AMERICAS' DECIDES
Today America will be voting to decide whom will be their next 45th ,President.
After 19 months of campaigning, dozens of debates, and countless
television ads, the 2016 election comes down to one final day. For Hillary
Clinton and Donald Trump, the last few weeks have been all about getting out
the vote in battleground states and among key voting blocs. As the day unfolds,
we’ll be keeping a close eye on the returns, as well as the broader themes that
have dominated the election. Here’s a guide to help get you through Election
Day.
One of the
most contentious presidential campaigns in US history comes to an end,
when the question of who will hold the country's highest office is put in the
hands of voters.
Americans
will begin casting ballots when polling sites open in several eastern states at
6 am (1100 GMT). This year, however, with more states allowing early voting,
millions have already made their choice.
Former
secretary of state Hillary Clinton headed into Election Day with most opinion
polls favoring her to become the first woman in US history elected president.
Clinton's
opponent is Republican Donald Trump, a New York real estate developer and
billionaire with no political experience.
After 19 months of campaigning, dozens of debates, and
countless television ads, the 2016 election comes down to one final day. For
Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, the last few weeks have been all about
getting out the vote in battleground states and among key voting blocs. As the
day unfolds, we’ll be keeping a close eye on the returns, as well as the
broader themes that have dominated the election. Here’s a guide to help get you
through Election Day.
Four to 11 of the 50 states will decide this election. The
Trump campaign considers these their core four battlegrounds: Florida, North
Carolina, Ohio and Iowa. If Trump loses any of these, the campaign (and electoral math) indicate he cannot become
president.
When will we have a sense of that? Starting around 8-9 p.m ET on Tuesday. North Carolina and Ohio polls
close at 7:30 p.m. ET, and Florida is fully done voting at 8 p.m ET, when polls
close in the state’s more conservative panhandle region. If Trump takes all of
those states, next check results in Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Michigan — his
campaign would need at least one of those as well as another one or two states.
In addition to watching those battleground states, it’s
worth keeping an eye on results in several key swing counties as well. The
turnout in these bellwether counties, like Hamilton County, Ohio, (home of
Cincinnati) and Clark County, Nevada (home to Las Vegas) will be critical.
Trump has made an extended push in Nevada of late, but recently, early voting
seems to have swung Clinton’s way. It could signal much about the presidential
race, as well as the battle for control of the Senate. Republican Rep. Joe Heck
and former Nevada attorney general Catherine Cortez Masto are locked in a close
race for the open seat left by retiring Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid.
If Trump
wins, he would be the first president since Dwight Eisenhower who never held
elected office before seeking the White House. A Trump win would represent a
breakthrough for outsider candidates. And of course if Clinton wins, she would
become the first female president— a major milestone in the country’s movement
toward gender equality.
The last time
a major barrier was broken, when Obama was elected president in 2008, millions
of Americans responded with spontaneous celebrations that went on for hours
after the last polls had closed. A large crowd gathered to celebrate in front
of the White House, in Times Square, and elsewhere across the country. Whether
you voted for Obama or not, the night held a special historical significance.
It’ll be
interesting to see what happens this year, especially if Clinton wins. Will her
supporters react to her achievement with the enthusiasm that greeted Obama’s
victory eight years ago? Will Trump supporters acknowledge that Clinton made
history? Or is the nation too divided to pause and process the moment? The
election has fostered a national conversation about gender that is bound to
continue long past Election Night. Whatever shape it takes, the public’s
initial response, if Clinton wins, win will speak volumes about how far we’ve
come as a country.
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