US elections 2024 highlights: Former President Barack Obama urges Americans to go out and vote

Donald Trump or Kamala Harris? Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump each need at least 270 electoral votes. Catch updates on US elections here

US elections 2024 voting LIVE:  Former President Barack Obama has called on Americans to vote, emphasising that this election will be close, and a small number of votes could determine the outcome. “Folks, this election is going to be close. In some states, just a handful of votes in every precinct could decide the winner,” Obama stated in a video message shared across social media channels.

Donald Trump has casted his ballot in Florida, arriving at his voting precinct in Palm Beach with his wife, Melania Trump. After casting his vote, Trump said that he ran a great campaign and it was maybe the best of the three.

Associated Press reported large police presence Tuesday morning. "At least 15 officers — from local sheriff’s deputies to Secret Service agents — were seen using the same walkway that voters were utilizing on their walk into the polling location, preparing for Trump’s arrival," AP reported. Trump is expected to vote there later in the day. Millions of Americans headed towards polling stations on Tuesday to elect the 47th President of the United States, capping one of the most bitter presidential campaigns in the country's history. On Monday night, both the candidates, Republican leader Donald Trump and Democratic nominee Kamala Harris, spent a considerable amount of time in Pennsylvania, the biggest electoral college prize out of the seven swing states, to sway the remaining undecided voters.

The United States is holding an election featuring a high-stakes race between former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris. Early voting and mail-in balloting for this election commenced in September, with over 74 million votes already submitted before Election Day, almost half of the total number of votes cast in 2020.

  Harris and Trump have tied with three votes each in the township of Dixville Notch, which kicked off election day as one of the first places in the US to register its presidential preference. 

Villagers in Thulasendrapuram have performed prayers at the Sri Dharma Sastha temple in  Kamala Harris' ancestral village expecting her to beat Trump, and emerge victorious as Americans vote today to elect their next president. Thulasendrapuram is the ancestral village of Kamala's grandfather and former Indian diplomat PV Gopalan.

   This is the first presidential vote since Trump lost to Joe Biden four years ago and began various attempts to circumvent the outcome and remain in power. That climaxed with the violent January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol to halt certification of the results after Trump told his supporters to fight like hell. Some Republicans are still skeptical that Biden was not legitimately elected, despite reviews, audits and recounts in the battleground states that all confirmed Biden's win. According to a survey from The Associated Press-NORC Centre for Public Affairs Research, Republicans remain much more skeptical than Democrats that their ballots will be counted accurately this year.

11:03 PM

Vote-counting machine issues reported in Bedford County

Vote-counting machines were experiencing issues in Bedford County, Pennsylvania, according to CNN. However, election officials confirmed that people were still able to cast their ballots despite these issues. The county's elections director issued a statement saying the issue had been identified, and support teams were sent to resolve it.

 

Meanwhile, in Cambria County, voting time was extended after a software malfunction caused delays.

11:03 PM

Donald Trump slams Oprah, calls her a great divider

Donald Trump called Oprah Winfrey a great divider. Oprah has been supporting Kamala Harris in these polls. "If I lose an election, if it's a fair election, I'm gonna I'd be the first one to acknowledge it. I think Oprah's become a major divider in our country, and I think, frankly, she should be ashamed of herself," Trump said.

11:02 PM

Today is the day we take back our country, says JD Vance

Vice President candidate JD Vance shared on X, "We're hearing a lot about long lines and high enthusiasm. Get in line, stay in line, and VOTE. Today is the day we take back our country."

10:59 PM

Voters using paper ballots after "software malfunction" in Cambria County

Voters have been using paper ballots due to a "software malfunction" that prevented ballot scanning in Cambria County, PA. As a result, voting hours have been extended until 10 p.m. local time, CBS News reported.

 

"Election officials plan for these possibilities and have multiple systems in place to ensure voters can cast their ballots and have their votes counted," Derek Tisler from the Brennan Center told CBS News.

10:55 PM

Former President & Republican candidate Donald Trump casts his vote in Florida

 Donald Trump cast his ballot in Florida, arriving at his voting precinct in Palm Beach with his wife, Melania Trump. After casting his vote, Trump said that he ran a great campaign and it was maybe the best of the three.

9:47 PM

This election would be close; go out and vote: Obama

As Americans woke up Tuesday morning to elect a new president, many of them received a message from former president Barack Obama, urging them to go out and vote and telling them that this election is going to be close. Democratic leader Kamala Harris and Republican nominee Donald Trump are locked in a fierce race to occupy the White House as the 47th President of the US. "Folks, this election is going to be close. In some states, just a handful of votes in every precinct could decide the winner,” Obama said in a short but powerful video message that appeared on the screens of millions of people through various digital mediums like email, messaging apps like WhatsApp and social media platforms like X and Facebook. 

8:30 PM

JD Vance votes in Ohio, Trump may cast his ballot in Florida

Republican vice-presidential nominee JD Vance cast his ballot in person this morning at his polling station in Cincinnati. Meanwhile, Trump is expected to vote in a polling station in Florida today.

8:15 PM

Federal agencies say Russia, Iran ramping up influence campaigns targeting US voters

The nation's federal law enforcement and election security agencies debunked two new examples of Russian election disinformation on the eve of Election Day, highlighting attempts by foreign actors to sow doubt in the US voting process and warning that the efforts run the risk of inciting violence against election officials. In a joint statement late Monday, federal officials pointed to a recent article posted by Russian actors falsely claiming that US officials across presidential swing states were orchestrating a plan to commit fraud, as well as a video that falsely depicted an interview with an individual claiming election fraud in Arizona.

7:17 PM

Long queues reported at North Carolina polling station

According to CNN, there's a long queue outside the Loyal Order of the Moose Lodge in Wilmington, North Carolina. The initial crowd of 30 to 40 people has continued to grow, the report claimed. In Lawrenceville, Georgia, people gathered early Tuesday morning at the Gwinnett County Voter Registrations & Elections office to submit their absentee ballots in person. This location also serves as the check-in spot for poll watchers to obtain their credentials.

7:13 PM

Biden will watch results from White House, reports CNN

US President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden will watch the election results from the residence of the White House with long-time aides and senior White House staff, CNN reported quoting a White House official.

6:35 PM

US Presidential Election: Millions voters head towards polling stations

Millions of Americans headed towards polling stations on Tuesday to elect the 47th President of the United States, capping one of the most bitter presidential campaigns in the country's history.
 

On Monday night, both the candidates, Republican leader Donald Trump and Democratic nominee Kamala Harris, spent a considerable amount of time in Pennsylvania, the biggest electoral college prize out of the seven swing states, to sway the remaining undecided voters.

5:17 PM

Trump, Harris end campaign with contrasting visions for US

Harris held the final rally of her campaign at the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Pennsylvania is one of the biggest swing states in the US. Trump continued to hit out at his critics and disparage migrants

5:11 PM

US elections LIVE: Date, time, results, and where to watch

Polling stations across the US will open between 4:30 pm to 9:30 pm IST (Indian Standard Time), accounting for the different time zones in the country. The election results are expected to trickle in once polls begin to close around 4:30 am  Wednesday in India.

4:31 PM

Donald Trump vs Kamala Harris: 82 million ballots already cast

Election Day 2024 arrived on Tuesday with 82 million ballots already cast slightly more than half the total number of votes in the presidential election four years earlier. Those include record numbers in Georgia and other important states that could decide the winner.