The Americans vote on Tuesday in an election perceived to have long-term consequences for the United States and its people.
The election to occupy the White House is also considered as one of the most divisive races in the contemporary history of the US.
Like in the past, the results of the election might not be known on election night in the US and in the morning of next day in Bangladesh.
Incumbent Republican President Donald Trump and his Democratic rival Joe Biden, also a former vice president, are world apart in terms of policies that matter to the everyday Americans including handling of Covid-19 pandemic, economy, social justice, immigration, and climate change.
As a Black woman-led org, we stand as a resource to those who desire to vote as a means to shift power & address the deep disparities that brought us here. We join the voices crying out for justice #GeorgeFloyd #BreonnaTaylor #AhmaudArbery #TonyMcDade #SeanReed & too many others. pic.twitter.com/B3tw8Mm93v
— VOTE⋅org (@votedotorg) June 9, 2020
This election has been unique in the sense that a record-breaking 100 million voters have voted early either in-person or through mail ballots due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic and seriousness of the contest. That means fewer people will vote in-person on the election day. But, the turn-out on the polling day in the all-important battleground states is crucial for victory. Till the last moment, both the parties had been trying to encourage their supporters to vote on the polling day.
Every opinion poll was showing a healthy nationwide lead for the Biden-Harris ticket over Trump-Pence duo for the election on Tuesday. But, in the all important battleground states, the race has been much tighter than nationally. Biden was leading in all but one or two battleground states, but his lead in most of the cases was within the margin of error. The battleground states are important to win the presidency under the US’ unique electoral college system.
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Many Americans, especially the Democrats, are not inclined to be complacent due to numbers in their favor out of fear of the repeat of 2016. In that election, Democratic Party nominee Hillary Clinton was leading over her Republican rival until the election day, but the polls were proved wrong.
However, poll experts believe that it is unlikely to happen this time round because polling has improved since 2016 and that better pollsters are polling in the battleground states. They also say that unlike in 2016, there are few undecided voters left to be persuaded.
And, most of the voters have already voted in-person and through mail-in ballots due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic and the implications of this particular election. Therefore, fewer voters, as compared to four years ago, will turn up on the election day to vote in-person.
Also Read - 'I voted early': Thoughts of a Bangladeshi-American
Against such a scenario, it appears to be very difficult for Donald Trump to overcome Biden's lead over him unless there is a last-minute “voters’ revolution” in his favour like the one in 2016.
If the past is any guide, the Republicans vote in-person in larger numbers than their democratic counterparts. Therefore, the Trump campaign campaigned very hard in the last moments to make sure that their supporters vote on the polling day.
On the other hand, the Democrats with the bad memory of 2016 tried not being complacent and made efforts to ensure that their supporters vote early or go to the polling stations on the day of election.
Of course, there was a last-ditch effort from both campaigns to take the few remaining undecided voters to their folds.