Americans are heading to the polls this morning, Tuesday, 5 November in a contest that could potentially change the course of the oldest democracy in the world, in a race that all pollsters have described as too close to call.
There are already several firsts in the election, with the Democratic Party’s candidate, Kamala Harris being the first coloured female to contest on the platform of a major political party in the country.
Today’s election is also expected to see a record number of female voters, because of the issue of female productive rights and abortion seen as critical issues in the election.
Kamala is running neck and neck with Republican Party’s Donald Trump, the 45th US President, who is aiming to reclaim the seat he lost to President Joe Biden in a bitterly contested election in 2020.
Both candidates blitzed through battleground states to close their campaigns with the democratic party’s candidate spending time across key Pennsylvania, which is crucial for both candidates to win the election.
“We have an opportunity in this election to finally turn the page on politics driven by fear and division. We are done with that. We are exhausted with it,” Harris said in a speech in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on Monday.
Her message contrasts with Trump, who has vowed to emancipate the country and carry out massive deportation of undocumented and legal immigrants in his pledge to emancipate communities, cities and states invaded by immigrants.
It would be recalled that Trump had falsely claimed that immigrants were “eating the dogs, they are eating the cats of people, they are eating the pets of the people that live there (Springfield, Ohio) during his debate with Harris in September.
It is against the above backdrop that the election is keenly followed by individuals and nations across the world, especially in Europe, Asia and the Middle East.
The election is one of the most bitterly contested polls in the country, with reports of fear that it could escalate into violence, security deployments have been made across many towns and cities in the country.
President Donald Trump is prepping his supporters for violent reactions if he loses the election, an action would could be worse than the failed January 2021 Capitol coup.
Naija Daily News gathered that security has been beefed up around Vice President Kamala Harris, while new fencings have been installed around the White House and Capitol Hill, as well as the official residence of the Vice President.
National Guard troops have also been placed on red alert for possible unrest in several states, including Nevada, Oregon and Washington.
Already, there have been reports of damage to hundreds of ballots, including arson attacks on ballot drop boxes, in several places including Vancouver, Washington, last week.
Reports indicate that security organs are looking at two possible risk areas, including attacks on ballots and drop boxes.
While security agents are carrying out a manhunt for the perpetrator(s) of the recent attacks on drop boxes, a CNN report indicated that there are concerns that he/they could strike again during the election.
Jay Inslee, Governor of Washington, said the deployments are precautionary.
“This is purely a precautionary measure taken in response to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s nationwide warnings regarding threats to election infrastructure and other recent activities that have occurred in southwestern Washington,” Governor Inslee said in a statement.
Christine Kotek, Islee’s counterpart in Oregon said she would call in the National Guard, if necessary.
Kotek is said to be telling businesses and construction firms to keep furniture and other materials that could be used for bonfires, projectiles, barricades or fuel out of the street, ostensibly due to fear of violence.
Mayor of Portland, Oregon, Ted Wheeler vowed, “We will do anything to protect people’s First Amendment right to demonstrate peacefully, we are also prepared to deal with anything that is related to criminal distraction and violence.”
The New York Times, in a report just hours before the election, said, “People are anxious and scared.”
“In the reality of 2024, ballot boxes are, in some places, literally burning,” it said.
A survey, conducted by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, “speaks to persistent concerns about the fragility of the world’s oldest democracy, nearly four years after former President Donald Trump’s refusal to accept the 2020 election results inspired a mob of his supporters to storm the U.S. Capitol in a violent attempt to stop the peaceful transfer of power.
AP further said, “About 4 in 10 registered voters say they are “extremely” or “very” concerned about violent attempts to overturn the results after the November election. A similar share is worried about legal efforts to do so. And about 1 in 3 voters say they are “extremely” or “very” concerned about attempts by local or state election officials to stop the results from being finalized.”
President Donald Trump continued to whip up emotions and stock up fear with his unproven allegation of election manipulation and unverified claims of election fraud.
