As Donald Trump was elected the US president for a second term, Russia on Wednesday said President Vladimir Putin remained open to engaging in a "constructive dialogue" with the US, asserting that the future of Washington-Moscow relations depends on the American administration. The remarks by Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov came after 78-year-old Republican leader Trump defeated his Democratic rival Vice President Kamala Harris in a bitterly fought election. Peskov was responding to a question about whether relations between the US and Russia would deteriorate if Russian President Vladimir Putin did not congratulate Trump, the state-owned TASS news agency reported. Peskov said that Putin was willing to engage in dialogue with the US but it will be clear whether Washington's stance on talks changes after Trump takes office. "President Putin has repeatedly said that he is open to a constructive dialogue based on justice, equality, and mutual respect for each other’s concerns. And President Putin remains committed to this position and has reiterated it multiple times," the report quoted Peskov as saying. He, however, added that the US administration today holds a "contrary position". "Let’s wait and see what happens in January," Peskov said. Trump will be sworn in as president after his inauguration on January 20, 2025. "It is practically impossible to make relations between the United States and Russia any worse as they are already at their lowest point in history," he said. Peskov also refrained from answering a question about Putin’s reaction to the outcome of the US presidential election. "The president’s reaction? Well, I cannot say anything," he said. "But, of course, we take into account reports coming from Washington," he added. According to races called by the Associated Press up to 7 pm (IST), 277 electoral votes had gone to Donald Trump and 224 to Harris. Trump, the oldest person in US history to be elected president, crossed the halfway 270 votes-mark in electoral college votes with victory in the battleground state of Wisconsin. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
06 November,2024 10:14 PM IST | Moscow | PTIIn July, Indian-American lawyer Usha Chilukuri Vance shot into the national spotlight after her husband, JD Vance, was selected by Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump as his running mate. With the Trump-Vance victory in US Elections 2024 on Wednesday, Usha, 38, is set to become America’s Second Lady — the first Indian-American to hold the role. Usha stood alongside Vance, 39, the Ohio Senator, when Trump made his acceptance speech after securing enough votes to re-enter the White House. According to news agency PTI, in 2020, speaking about his wife on 'The Megyn Kelly Show' podcast, Vance said, “If I maybe get a little bit too cocky or a little too proud, I just remind myself that she is way more accomplished than I am. People don’t realise just how brilliant she is.” The daughter of Indian immigrants — her parents’ ancestral village is Vadluru in West Godavari district, Andhra Pradesh — Usha grew up in a suburb of San Diego. According to her friends and media reports, Usha was a bright student and avid reader, and was known for her leadership qualities. A Gates Scholar, Usha’s distinguished career spans Cambridge and Yale, followed by clerkships with several Supreme Court justices. Her most recent position was as a civil litigation attorney at Munger, Tolles & Olson LLP, reported PTI. Usha and Vance met at Yale Law School, where they were both studying, and later married in 2014 in Kentucky. The ceremony was blessed by a Hindu priest at a separate event, as reported by The New York Times. The Vances have three children: sons Ewan and Vivek, and a daughter, Mirabel. After Vance was named Trump’s running mate, Usha’s Hindu roots became a topic of public interest. Vance has repeatedly noted that while his wife is not a Christian, she has been “very supportive” of his deepening faith. Asked about the challenges of an interfaith marriage, Usha once said, “There are a lot of things that we just agree on, especially when it comes to family life and how to raise our kids. And so I think the answer really is, we just talk a lot.” According to PTI, Usha, in a joint interview with her husband in June, admitted that she is “reluctant to gain greater public exposure,” but also expressed that the couple is open to seeing what happens in their lives moving forward. Life came full circle when Trump, in an event in Palm Beach, Florida, after the US Elections 2024 results, pointed to the couple and said, “I want to be the first one to congratulate, now I can say Vice President-elect JD Vance. And his remarkable and beautiful wife, Usha Vance." (With PTI inputs)
06 November,2024 09:44 PM IST | Washington | mid-day online correspondentPrime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated "friend" Donald Trump on his "historic" presidential election victory on Wednesday, saying he hopes to renew their work to further strengthen the India-US Comprehensive Global and Strategic Partnership, PTI reported. Former US President Donald Trump was on his way to winning the White House in one of the most historic political comebacks in American history. According to projections, Trump was all set to receive 270 electoral college votes stopping Democratic candidate Kamala Harris's chance to be the next US President, cited by PTI. "Heartiest congratulations my friend @realDonaldTrump on your historic election victory. As you build on the successes of your previous term, I look forward to renewing our collaboration to further strengthen the India-US Comprehensive Global and Strategic Partnership," Modi said in a post on X. "Together, let's work for the betterment of our people and to promote global peace, stability and prosperity," he said. Heartiest congratulations my friend @realDonaldTrump on your historic election victory. As you build on the successes of your previous term, I look forward to renewing our collaboration to further strengthen the India-US Comprehensive Global and Strategic Partnership. Together,… pic.twitter.com/u5hKPeJ3SY — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) November 6, 2024 The prime minister also posted several pictures of his meetings with the Republican candidate, who was previously the US president from 2016 to 2020. Donald Trump making historic comeback Former US President Donald Trump on Wednesday is cruising towards winning the race for the White House in one of the greatest political comebacks in American history by almost defeating his Democratic rival Kamala Harris in an election that virtually divided the country into two camps, reported news agency PTI. "This will be the golden age of America... America has given us an unprecedented mandate" Trump said in West Palm Beach in Florida, in a victory speech," he said, reported PTI. He told Americans that this moment will "help this country heal", reported PTI. The 78-year-old Republican leader is winning the battleground states of Pennsylvania, Georgia and North Carolina, the three crucial battleground states. However, the Associated Press (AP) has called the race in favour of Trump in these states. According to races called by the Associated Press up to 2:30 pm, 267 electoral votes had gone to Republican candidate Trump and 224 to Democratic Party's Harris, reported PTI. Counting of votes is still underway in other battleground states of Arizona, Michigan, Wisconsin and Nevada. The US has 50 states and most of them vote for the same party in every election except the swing states. Generally, there is not much surprise over the candidates picking up victories in states other than the pivotal battleground ones. Overall a total of 538 electoral college votes are up for grabs. (With inputs from PTI)
06 November,2024 02:50 PM IST | New Delhi | mid-day online correspondentFormer President Donald Trump is projected to win the US presidency on Wednesday for a second term in one of the greatest political comebacks in American history, cruising past his Democratic rival Kamala Harris in a bitterly fought election, reported news agency PTI. With results continuing to come in from various states giving a clear indication of a Trump victory, the 78-year-old Republican leader addressed his supporters at West Palm Beach in Florida, declaring victory and promising a "golden age of America", reported PTI. According to races called by the Associated Press up to 2 pm (IST), 267 electoral votes had gone to Republican candidate Trump and 224 to Democratic Party's Harris. Trump was just three votes short of a victory. "This will be the golden age of America. America has given us an unprecedented and powerful mandate," Trump declared with his family by his side amid cheers of his jubilant supporters, reported PTI. "This is a magnificent victory for the American people. This was a movement like nobody's ever seen before, and frankly, this was, I believe, the greatest political movement of all time. There's never been anything like this in this country, and maybe beyond," Trump said, reported PTI. "And now it's going to reach a new level of importance because we're going to help our country heal. We'll help our country...we have a country that needs help, and it needs help very badly," he said, reported PTI. "We are going to fix our borders. We are going to fix everything about our country. And we made history for a reason tonight, and the reason is going to be just that we overcame obstacles that nobody thought possible, and it is now clear that we've achieved the most incredible political thing." Trump also promised to usher in a "golden" period in the US. "I want to thank the American people for the extraordinary honour of being elected your 47th president and your 45th president," he said. "I will fight for you, for your family and your future." "Every single day, I will be fighting for you and with every breath in my body, I will not rest until we have delivered the strong, safe and prosperous America that our children deserve and that you deserve. This will truly be the golden age of America," he added, reported PTI. According to projections, Trump is all set to get 270 electoral college votes or more blocking Harris' chance to become the first woman president of the US. The victory by Trump is largely being seen as a remarkable comeback after he lost the 2020 presidential election to Joe Biden which appeared to be the end of his political career. Trump challenged the election results and even indirectly urged his supporters to march on the US Capitol that reportedly triggered the violent attacks and clashes inside the seat of American democracy sending shockwaves across the globe. In the following months, Trump unsuccessfully challenged the results in court. In effect, he became the first former president to get the nomination for the top office on the planet after being convicted of a felony. Trump is winning the battleground states of Pennsylvania, Georgia and North Carolina, the three crucial battleground states. Counting of votes is still underway in some other battleground states of Arizona, Michigan, Wisconsin and Nevada. As a clear trend in the counting of votes emerged, Harris cancelled an election watch party in her alma mater Howard University. The results are a big disappointment for Harris. She joined the race after President Biden dropped out from his reelection campaign in July, weeks after he came under severe scrutiny following his incoherent performance at a televised debate with Republican nominee Donald Trump. The nomination itself was historic as she became the first woman of colour in the US to be fielded by a major party in the presidential race. In her address after formally accepting the nomination, Harris vowed to "chart a new way forward" far devoid of bitterness, cynicism and divisive politics. The US has 50 states and most of them vote for the same party in every election except the swing states. Generally, there is not much surprise over the candidates picking up victories in states other than the pivotal battleground ones. Overall, a total of 538 electoral college votes are up for grabs. If both candidates register victory in all the states that historically support the same party, then it will leave Harris 44 electoral college votes short of victory and Trump 51 votes short. The swing states of Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, known as part of the Rust Belt, have been traditionally the strongholds of the Democratic Party. Earlier, exit polls showed the state of democracy, the shape of the economy and abortion are the most important issues for American voters in the election. Almost six in 10 people ranked the state of democracy as their number one issue, according to exit polls released by CBS News. It was followed by abortion as five per cent of the voters felt it was an important issue for them. Over one in 10 chose the economy as a priority issue. An exit poll by CNN said roughly three-quarters of the electorate holds a negative view of the way things are going in the US today. Only about one-quarter call themselves enthusiastic or satisfied with the state of the nation, with more than four in 10 dissatisfied and roughly three in 10 saying they are angry, according to the poll. Voters remain generally optimistic, with more than 6 in 10 saying that America's best days are in the future, and only about one-third that they're already in the past, the CNN poll found. (With inputs from PTI)
06 November,2024 02:50 PM IST | Washington | mid-day online correspondentFormer US President Donald Trump on Wednesday is cruising towards winning the race for the White House in one of the greatest political comebacks in American history by almost defeating his Democratic rival Kamala Harris in an election that virtually divided the country into two camps, reported news agency PTI. "This will be the golden age of America... America has given us an unprecedented mandate" Trump said in West Palm Beach in Florida, in a victory speech," he said, reported PTI. He told Americans that this moment will "help this country heal", reported PTI. According to projections, Trump is all set to receive 270 electoral college votes blocking Harris' chance to win the polls. The 78-year-old Republican leader is winning the battleground states of Pennsylvania, Georgia and North Carolina, the three crucial battleground states. However, the Associated Press (AP) has called the race in favour of Trump in these states. According to races called by the Associated Press up to 1 pm, 267 electoral votes had gone to Republican candidate Trump and 214 to Democratic Party's Harris, reported PTI. Counting of votes is still underway in other battleground states of Arizona, Michigan, Wisconsin and Nevada. The US has 50 states and most of them vote for the same party in every election except the swing states. Generally, there is not much surprise over the candidates picking up victories in states other than the pivotal battleground ones. Overall a total of 538 electoral college votes are up for grabs. If both candidates register victory in all the states that historically support the same party, then it will leave Harris 44 electoral college votes short of victory and Trump 51 votes short. The swing states of Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, known as part of the Rust Belt, have been traditionally the strongholds of the Democratic Party. Earlier, exit polls showed state of democracy, the shape of the economy and abortion are the most important issues for American voters in the election. Almost six in 10 people ranked the state of democracy as their number one issue, according to exit polls released by CBS News, reported PTI. It was followed by abortion as five per cent of the voters felt it was an important issue for them. Over one in 10 chose the economy as a priority issue. An exit poll by CNN said roughly three-quarters of the electorate holds a negative view of the way things are going in the US today. Only about one-quarter call themselves enthusiastic or satisfied with the state of the nation, with more than four in 10 dissatisfied and roughly three in 10 saying they are angry, according to the poll. Voters remain generally optimistic, with more than 6 in 10 saying that America's best days are in the future, and only about one-third that they're already in the past, the CNN poll found. (With inputs from PTI)
06 November,2024 01:46 PM IST | Washington | mid-day online correspondentFormer US President Donald Trump saw a victory in his home state of Florida, making it the third time in a row that the Sunshine State has supported the Republican nominee, ANI reported. As per new projections by Politico at 10 am IST, Trump has leaped to 230 electoral college votes as compared to a democtatic candidate who stands at 205. So far, Trump has carried most of the 'Red Wall' states in this presidential election, ANI cited This victory in the state of Florida will add 30 electoral college votes for Trump's final count. Previously seen as a swing state after winning the 2000 presidential election for George W Bush, votes have gone dramatically to the red in recent years. Barack Obama won in 2008 and 2012. Meanwhile, Kamala Harris was seen trailing behind in her home state of Minnesota as Trump hopes to win 10 electoral college votes of one of the traditional Democratic belts. According to ANI, since 1972 no Republican candidate for president has won in Minnesota. Trump came within close distance in the 2016 presidential elections, narrowly losing by 1.5 points to the then Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton. As per ANI, Trump has won in the state of Idaho and Texas, while Harris has won in California. Trump has secured the conservative state's 40 electoral votes, he also bagged a win in the state of Oklahoma with 65 per cent of votes. Polls showed a tight competition between the candidates with Trump taking a tentative lead over the Democratic candidate Kamala Harris by just a few points in some cases. According to projections at 9 am (IST) NBC, ABC and CBS have given Harris 91 electoral college votes but for Trump, they have counted between 178 and 201 electoral votes. Fox News has projected a win for Trump in the states of Florida, Indiana, Kentucky, West Virginia, Mississippi, Alabama, Oklahoma, Tennessee, South Carolina and Arkansas, while it projected wins for Harris in the states of Vermont, Illinois, Massachusetts, Maryland, New Jersey, Connecticut, Rhode Island and the District of Columbia, ANI cited. CNN has projected a win for Trump in the US states of Texas, Ohio, Georgia, Kansas and North Carolina while it projected a lead for Harris in Pennsylvania, Virginia, Michigan and Maine states. It has also projected a win for Harris in Colorado, New York and Delaware. Trump is projected to win in the states of Iowa, South Dakota, Wyoming and Louisiana, There was a total of 538 Electoral College votes allocated to the 50 American states and the District of Columbia. It will take a candidate to win 270 votes in order to be the next US President. According to CBS projections at 9 45 am (IST) Trump is narrowly in the lead in Georgia, North Carolina and Pennsylvania, while Harris has a huge advantage in Michigan, ANI reported. "Polls have closed in Florida. @realDonaldTrump has carried the state of Florida and has earned 30 electoral votes" Florida Governor Ro DeSantis said on X. Polls have closed in Florida.@realDonaldTrump has carried the state of Florida and has earned 30 electoral votes. — Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) November 6, 2024 DeSantis waged an aggressive campaign against Amendment 3, which attempted to legalize recreational marijuana, and Amendment 4, which would have expanded abortion access in the state. The Trump campaign in a statement said after the win, "After four years of the disastrous Harris-Biden administration, Floridians are eager to return to commonsense policies that put their freedom, their families, and America first." The US is casting ballots to elect the next President and Vice President, all representatives to the House and one-third of senators, along with governors of 11 states and to US territories. Around 10 am (IST) voting was closed down in most US states, including the seven swing states of Georgia, Arizona, Nevada, North Carolina, Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, ANI reported (With inputs from ANI) By around 10 am (IST) polls had closed in most states, including the seven swing states of Georgia, Arizona, Nevada, North Carolina, Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania.
06 November,2024 11:29 AM IST | Florida | mid-day online correspondentInitial results are coming in for the US presidential election, with Republican candidate Donald Trump predicted to win in Indiana, Kentucky, West Virginia, Flordia, and Arkansas and Vice President Kamala Harris expected to win in Vermont, Delaware, and New Jersey, PTI reported. As per PTI, Harris is winning 27 electoral college votes, and Trump is winning 105. To win the race, the candidates need to get a majority of 270 electoral college votes. Trump is also projected to win in Alabama, Missouri, Oklahoma and Tennessee while Harris is expected to emerge victorious in the District of Columbia, Maryland and Massachusetts. Impressively, Harris is ahead of Trump with 68.4 per cent of votes counted in the battleground state of Pennsylvania with Trump at 30.7 per cent, PTI reported. The state of Pennsylvania is being considered as the most vital state to win the presidential race. As per PTI, Trump is sailing ahead in another battleground state of Georgia. Through the projections that have started emerging from the 50 states, everyone is eagerly anticipating the final results in the seven battleground states that would determine who will become the next US president. Although projections are coming in from several states, voting continues in at least three states, PTI reported. The United States has a total of 50 states and most of them cast their vote to the same party in every presidential election except for the swing states. Usually, there is not much surprise over the candidate's win in the states except for the vital battleground states, PTI cited. Overall, there's a total of 538 electoral college votes. A candidate that gets 270 or more electoral votes is declared the winner in the presidential elections. As per PTI, if both candidates register a victory in all the states that always have supported the same party, then the democratic representative will be 44 electoral college votes short of victory and Trump would be 51 votes short. In that case, the 93 votes of the swing states will be the deciding factor for who the next American president will be. The swing states of Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin known to be part of the Rust Belt, are traditionally the strongholds of the Democratic Party. However, Donald Trump won all three of the states back in the 2016 US presidential elections. The states returned to the Democratic party in the 2020 US elections. According to PTI, political experts claim that Kamala Harris will be the next US president if she wins the Rust Belt swing states. The other four swing states of Arizona, Georgia, Nevada and North Carolina are called as Sun Belt with a total electoral college vote of 49. The Republican party have strong support in the Sun Belt states. But even if Trump wins all four Sun Belt states, he will still be required to win one more in the Rust Belt in order to win. If Vice President Kamala Harris wins this US election, she will make history by becoming the first woman, first black woman and first person of South Asian descent to become the President of the United States of America, PTI reported. (With inputs from PTI)
06 November,2024 08:55 AM IST | Washington | mid-day online correspondentIsraeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday dismissed his popular defence minister, Yoav Gallant, in a surprise announcement that came as the country is embroiled in wars on multiple fronts across the region. The move sparked protests across the country. Netanyahu and Gallant have repeatedly been at odds over the war in Gaza. But Netanyahu had avoided firing his rival before taking the step as the world's attention was focused on the US presidential election. Netanyahu cited "significant gaps" and a "crisis of trust" between the men in his Tuesday evening announcement. "In the midst of a war, more than ever, full trust is required between the prime minister and defence minister," Netanyahu said. "Unfortunately, although in the first months of the campaign there was such trust and there was very fruitful work, during the last months this trust cracked between me and the defence minister." In the early days of the war, Israel's leadership presented a unified front as it responded to Hamas' October 7, 2023, attack. But as the war has dragged on and spread to Lebanon, key policy differences have emerged. While Netanyahu has called for continued military pressure on Hamas, Gallant had taken a more pragmatic approach, saying that military force has created the necessary conditions for at least a temporary diplomatic deal that could bring home hostages held by the militant group. Many of the families of the hostages, along with tens of thousands of people who have joined anti-government protests, accuse Netanyahu of scuttling a deal in order to maintain his hold on power. Netanyahu's hard-line partners have threatened to bring down the government if he makes concessions to Hamas, raising the risk of early elections at a time when the prime minister's popularity is low. "Firing Gallant in the middle of a war is an act of madness," opposition leader Yair Lapid said on X. "Netanyahu is selling Israel's security and the Israeli army soldiers for a disgraceful political survival." The grassroots forum representing hostage families said Gallant's dismissal is "a direct continuation of the efforts' to torpedo the abductee deal." It called on the new defence minister, Israel Katz, to make an "explicit commitment" to end the war and reach a deal to bring home their loved ones. Within hours, thousands of protesters gathered in central Tel Aviv, blocking the city's main highway. The crowd, many holding blue and white Israeli flags and others blowing whistles and pounding drums, gathered around a small bonfire in the middle of the road. About 1,000 other demonstrated outside Netanyahu's home in Jerusalem. Protesters gathered and blocked roads in several other spots across the country. The dismissal comes at a delicate time. Israeli troops remain bogged down in Gaza, over a year after invading the territory, while Israeli ground troops are pressing ahead with a month-old ground invasion against Hezbollah militants in Lebanon. Israel also has clashed with Iranian-backed groups in Iraq, Syria and Yemen, and is facing the possibility of another strike by Iran. Iran has vowed to avenge an Israeli strike that came in response to an October 1 Iranian missile attack, itself a reprisal for earlier Israeli attacks on Iranian-linked targets. Israel's Channel 12 TV said that Netanyahu's decision was prompted by Gallant's decision this week to send out thousands of draft notices to young ultra-Orthodox men. Under a longstanding and controversial arrangement, religious men are exempt from military service, which is compulsory for most Jews. This system has bred widespread resentment among the secular majority, and Israel's Supreme Court has ordered the government to scrap the system. Netanyahu, whose governing coalition depends on ultra-Orthodox parties, has not yet implemented the order. Earlier Tuesday, Gallant had visited Israeli troops stationed near the Lebanese border, where he talked of the need to enlist ultra-Orthodox soldiers, saying it was needed to improve security and national solidarity. "This is the people of Israel. There is no one else." Channel 13 TV said Netanyahu had also taken advantage of the US election, when American attention is focused elsewhere, to dismiss his rival. The White House on Tuesday declined to comment on the firing but called Galant "an important partner on all matters related to the defence of Israel." "As close partners, we will continue to work collaboratively with Israel's next Minister of Defense," the White House National Security Council said. Gallant, a former general who has gained public respect with a gruff, no-nonsense personality, said in a statement: "The security of the state of Israel always was, and will always remain, my life's mission." He was expected to deliver a statement on national television later Tuesday. Gallant has worn a simple, black buttoned shirt throughout the war in a sign of sorrow over the October 7 attack and developed a strong relationship with his US counterpart, Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin. A previous attempt by Netanyahu to fire Gallant in March 2023 sparked widespread street protests against Netanyahu. He also flirted with the idea of dismissing Gallant over the summer but held off until Tuesday's announcement. Katz, his replacement, currently serves as foreign minister and is a longtime Netanyahu loyalist and veteran Cabinet minister. Katz thanked Netanyahu and pledged to lead the security establishment to victory in the wars against Israel's enemies. Katz, 69, was a junior officer in the military decades ago and has little military experience, though he has been a key member of Netanyahu's Security Cabinet over the years. Gideon Saar, a former Netanyahu rival who rejoined the government in September, will take the foreign affairs post. Netanyahu has a long history of neutralising his rivals. In his statement, he claimed he had made "many attempts" to bridge the gaps with Gallant. "But they kept getting wider. They also came to the knowledge of the public in an unacceptable way, and worse than that, they came to the knowledge of the enemy - our enemies enjoyed it and derived a lot of benefit from it," he said. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
06 November,2024 08:41 AM IST | Jerusalem | AP | PTIFormer US President Barack Obama on Tuesday (local time) urged the country to be patient as election workers count ballots to determine the results of the election. Obama asked people to respect and thank the election workers as they are working hard. He also asked people to avoid the spread of misinformation by checking facts on sources before sharing them. In a post on X, Obama said, "It took several days to count every ballot in 2020, and it's very likely we won't know the outcome tonight either. So please keep a few things in mind as you make your voice heard today: - Thousands of election workers around the country are working hard today. Respect them. Thank them. - Don't share things before checking your sources. - Let the process run its course. It takes time to count every ballot." It took several days to count every ballot in 2020, and it’s very likely we won’t know the outcome tonight either. So please keep a few things in mind as you make your voice heard today:– Thousands of election workers around the country are working hard today. Respect them.… — Barack Obama (@BarackObama) November 5, 2024 States have different rules dictating when and how ballots must be counted. Some states have changed their rules since 2020, which could change the timing of when results come in. Earlier, Obama said that the US Presidential election would be close and urged Americans to vote in large numbers for the Democratic nominee, Vice President Kamala Harris, and her running mate Tim Walz. In a post on X, Obama said Americans will be going to the polls to show "what we stand for". Voting began in the US presidential election earlier in the day. "Today is Election Day. Millions of Americans will be going to the polls to show the world who we are and what we stand for. Find out where and when you can vote today at http://IWillVote.com. And once you do, I want to see your voting sticker. I'll be sharing your posts throughout the day. Let's get out there and win this thing!" he said. Obama also posted a video in which he urged people to involve their family, neighbours, make a plan and go to vote. He said a handful of votes in every precinct could decide the winner so it is vital for people to vote in large numbers. Today is Election Day.Millions of Americans will be going to the polls to show the world who we are and what we stand for. Find out where and when you can vote today at https://t.co/NKXRGNgbZX.And once you do, I want to see your voting sticker. I’ll be sharing your posts… pic.twitter.com/JwRuT2s08s — Barack Obama (@BarackObama) November 5, 2024 Though exit polls start coming as voting starts, the final results will come only after counting is closed in all states. Despite the presence of many other parties, the US presidential race is between the Democratic and Republican parties. Vice President Kamala Harris is the candidate of the incumbent Democrats, and she is aiming to create history by becoming the first woman president in the US. If elected, she will also be the first Indian-origin President of the United States. On the other hand, the Republican candidate is former President Donald Trump, who is eyeing a historic comeback to the White House after a bitter exit in 2020. Notably, if Trump wins, it will be the first instance in over 100 years of a president serving two non-consecutive terms in the White House. Most of the polls have predicted a very close race between Trump and Harris, with all the leads projected within the margin of error. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
06 November,2024 08:31 AM IST | Washington | ANIIn a presidential election that couldn’t be closer, it seemed fitting that the first votes cast on the Election Day were evenly split, with three for Donald Trump and three for Kamala Harris. Kamala Harris supporters who came from US participate in puja in Harris’s ancestral village in Tamil Nadu. Pic/PTI The tiny New Hampshire resort town, Dixville Notch, has a tradition that dates back to1960 for being the first in the nation to complete in-person voting.After a rousing accordion version of the national anthem, the town’s six voters began casting their ballots at the stroke of midnight and the vote count was complete 15 minutes later. Residents of Dixville Notch cast their ballots, kicking off US election at midnight on Nov 5 538Total electors, who are appointed by the parties and are almost always party officials or supporters Harris and Trump tie 3 to 3 in Dixville Notch. Pics/AFP How the US votes How are votes cast?In the US, no one is required by law to cast a vote. The US does not have a system of online voting. Voters are assigned polling locations within each district. Voters enter private polling booths to fill out their ballots. Hand-marked ballotsMost voters in the US vote with hand-marked paper ballots. Typically, voters fill in an oval or square next to their preferred candidate’s name. Nearly 70 per cent of registered voters live in jurisdictions that use hand-marked paper ballots. Ballot-marking devicesSome jurisdictions provide ballot marking devices (BMDs) that allow voters to cast their votes on a digital device. The device then produces a paper record of the vote. About 25 per cent of registered voters use BMDs. Direct recording electronic votingA small number of voters cast their votes using a direct recording electronic (DRE) voting system, with which voters press a button or touchscreen to cast their votes, which then go directly into the computer system. Some DRE systems are connected to a Voter Verified Paper Audit Trail printer, which produces a paper record of each vote that the voters can confirm before it is recorded in the computer. Five per cent of registered voters live in jurisdictions that use DREs for all voters. How many people have already voted?All US states allow voters to cast their ballots before Election Day. Mail-in ballots are the most common method of early voting. All except three states also allow in-person voting before Election Day. In Alabama, early voting started on September 11 as the state distributed mail-in ballots. As of Sunday, 77,317,453 people in the US had already cast their votes. How does vote count work?In the US, there is no federal system of counting votes, and the vote count is left to the states. Hand-marked paper ballots and ballots marked by BMDs are typically counted using optical scanners and then tabulated digitally to obtain a final tally. Different states have different methods of re-counting and verifying the final count. States have until December 11 to certify their election results. What happens next?The president is not elected directly by the popular vote but instead by the Electoral College. Under this system, each state has the same number of electors in the Electoral College as its number of seats in the US House of Representatives and Senate. The US has a total of 538 electors, who are appointed by the parties and are almost always party officials or supporters. To win, a candidate needs 270 Electoral College votes. These electors will meet on December 17 this year to cast the vote for president and vice president. All states except two operate a winner-takes-all system in choosing their electors, meaning all their Electoral College votes go to whichever candidate wins the most votes. 77,317,453 As of Sunday, people in the US had already cast their votes. Candidates’ names are seen on part of a mail-in election ballot in New York. Pic/PTI What if there’s a tie? In the highly unlikely but not impossible event of a tie—269 electoral votes each—the US House of Representatives would decide next president in what is known as contingent election. Each state’s delegation in the lower chamber of Congress would cast one vote. A candidate must receive a majority of those votes to win. Trump very narrow favourite: Political scientist Prominent American political scientist Ian Bremmer has said that no result would surprise him in this close contest, though he views Trump as the “very narrow favourite.” He further highlighted that some polls have shown Trump “surprisingly weak” in Republican-leaning states, adding that the minds of undecided voters and turnout operations by the two parties might eventually play the deciding role in the results. Bremmer is the president and founder of Eurasia Group, a geopolitical risk advisory firm, and GZERO Media, a company providing intelligent coverage of international affairs. Bremmer said, “We view Trump as the very narrow favorite in this race, but this is a low-conviction view, reflecting the closeness of polling and polls over the weekend that showed him surprisingly weak in Republican-leaning states.” This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. 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06 November,2024 07:44 AM IST | New Hampshire | AgenciesFor those accustomed to India's first-past-the-post general elections, the US Presidential Election is a confounding system that includes primaries, caucuses, an electoral college, the 'early voting' option, the 'battleground states' and the no federal Election Commission. However, there is a fixed date for the US Elections 2024: the first Tuesday after the first Monday of November every fourth year, news agency PTI reported. And the race, most likely, has only two serious contenders, one from the Democratic Party and the other from the Republican Party. This time, Vice-President Kamala Harris (Democratic Party) will contest against former President Donald Trump (Republican Party). The voters, however, don't just pick the candidate they want as the president. The ballot paper could include options to pick representatives to the state legislatures and local bodies, and voters could also be asked to participate in "referendums" on issues before the lawmakers in that particular state. Citing the examples of some states, PTI said, legalising recreational marijuana is on the ballot papers in Florida, North Dakota and South Dakota while Colorado wants to know if proceeds from a sales tax on guns should be spent to help victims of crime. The US Elections are conducted by the state administrations conduct elections, owing to which, the processes vary. The opening and closing times at polling centres can also be different from state to state. Apart from this, depending on the state, people have mailed in their ballot papers or used drop boxes to cast their vote days before November 5. According to PTI, in many states, a driving licence is about the only document the voter needs to produce before casting the ballot. Trump has called for a mandatory election ID card for all voters. Candidate who secures a minimum of 270 votes becomes the next US President The process for the US Elections 2024 begins months ahead of the final polling date. Parties pick their candidates through primaries and caucuses held across states. Technically, voters do not choose the candidate they want to be the next president in US Elections 2024. They vote for presidential electors — a body of eminent people chosen earlier from each state. Broadly, each state gets a certain number of electors based on its representation in the US House and Senate. However, it is not proportional representation. If Harris wins the popular vote in 'battleground' or swing state Pennsylvania, she wins the votes of all 19 electors from the state, even if there is space for some legalistic quibbling later on. The presidential electors from Pennsylvania form part of the 538-member electoral college drawn from all states. The candidate who wins 270 or more votes nationwide is the next President. Usually, the candidate who wins the electoral college vote has also won the majority of the popular vote. However, there have been exceptions: twice in the past six US presidential elections, the latest being in 2016 when Hillary Clinton, who had won the nationwide popular vote, was defeated by Trump. Unlike the Indian electoral system, there is no cooling off period between the campaigning, polling, and the counting. Several hours before centres opened for polling across the country, the tiny New Hampshire resort town of Dixville Notch finished with its own in-person voting, following a tradition that allows it to be the first. At the stroke of midnight, its six voters began casting their ballots. Fifteen minutes later, the vote count was complete: a 3:3 split between Harris and Trump. Within a couple of hours of polls closing in most states, counting trends could be available from at least some of the battleground states. These swing state, which can turn an election, are Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. (With PTI inputs)
05 November,2024 05:54 PM IST | Washington | mid-day online correspondentADVERTISEMENT
