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THE MARGINS ARE razor thin and candidates are circling swing states where there’s hope of grabbing those crucial Electoral College votes tomorrow, when Americans will choose their next president.
Republican Donald Trump has promised a “landslide” despite what polls show, while Democrat Kamala Harris said she has “momentum” on her side.
If elected, Harris will be the first female president of the United States.
Today she’s firing up supporters in Pennsylvania, which has 19 Electoral College votes, making it particularly crucial.
In Philadelphia, she’ll be joined at the rally by big names such as Lady Gaga, Oprah Winfrey, The Roots and Ricky Martin. The Pittsburgh rally will have performances by D-Nice, Katy Perry and Andra Day.
Meanwhile, Trump is holding four separate rallies, covering Pennsylvania, North Carolina and Michigan – all of which are considered ‘toss-up’ states.
Despite his fighting words, his campaign strategy suggests his team knows just how close the race is.
Well it's official: the final polls of 2024 project out an electoral map that is the closest since at least 1972 with the leader (Harris) getting 270 electoral votes.
— (((Harry Enten))) (@ForecasterEnten) November 4, 2024
The polls were tight at the end of 2000 too, but final map projected by the final polls was Gore at 281 votes. pic.twitter.com/FsHn1mQADf
Trump told a crowd in Georgia yesterday that he “shouldn’t have left” the White House after he lost his 2020 reelection bid to Biden, and then tried to overturn the results, culminating in the 6 January 2021 US Capitol riots.
Fears are mounting that he will again refuse to accept the result if defeated, and there is also concern that election workers could come under threat in the tense days ahead.
Some election staff have been given panic buttons to quickly alert authorities in emergencies, while at least two states, Nevada and Washington, have activated the National Guard in case of unrest.
European and US stock markets mostly fell and the dollar slid today as investors steel themselves for a coin-toss election.
While the candidates are very close in most polls, Harris is viewed more favourably by likely voters, having succeeded in portraying herself as the calmer of the two options.
Pollster and analyst Keiran Pedley says it’s a case of “vibes versus fundamentals”.
On fundamentals, some 75% of Americans told Ipsos that the US is on the wrong track. Just 16% said they are better off after Biden.
But on ‘vibes’, about half of those surveyed said Trump would “shake things up in a bad way”, while 31% said the same about Harris.
Abortion has become a key issue of this election and it’s been used as a stick for the Democrats to beat Trump with.
There have been reports of Republican women voting blue for the first time, believing Harris will better protect their interests.
In North Carolina, another swing state, one voter was seen going to the polls wearing a costume from The Handmaid’s Tale – no doubt a commentary on Trump’s track record of restricting women’s reproductive rights.
Last night, on her last US show of the Eras Tour, Pennsylvania-born singer Taylor Swift performed a mashup of her songs Death By A Thousand Cuts and The Great War, changing the lyrics to “my body, my choice”.
In Dublin, Democrats Abroad Ireland will be hosting a viewing party overnight tomorrow in the Arlington Hotel.
The event is a usual fixture of the US Presidential election in Ireland, but because of the pandemic this will be the first time it has taken place since 2016.
Treasurer of the Irish operation TJ Mulloy is hoping that this year’s event will be a happier one than 2016, when Trump beat Hillary Clinton.
Despite the mood on the night being a sombre one for Democrats, it was their biggest event ever in Ireland with 400-500 people in attendance.
This time around, Mulloy said they are expecting to draw a similar size crowd.
In terms of Kamala Harris’s chance at victory, Mulloy is feeling optimistic but he said there won’t be the same surprise felt this time if Trump is successful.
Like previous election years, Democrats Abroad have been engaged in their usual get-out-the-vote campaign.
In US Presidential elections, American passport holders are entitled to cast their vote in the state where they are registered. This is done by postal ballot rather than at the U.S. Embassy.
This time around, Mulloy said he has noticed more Americans in Ireland, who would traditionally vote Republican who have said “they just can’t vote Trump”.
With reporting by Jane Matthews and AFP
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