U.S. Voters Prepare to Decide Between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump
Millions of American voters are ready to cast their ballots on Tuesday to determine whether Vice President Kamala Harris or former President Donald Trump will lead the nation.
Polls leading up to Election Day indicate a close race, especially in key battleground states that will play a crucial role in deciding the outcome.
Both candidates held rallies in Pennsylvania on Monday, one of the states attracting significant attention, with each projecting confidence in their campaigns.
“Tomorrow is Election Day, and the momentum is on our side,” Harris told supporters at a historic steel facility that reflects Pittsburgh’s legacy as the heart of America’s steel industry. “Our campaign resonates with the ambitions, aspirations, and dreams of the American people. It’s time for a new generation of leadership in America.”
“We must finish strong,” she added, declaring, “Make no mistake, we will win.”
At a rally in a sports arena, Trump promised that a second Trump administration would “launch the most extraordinary economic boom the world has ever seen.” He warned that voting for Harris would mean “four more years of misery, failure, and disaster,” claiming, “Our country may never recover.” He urged voters to choose him for rising wages, greater income, and a significant increase in jobs, wealth, and opportunities for all Americans.
As Election Day approaches, more than 81 million Americans have already voted early, either in person or by mail, representing over half of the 158 million total votes cast in the 2020 election, when President Joe Biden defeated Trump. Trump has continuously claimed that he was cheated out of victory in 2020 due to fraudulent voting practices, despite numerous court rulings against his challenges to the election results, many made by judges he appointed.
During a rally in Pennsylvania, Trump stated that he “shouldn’t have left” the White House in 2021 when Biden took office. He has also indicated that he will only accept the outcome of Tuesday’s election if he believes it is fair, a notion critics suggest he interprets as only if he wins. Both candidates have assembled large legal teams to address potential voting and counting issues that may arise on Election Day and in the following days until a clear victor is determined.
A Trump win would make him the second president in U.S. history to serve non-consecutive terms, following Grover Cleveland, and the first convicted felon to hold the presidency while awaiting sentencing on 34 charges related to hush money payments to an adult film star during his successful 2016 campaign.
Trump has characterized his Democratic opponents as the “enemy within” and a threat to the country’s future, often disparaging Harris as someone of limited intelligence and suggesting she would be easily manipulated by international leaders.
Harris has positioned herself as the underdog throughout the campaign but recently expressed optimism about becoming the 47th president of the United States. If elected, she would be the first woman, the first of South Asian descent, and the second Black president, following Barack Obama.
She has labeled Trump as an “unserious man,” warning that he poses a danger to American democracy and would operate without the usual constraints of the presidency, particularly after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled earlier this year that presidents cannot be prosecuted for actions related to their official duties.
Pollsters reveal that the electorate is sharply divided between the two candidates, an assessment echoed by major media outlets regarding the potential outcomes just before Election Day.
Last-minute polling suggests a near tie between Harris and Trump in battleground states, with results falling within the margin of error. ABC News polls show Trump leading in five of seven battleground states, while The Washington Post indicates Harris is ahead in four. The New York Times reports Trump is leading in four states, Harris in two, and the race is tied in Pennsylvania.
The significance of battleground states cannot be overstated. U.S. presidential elections are decided not by the national popular vote but through the Electoral College, making it a contest of 50 state-by-state battles. Most states award all their electoral votes to the winner, with only Nebraska and Maine distributing theirs by both statewide and congressional district vote counts.
The number of electoral votes per state is determined by population, so larger states hold greater influence over the national outcome, with a candidate needing 270 of the 538 electoral votes to win the presidency. Pennsylvania alone has 19 electoral votes.
Polls indicate either Harris or Trump holds significant leads in 43 states, allowing each to secure 200 or more electoral votes. Unless an upset occurs, the victor will be determined in the remaining seven battleground states, where both candidates have concentrated their campaigning efforts, largely ignoring the rest of the country.
