The much awaited US presidential election is today. In this vote, the citizens of the United States will decide who will lead the country for the next four years. Opinion polls show a close fight between Democratic candidate Kamala Harris and Republican candidate Donald Trump. As a result, they are campaigning hard at the last minute to attract voters to their side; Donald Trump and Kamala Harris are especially plowing the swing states.
John Sudworth, the BBC's North America correspondent from Georgia, writes that Donald Trump has been pushing an anti-immigration message in recent campaigns. On the other hand, the BBC's Courtney Subramanian writes from Washington, Kamala Harris's campaign expressed cautious optimism about her victory. They are now trying to win over voters in swing states. 7 crore 80 lakh voters have cast their early votes till yesterday Monday before the official voting today. Now the Democrats and Republican camps are desperate to win the hearts of different categories of voters separately.
The seven swing states are Arizona, Pennsylvania, Georgia, Wisconsin, Michigan, North Carolina and Nevada. Among these, Michigan is home to the largest Arab American population in the United States. At a rally at Michigan State University, Kamala Harris said she would do everything in her power to end the war in Gaza. At a rally in Dearborn, the same state, Trump capitalized on local anger over Democrats' Middle East policies and financial benefits to Israel. Apart from this, he has repeated the policies he has been talking about for months on the economy in Michigan.
Trump-backers are confident of winning six of seven apparently swing states. Trump held a rally in Virginia last Friday. He had lost the previous two elections there by a wide margin. His running mate JD Vance went to New Hampshire on Sunday. According to the survey data, there Kamla Harris is ahead by a small margin.
Issues that matter to voters at the moment include inflation, the country's law and order situation and women's right to abortion. Kamala Harris said her priority from day one on coming to power would be to reduce the cost of living. He will take steps like curbing price hikes in retail stores, helping shoppers and raising the minimum wage.
Like many other Western countries, inflation has risen in the United States under the Biden administration. Trump, on the other hand, is promising to 'end inflation and make America affordable again'. He is talking about producing more oil to reduce fuel costs. He promised to cut interest rates. He says that if illegal immigrants can be sent back, the housing pressure will be reduced.
Kamala Harris brings to the fore her experience as a prosecutor as well as the fact that Trump has been charged with a crime. On the other hand, Trump is raising a strong voice against drug gangs and gang violence. He says cities run by Democrats are riddled with crime. At the same time, he spoke of using the military or the National Guard against the 'radical left and enemies' if the elections were disrupted.
Kamala Harris has put abortion rights at the center of her campaign. Has made clear her strong position in favor of reproductive rights legislation. But Donald Trump is apparently struggling to take a strong stance on abortion.
