Georgia on Tuesday, while a longtime representative will likely clinch his 17th term in the U.S. House against a former Trump administration official.Voters across Georgia will be deciding three referendums, including a measure limiting increases in a home’s value for property tax purposes. But the most competitive elections will be in a handful of state House races, where Democrats are trying to reduce the Republican majority. – AP

• November 05, 2024 15:30 In Kamla Harris’ ancestral village in Thulasendrapuram, Tamil Nadu, her supporters from the USA and locals pray for her
• November 05, 2024 15:17 When is the 2024 U.S. presidential election result expected?

• Seven swing states, worth 95 electoral college votes, will decide who bags the 270 votes needed to win. Some of these crucial swing states  will release results earlier while others could take several days after polling. For instance, in 2020, it took around 16 days after polls closed for the race to be called in Georgia. On the other hand, the race was called in Arizona early next morning. U.S. presidential elections: Factors deciding when results will be announcedThe time of announcing results can vary based on how small the winning margin is, when mail-in ballots can be counted and when polls close.
• November 05, 2024 15:02 New Hampshire hamlet casts first US Election Day votes
• November 05, 2024 14:38 Texas, Missouri judges deny requests to block DOJ from sending poll monitorsU.S. judges have denied requests from the Republican-led states of Missouri and Texas to block the federal government from sending lawyers to their states on Election Day to monitor compliance with federal voting rights laws.Both states are among the 27 that the U.S. Justice Department (DOJ) said it would send staff out to monitor at voting locations, as it has done regularly during national elections. – Reuters
• November 05, 2024 14:15 Democratic mayors in San Francisco and Oakland fight to keep their jobs on Election DayVoters are deciding whether to reelect San Francisco Mayor London Breed — the first Black woman in the role — or to pick one of her four challengers in a pricey and competitive race that’s heated up over homelessness and public safety.Crime and homelessness also drove frustrated residents of nearby Oakland to collect enough signatures to place the recall of Mayor Sheng Thao on Tuesday’s ballot. They blame Thao, who won office just two years ago, for a long list of city woes. – AP
• November 05, 2024 14:06 Three term Democratic lawmaker tries to hold key US Senate seat in Republican friendly MontanaThree-term incumbent Democratic U.S. Sen. Jon Tester of Montana faces perhaps his toughest reelection challenge yet on Tuesday, with control of the Senate on the line in a state that’s veered sharply rightward since the 68-year-old grain farmer’s first election.Republicans have pinned their hopes on Tim Sheehy, a former U.S. Navy SEAL and founder of an aerial firefighting company. Sheehy, 38, had early backing from party leaders including former President Donald Trump, clearing the political newcomer’s path to win the June primary.This is the first time Tester’s name appears on the same ballot as Trump, who won Montana by wide margins in 2016 and 2020. – AP
• November 05, 2024 13:54The top US House races in Oregon garnering national attentionOne of the most competitive U.S. House races in the country is playing out in Oregon, where the state’s GOP-held 5th Congressional District is considered one of just over two dozen toss ups nationwide.Oregon’s newest congressional district, the 6th, is seen as a likely win for Democrats compared to the 5th, according to the Cook Political Report. This gives a slight advantage to incumbent U.S. Rep. Andrea Salinas, a Democrat who is running once again against Mike Erickson, a Republican she defeated in the 2022 midterms by roughly 2.5 percentage points. – AP
• November 05, 2024 13:19Texas border districts again in thick of fight for House controlDemocratic Rep. Henry Cuellar of Texas faced his first election on Tuesday since his indictment on bribery charges, one of three closely watched races along the US-Mexico border where Republicans are trying to widen inroads in the predominately Hispanic region.Mr. Cuellar and his wife have pleaded not guilty to charges related to the couple’s ties to the former Soviet republic of Azerbaijan. Republicans mounted an aggressive campaign in 2022 to oust Mr. Cuellar, one of his party’s most outspoken moderates, but lost by double digits and pulled back in the district this year despite the indictment.– AP
• November 05, 2024 13:12 Republicans try to hold onto all of Iowa’s congressional districtsRepublicans represent all of Iowa’s four congressional districts, but Democrats are hopeful of their chances in Tuesday’s general election.Two of the districts are seen as especially competitive, including the 1st district in southeast Iowa and the 3rd district in central and southern Iowa. Republicans are expected to more easily retain control in the 2nd district in northeast Iowa and in the largely rural 4th district in western Iowa.– AP
• November 05, 2024 13:00 Republican Mike Kehoe faces Democrat Crystal Quade for Missouri GovernorRepublican Lt. Gov. Mike Kehoe is facing Missouri state Rep. Crystal Quade on Tuesday for the governorship. Kehoe is strongly favored to win in the heavily Republican state, where Quade is the House minority leader. Quade and other Missouri Democrats are hoping to wedge their way back into political relevance with help from abortion rights supporters, who could be more energized to vote with an abortion rights amendment on the ballot this year.Quade supports the amendment, which would enshrine abortion rights in the state constitution and if approved would be expected to undo the state’s near-total abortion ban.– AP
• November 05, 2024 12:58 Republican incumbent Josh Hawley faces Democrat Lucas Kunce for U.S. Senate seat in MissouriMissouri voters will decide Tuesday whether to give Republican U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley a second term or elect Democrat Lucas Kunce, a lawyer who served in the Marines. Hawley is heavily favoured to win in the state, where no Democrats hold statewide office and Republicans control both the state House and Senate.But Kunce is putting up a fight, outraising Hawley and securing support from Missouri-born celebrities John Goodman, Jon Hamm and Andy Cohen.– AP
• November 05, 2024 12:24 Republicans try to hold onto all of Iowa’s four congressional districtsRepublicans represent all of Iowa’s four congressional districts, but Democrats are hopeful of their chances in Tuesday’s general election.Two of the districts are seen as especially competitive, including the 1st district in southeast Iowa and the 3rd district in central and southern Iowa. Republicans are expected to more easily retain control in the 2nd district in northeast Iowa and in the largely rural 4th district in western Iowa. – AP
• November 05, 2024 12:14 Republicans hope to retain 3 open Indiana House seats and target another long held by DemocratsRepublicans in Indiana hope voters will help them retain three congressional seats without incumbents running, while they also aim to knock off an incumbent Democrat in the northwest part of the state.Three incumbents are retiring or seeking another office, creating vacancies that generated some hotly contested Republican primaries last spring, including two eight-way races.In the state’s northwest corner, the GOP is targeting Democratic incumbent Rep. Frank Mrvan, who is seeking his third term in the 1st District. According to Ballotpedia, Democrats have held the seat since 1930, but a Republican-drawn map that took effect in 2022 made the district more conservative. Mrvan won in 2022 with nearly 53% of the vote after taking just under 57% in 2020. – AP
• November 05, 2024 12:09 People of Kamala Harris’ ancestral village eager to see her win U.S. presidential pollAn air of excitement and expectancy pervades the Thulasendrapuram village in the district hoping that Democrat Kamala Harris, current vice president, wins in the U.S. presidential elections. The villagers have performed prayers at the Sri Dharma Sastha temple in her ancestral village expecting her to trounce former president and Republican Donald Trump, and emerge victorious as Americans vote today to elect their next president.Thulasendrapuram is the ancestral village of Kamala’s grandfather and former Indian diplomat P.V. Gopalan. Her mother Shyamala was Gopalan’s daughter.The village hogged the limelight in August 2020 when Kamala was nominated as the Democrat Vice President candidate, and it later celebrated her victory the same year.– PTI
• November 05, 2024 11:51 New Hampshire hamlet tied in first U.S. Election day votes Voters in the U.S. hamlet of Dixville Notch launched Election Day in the first minutes of Tuesday with a tied vote, mirroring the incredibly close national polls in the White House race. Kamala Harris and Donald Trump each got three ballots in the tiny community in the northeastern state of New Hampshire which for decades has kicked off Election Day at the stroke of midnight Monday, hours before the rest of the country’s polling stations open. The Democratic Vice President and Republican ex-president have been battling in a tense and exceptionally close race, with opinion polls largely tied.– AFP
• November 05, 2024 11:49 Texas, Missouri sue to block Justice Department from sending poll monitorsOn Monday (November 5, 2024), the Republican-led states of Missouri and Texas sued the U.S. Justice Department to block the federal government from sending lawyers to their states on Election Day to monitor for compliance with federal voting rights laws. Both states are among 27 the Justice Department said on Friday it would send staff out to monitor voting locations, as it has done regularly during national elections.Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said in a statement that sending monitors “infringes on States’ constitutional authority to run free and fair elections.”– Reuters
• November 05, 2024 11:43 Battleground states to watch in 2024https://www.thehindu.com/incoming/auhuo2/article68831407.ece/oembed
• November 05, 2024 11:38Harris and Trump’s final push before Election Day brings them to the same patch of PennsylvaniaVice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump made their final pitches to voters on Monday (November 4, 2024) in the same parts of Pennsylvania at roughly the same time, focusing on the state that could make or break their chances during the last full day of the presidential campaign. In Pittsburgh, Mr. Trump delivered what his campaign aides described as his closing argument after his previous attempt – a mass rally at Madison Square Garden in New York – was derailed by crude and racist jokes. He has also veered off message with falsehoods about voter fraud and invocations of violence.
• November 05, 2024 11:19 Trump vs Harris: Who has the upper hand on the eve of polling day? | In Focus podcastTrump vs Harris: Who has the upper hand on the eve of polling day? | In Focus podcast

• November 05, 2024 11:16Donald Trump dances to ‘YMCA’ during a campaign rally in G
• November 05, 2024 11:14What are swing states?https://www.youtube.com/embed/d9uwmJwRqFs?feature=oembed&enablejsapi=1&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thehindu.com
• November 05, 2024 11:07 A return to uncertainty, tariffs and a transactional approach under Donald TrumpIt is likely that if Ms Harris wins, many of her policies towards India will pick up where Mr Biden left off. There may be some greater emphasis on issues that are important to the left flank of the Democratic party — such as stronger or more public positions if the U.S. has concerns about democratic norms and human rights in the actions of the Narendra Modi government.However, there are second-order changes that could be at least as profound but felt only in the medium to long term. These might occur through Donald Trump’s approach to the Ukraine-Russia war, the conflict in West Asia, and importantly actions vis-à-vis China, the South Asian neighbourhood and the Indo-Pacific.Outcomes under a hypothetical second Trump administration are uncertain, not least because of the unpredictability that is at the core of Mr. Trump’s strategy and approach.
• November 05, 2024 10:54 Polls show US Election tightly

• November 05, 2024 10:18Abortion rights issue influencing Indian American women’s voting preferenceThe issue of abortion rights is emerging as a significant factor influencing Indian American women’s voting preferences. This demographic group, which is a part of the second-largest immigrant community in the United States, is showing a strong inclination towards supporting candidates who advocate for reproductive rights.
• November 05, 2024 10:01Why are U.S. Presidential elections held on Tuesdays?This tradition began in 1845 when Congress established Election Day as the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November.Watch: Why are U.S. Presidential elections held on Tuesdays?The US elections are traditionally held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November.
• November 05, 2024 10:00Podcaster Joe Rogan endorses Donald Trump for presidentPopular podcaster Joe Rogan, who recently interviewed Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump for nearly three hours, said on Monday (November 4, 2024) that he has endorsed the former president in the race to the White House. Mr. Trump faces Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris in the November 5 U.S. election in what polls show to be a tight race. Kamala Harris has also gotten multiple celebrity endorsements.
• November 05, 2024 09:40 Closing notes of Harris, Trump in final campaignsMs. Harris and Mr. Trump are making their case before union workers, among others, across the Blue Wall. On Friday evening, the two candidates campaigned within a few miles of each other in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The city is Democratic, with a large Black population, and conservatives are concentrated in the suburbs. Mr. Trump had flipped this State in 2016, while Mr. Biden won by a wafer-thin margin of 0.7% in 2020.
• November 05, 2024 09:31 How is the U.S. President elected?The U.S. votes for its President on the first Tuesday of November, every four years. The candidates are required to meet certain criteria to be eligible to contest, and the process itself starts months, or even years, in advance.
• November 05, 2024 09:24 Millions of Americans seal their choices in early voting, days prior42 Broadway in New York, the office of the Board of Elections, is an important address in this election season in the U.S. Michael Ryan, Executive Director, and his Deputy Vincent Ignizio are upbeat about the figures that early voting has drawn for the city. On the first day, about 1,40,000 votes were cast in early voting.
• U.S. Presidential elections 2024: Key dates and events to noteUS Presidential elections 2024: Key dates and events to noteUS election 2024: Important dates and events for the U.S. Presidential election, from voting to inauguration, summarized concisely.
• November 05, 2024 09:04

• U.S. going to historically tight presidential electionThe race between Democratic leader Kamala Harris and her Republican rival Donald Trump for the White House has been truly unprecedented as it saw drama, tragedy, political comebacks, fierce rhetoric and a historically razor-tight contest.As the big election day is just a few hours away, many political observers billed the unpredictable race for the 47th President of the U.S. as the most consequential one in decades while appearing to project a grim picture for the country’s future under a Trump presidency.– PTI