The US presidential election begins today.
219 million Americans were called to cast their ballots today for either incumbent President Trump or his Democratic rival Biden. 98.4 million Americans cast their ballots by mail or in person before the election began.
On Tuesday, November 3rd (November 13), at 1:00 PM Central European Time and 3:30 PM Iranian Time, millions of Americans will head to the polls to cast their votes.
Simultaneously with the presidential election, the fate of 35 Senate seats and all seats in the House of Representatives will also be determined on this day.
The latest polls predicted the victory of Democratic candidate Joe Biden the day before the election, but in the previous US presidential election in 2016, despite predictions of Hillary Clinton's victory, her opponent Donald Trump won.
Both presidential candidates continued their campaign until the last minute to win American votes, especially in key states such as Pennsylvania and North Carolina.
It is predicted that the level of participation of the American people in this presidential election cycle will be higher than in any other cycle.
98.4 million postal and in-person votes
Election watchdogs said 98.4 million people had cast their ballots in person or by mail before the election began on Tuesday, equivalent to 40 percent of all eligible American voters.
Compared to the previous presidential election in 2016, this figure is equivalent to 71 percent of the total vote.
But the real determinant of this election is the Electoral College, which will total 538 people. Although American voters today write the names of Trump or Biden on their ballots, they are actually choosing the Electoral College.
Voters in each state effectively elect those who will later elect the president.
The selection of these individuals is determined by the population of the states. California, with the largest population, will have 55 electoral votes, Texas with 38, and Florida with 29. Biden or Trump will win the election if they win at least 270 Electoral College votes.
When will the election results be announced?
In previous elections, election results were usually announced on election night, but in this round of elections, due to the pandemic, many voters have cast their votes by mail, and counting them may even take several days.
However, the preliminary results of the vote count are expected to be announced on Wednesday, November 4 (March 14).
Source: DW
