US Election Updates: Donald Trump or Kamala Harris? Voting begins in America – Voting begins in the United States Donald Trump or Kamala Harris the next president of America srs

Finally, the election is being held in the United States today. After months of campaigning between Democratic nominee Kamala Harris and Republican challenger Donald Trump, the American people are voting for their next president.

The first votes were cast minutes after midnight (USA time) in a small township in New Hampshire on the border between the USA and Canada.

On the final day of canvassing, Trump and Kamala criss-crossed key battleground states to deliver closing remarks. Harris addressed supporters in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, while former President Trump held rallies in North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Michigan as he bids for a comeback.

At Donald Trump’s last rally, the Republican leader argued that his real opponent was not Kamala Harris, but “the evil system of the Democrats.” Harris, meanwhile, did not mention Trump, but ended his 107-day campaign with a promise to “turn the page on a decade of politics driven by fear and division.”

More than 78 million Americans have already voted, according to the University of Florida Election Lab, which tracks early voting and voting by mail across the United States.

Various polls predict a close fight, focused on swing states to determine the fate of the presidential election.

What are swing states?

In the United States, most states have a very clear preference for the Republican or Democratic candidate. That leaves just seven major swing states: Michigan, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Arizona, Georgia, Nevada, and North Carolina.

Winning most of these swing states is essential for candidates aiming to secure the 270 electoral votes needed to win the presidency.

In the 2024 election, Pennsylvania emerged as the biggest prize between the two candidates. With the most electoral votes (19) of any other battleground state, Pennsylvania could decide whether Trump or Harris wins the White House.

In 2016, Donald Trump managed to make progress in Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin – the three Great Lakes states that make up the “blue wall,” or Democratic stronghold. However, in 2020 US President Joe Biden won the states back to the Democratic camp.

Electoral College

The Electoral College is a system used to elect the President and Vice President of the United States. Instead of a direct popular vote, each state is given a fixed number of ‘electoral votes’ based on its representation in Congress (the total number of Senators and House Representatives). Here’s a breakdown:

Electors: Each state has electors equal to its congressional delegation (House + Senate seats). There are a total of 538 voters, including three in Washington, DC.

Popular Vote: In most states, the winner of the popular vote receives all of the state’s electoral votes, except in Maine and Nebraska, which use proportional allocation.

Electoral Vote Majority: To win the presidency, a candidate needs a majority of 270 out of 538 electoral votes.