Polling stations are open in the US as American voters decide whether to pick Donald Trump or Joe Biden for president. DW has this roundup of what to expect, how the voting system works and which states to watch.
Image: Melissa Sue Gerrits/Getty Images
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Voters were casting ballots in the United States on Tuesday. Voting kicked off in two small New Hampshire towns, which stuck to their traditional midnight start (0500 UTC).
Republican President Donald Trump faces a tough challenge from Democrat Joe Biden as he seeks a second term in the White House. Polls give Biden a strong lead nationally, but with a number of key states split down the middle, the outcome is anything but certain.
Expect record-breaking turnout
US voter turnout for presidential elections is low compared to many other countries, hovering around 55% in recent years. However, the coronavirus pandemic led many states to modify their ballot-casting rules by expanding early in-person voting and mail-in or drop-off options.
A record-breaking 91 million Americans already cast their ballots ahead of Election Day. By October 30, early voting in Texas had already exceeded the total number of ballots cast in the 2016 election. With in-person voting taking place across the country on November 3, the overall number of ballots cast in the election will likely set new records.
Despite expanded early voting due to the COVID-19 pandemic, turnout at the polls on November 3 will still play a huge role. Republicans prefer to vote in person, so the Trump campaign has said to expect a surge of his supporters at Tuesday's polls.
Early voting gives Democrats a slight edge, but Black voters, who largely lean Democratic, prefer in-person voting, and their on-the-day turnout could still be crucial to a Biden win.
Voters under 30, who made up a large portion of non-voters in 2016, appear highly mobilized this year and roughly 63% of those who definitely plan to vote tend to support Biden. Their turnout will be important.
Latino voters, a diverse bloc whose party tendencies vary, could help tip results in certain states — in either direction. Latino turnout has been lower than the US average in past votes, but a record 32 million are eligible to vote in 2020, so if they do vote, it could be decisive.
'Divided We Stand': Portraits of a polarized country
Swiss photographers Mathias Braschler and Monika Fischer spent months traveling across the US taking pictures of people from all walks of life.
Image: Mathias Braschler & Monika Fischer
Arms manufacturer from Louisiana
Mathias Braschler and Monika Fischer took 82 portraits on their extensive road trip across the US. The photos show people of all ages, ethnic groups, professions and genders. The subjects are each portrayed in the same way: in front of a plain white canvas. There is no comment.
Image: Mathias Braschler & Monika Fischer
Mother of eight from Mississippi
"Divided We Stand" is the title of the photo book by Mathias Braschler and Monika Fischer. The division refers to the political polarization in the US, which is best exemplified on a map. On the one hand, there are the "blue" coastal states, where the majority support the Democrats; on the other, much of the middle is comprised of the "red" states, the Republican heartland.
Image: Mathias Braschler & Monika Fischer
Sheriff from Texas
To capture this division, the Swiss couple covered about 15,000 miles (24,000 kilometers) while crisscrossing the US. Their epic journey encompassed 40 states stretching from Montana in the north to Texas in the south, where the above picture was taken.
Image: Mathias Braschler & Monika Fischer
Cheyenne chief from Montana
The photographers spent months on the road, traveling with a mobile home equipped with an integrated photo studio. Fischer and Braschler meticulously set up the studio anew every time they took a new portrait to ensure they always had the exact same light and background.
Image: Mathias Braschler & Monika Fischer
Rodeo Queen from Wyoming
Not only did they fascinating pictures on their road trip, but also asked the people they portrayed about their political leanings. What their subjects had to say about politics, society and their country is documented in the photo book — opinions as diverse as the people photographed.
Image: Mathias Braschler & Monika Fischer
Mason from Georgia
The photographers and their son live in New York and Switzerland. The couple has lived in the US for many years, but their road trip has broadened their perspectives on the country, especially the fact that so many Americans support Donald Trump.
Image: Mathias Braschler & Monika Fischer
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How does the voting system work?
The US presidential election is not decided by the popular vote; instead, the winner is determined by the electoral college, a body of 538 appointed electors, or delegates, who are apportioned to each state and Washington, D.C. A candidate needs to win enough states to secure a majority of these electors —270 — in order to win. Hitting this number is the only thing that counts.
Because electors are not allotted to states in proportion with their population, certain states have oversized influence in a candidate's win. Some states with many electors are surefire wins to one party. But the most important states are those with significant numbers of electoral votes and close races.
These are Florida (29 electoral votes), Pennsylvania (20), Ohio (18), Michigan (16), North Carolina (15), Arizona (11), Minnesota (10) and Wisconsin (10). The race in two historically solid Republican states, Georgia (16) and Texas (38), have also gotten tighter. A Biden win in either would be a major upset and deliver Democrats a big advantage in the count to 270.
Ohio, a swing state, began early voting 28 days before election day on November 3Image: Ty Wright/Getty Images
When will we get the results?
It depends where a state is and what its rules are. The continental US covers four time zones (Alaska and Hawaii add two more). The first state polls to close will do so around 2300 UTC. The rest close over the following six hours. After a state's polls close, winner projections will be made based on exit polls and whatever ballots have been counted.
This year, the large number of mail-in voting could complicate getting official results. While some states start counting mail-in ballots before election day, others can't start until November 3. Some states have also extended the return deadline, meaning postal votes could continue to arrive for days. In states with close races, it could be these ballots that determine the winner.
If outstanding state results mean neither candidate can secure 270 electoral votes, then the next president may not be known for days or even weeks, until all postal votes get counted. Potentially wire-thin margins of victory could also result in numerous legal cases that could further slow proceedings. There is an important deadline though: December 8, by which all state electors must be assigned to a state winner, if Congress is to accept the election results.
US election, seen through the eyes of cartoonists
Donald Trump or Joe Biden? As the candidates face off in the final debate, caricaturists around the world are taking a look.
Presidential mudslinging
What in the world has happened to political debate culture in the US, asks Czech caricaturist Marian Kamensky — along with the rest of the world. The first confrontation on TV between the presidential hopefuls degenerated into a mud fight. Instead of trading arguments, they hurled insults at each other. The second debate on October 22 has stricter rules, including muted mics to stop interruptions.
'Dirty tactics' and difficult terrain
Biden's running mate, Kamala Harris, has mentioned "dirty tactics" employed by the current president. The Democrats feel like they're navigating difficult terrain, points out German caricaturist Jens Kricke. Donald Trump, the incumbent, doesn't seem to care. He seems aloof, like a wicked witch in a fairy tale.
Image: Jens Kricke/toonpool.com
Trumped-up propaganda
This president adores superlatives, claiming "I am the least racist person you've ever seen," "No one has more respect for women than I do," or "I understand more about money than anybody else." And, of course, he believes the US has never had a better president. In this sketch by Martin Erl, Trump praises a photographer as "one of the best in the world."
Image: Martin Erl/toonpool.com
'Sleepy Joe' and the 'Clown'
Biden is a "sleepy old man" and a "puppet of the radical left," says Trump, who constantly cut off his opponent in the first debate. The latter responded by calling Trump a racist, liar, clown and the "worst president America has ever had." Commentators called it one of the worst debates America has ever seen. Italian artist Christi couldn't agree more.
Infantile behavior
Many Africans are also astonished at Trump's not very statesmanlike behavior. Cartoonist Damien Glez from Burkina Faso sees the president as a little brat who wants to get his way, no matter the cost. What doesn't fit is made to fit — and with force. One hopes that the president isn't pounding the nuclear button.
Trumpzilla
The first Japanese Godzilla movie hit the screen in 1954. Wherever the giant lizard goes, it leaves a path of destruction. For cartoon artist Takeshi Kishino to blow the truculent US president up into a gigantic Godzilla monster is revealing. Can Joe Biden stand a chance against this Trumpzilla?
Alpha males stick together
Donald Trump enjoys the company of rulers who aren't terribly concerned about democratic norms: Putin, Erdogan and North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un. Dutch cartoonist Tjeerd Royaards feels that what these politicians have in common is an archetypical rivaling behavior of self-designated alpha-males. Trump calls Joe Biden, on the other hand, a feeble old man – i.e., for him, not a serious opponent.
Mail-in voting? No way!
Trump has said the election will see rampant voter fraud and ballots in wastebaskets with his name on them. For months on end, the US president has attacked mail-in voting and even cut short funds for the postal service. Marian Kamensky encapsulates the situation here. Due to the risks posed by the coronavirus pandemic, many Democrats — and not only them — want to cast their ballots by mail.
Image: Waldemar Mandzel/Toonpool
A helping hand?
In his tirades against the postal service, the president has neglected to mention that he himself has voted by mail on multiple occasions. And even though the FBI certifies that there is no voter fraud in the US, Trump insists that America is threatened by "the most rigged election in history." If needed, he can get help from abroad, says Greek caricaturist Kostas Koufogiorgos.
Image: Kostas Koufogiorgos/toonpool.com
Trump for president
Trump supporters aren't just found in the US, but also in other countries. In the name of caricaturists around the globe, Mark Lynch of Australia definitely wants the US president to have a second term. "We need our buddy" and "We love the Twitter chief," demonstrators chant — because no other politician offers cartoonists as much raw material as the current occupant of the White House.
Not calling the movers
Trump has repeatedly made it clear that he wants to remain in the White House. Should he lose the election, he has not expressly agreed to a peaceful transition, saying only: "Well, we'll see what happens." He's already called on his base to protest should he not be reelected.
Image: Cartoonfix/toonpool.com
Stable dynasty
Trump has also questioned the American constitution and its rules prohibiting a third term. Is he thinking of a lifelong presidency? The whole Trump family often turns up at campaign rallies, including the president's youngest son, Barron — which might have triggered German cartoonist Christiane Pfohlmann's vision of the birth of a monarchy in the United States.
Image: Chrsitiane Pfohlmann/toonpool.com
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Other major races to watch
In addition to voting for the president, Americans are also casting votes for Congressmen and women. All 435 seats in the lower chamber of Congress, the House of Representatives, are up for election, and the Democrats are projected to maintain their majority.
Thirty-five seats are also up for election in the Republican-controlled upper chamber of Congress, the Senate, and many races are very close, so the outcome here is much more uncertain. Some currently Republican-controlled states like Arizona could go Democratic – but some Democratic-controlled ones like Alabama could go Republican. Democrats need to add four seats to their current total to take Senate control from Republicans.
Virus takes center stage
The coronavirus pandemic has emerged as a major issue for voters in the US, the country with the highest number of cases and deaths globally. Other key concerns include the economy, health care, gun rights, the environment and abortion.
