Washington: Everything is set for the U.S. elections. According to Indian Standard Time, the voting process will commence on Tuesday evening. Around 270 million American voters are eagerly ready to exercise their voting rights.
Out of these, over 70 million people have already used their voting rights through early voting in various forms. For the presidential post, former President Donald Trump represents the Republicans, while Kamala Harris stands as the candidate for the Democrats. The voting process in the U.S. begins at different times in each state. In most states, voting will take place from 7 AM to 9 PM, while in some, it may extend until midnight. Notably, the outcome of the U.S. election will largely hinge on the seven swing states.
Out of the 50 states in the U.S., most are clearly supportive of either the Republican or Democratic parties, and these are termed “safe states.” In every presidential election, these states traditionally favor one of these parties. However, some states with a large number of undecided voters are referred to as “swing states.” Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Michigan, North Carolina, Georgia, Nevada, and Arizona are the seven swing states, collectively holding 93 electoral votes. Whoever secures the majority in these votes will clinch the U.S. presidency. To claim the presidency, a candidate must reach a total of 270 electoral votes. On January 6, Congress will convene to certify the electoral votes and announce the winner, and the newly elected president will take the oath and assume office on January 20.
Survey Stir: Just hours before the polls, Atlas Intel released its latest survey, sparking discussions. According to the survey, Donald Trump is reportedly gaining momentum in the swing states, with 1.8% more support compared to Kamala Harris. Atlas specified that this survey was conducted in the first week of November. It indicated that Trump has a strong lead in Arizona, Nevada, and North Carolina. On the other hand, another survey highlighted that Harris has an upper hand in the critical state of Iowa, where she has 3% more support than Trump, with 47% backing her. However, Trump dismissed this survey as “fake,” firmly asserting, “I’m not down.” Interestingly, in a similar survey conducted in September, Trump was reportedly leading, echoing his dominance in the 2020 presidential election.
Ballots in Bengali in New York: To ensure convenience for voters, states are making ballots available in various languages. In New York, for example, ballots have been printed in five languages in addition to English, including the Indian language Bengali. “We have accommodated four other languages besides English in the election process. Ballots are available in Chinese, Spanish, Korean, and Bengali,” stated New York State Election Executive Director Michael J. Ryan. He mentioned that while many settled residents understand English, having ballots in their native languages is a welcoming gesture for these communities. Although India has many languages, a court petition led to the inclusion of Bengali in the election process. Many countries follow a unified electoral system, but the U.S. stands apart in this aspect. While the Federal Election Commission monitors campaign laws, individual states follow their own rules for election processes.
