From Arizona to Pennsylvania, Americans Enjoy Calm Before Election’s Storm

Voting is now underway in several battleground states, where voters will help decide between Vice-President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump in the race for the White House.

Reports from our correspondents on the ground show calm, and sometimes even festive, scenes at polling locations. Many voting centers are nearly empty, thanks to unprecedented levels of early and mail-in voting in this election.

In previous elections, lines have typically grown as polling hours draw to a close. Among the seven critical swing states, Georgia will be the first to close its polls at 7 p.m. EST (midnight GMT), with others wrapping up by 10 p.m. EST (2 a.m. GMT) or later in the western states.

Polling in Philadelphia started with a lively atmosphere, featuring a DJ playing upbeat music for a cheerful line of voters outside a downtown church. People sipped coffee and enjoyed bagels as they waited. However, some polling stations faced challenges; for example, a stuck door at City Hall initially puzzled voters, leaving booths empty for nearly an hour after opening.

All eyes are on Pennsylvania, which awarded its 19 electoral votes to Joe Biden in 2020. With a mix of rural and urban voters, the state remains highly competitive, with economic issues and abortion rights at the forefront of voters’ minds. One point to watch is whether Trump draws more support than anticipated from Pennsylvania’s Latino voters.

In western Pennsylvania, scars from September’s Hurricane Helene are still visible. In Buncombe County, where the storm damaged a polling site, a tent powered by a generator is now serving as the voting location. Roughly two-and-a-half hours into the day, 35 residents had voted here, a local official reported. This Republican-leaning region saw strong early voting, surpassing the state average, and its turnout could be critical for North Carolina’s 16 electoral votes—a state Trump won by a narrow margin in 2020.

Debra and Robert Kendrick, who were rescued by canoe after Helene hit, both cast their votes for Trump. “It was an easy decision,” said Debra, standing on a muddy road outside the polling tent, while Robert highlighted immigration as his key issue.

In Michigan, the atmosphere was quieter but no less determined as a handful of voters arrived at an Ann Arbor polling station on an unusually warm morning. Washtenaw County, a liberal stronghold, is seen as essential for Harris to counterbalance Trump’s expected strength in rural areas. Voter Courtney Kutcher, who cast her ballot for Harris, believes that a strong turnout among women could help the vice-president gain an edge.

The state, which swung to Trump in 2016 before going back to Democrats in 2020, remains competitive. Many voters here, including Arab-Americans and unionized autoworkers, have expressed concerns about the Biden-Harris administration’s handling of issues like the Gaza conflict.

In Georgia, the vibe outside polling stations is calm and upbeat, with voters typically in and out in under five minutes. About 4 million votes had already been cast by Election Day, around 80% of the 2020 turnout level. Though the state had long leaned Republican, Biden flipped it in 2020, and Trump aims to reclaim it this time. While election regulations remain strict, recent rule changes allow non-partisan groups to distribute food and water near polling sites, a move aimed solely at encouraging voter turnout.

Wisconsin, a key “blue wall” state, shows high energy, with a DJ keeping spirits up at the Highland Gardens polling site in Milwaukee. Enthusiastic voter Kornisha Lymon said she’s “feeling it” as she prepared to vote for Harris. In this state, Biden narrowly won in 2020, and Democrats are counting on strong turnout in majority-Black neighborhoods to secure its 10 electoral votes. Political expert Michael Wagner noted that while Democrats feel positive about their efforts, Wisconsin remains a tossup.

In Arizona, voters continue to trickle into polling locations, with some expressing uncertainty about their choice for president. At a polling site in Phoenix, Krystle Colter shared her reluctance to choose between the two candidates. After discussions with family, she ultimately decided to vote for Harris due to her stance on supporting low-income families and single mothers. Arizona’s ballot this year includes a referendum on whether to enshrine abortion rights in the state constitution, an issue that has drawn mixed feelings from voters.

In Nevada, the race has drawn numerous volunteers from neighboring California, where Democrats are heavily favored. Peter Brock, a canvasser from California, noted a sense of election fatigue among voters, some of whom reported being approached multiple times by canvassers from both parties. Nevada’s six electoral votes are at stake, and the state has been a Democratic stronghold in recent elections, though Biden’s margin over Trump was narrow in 2020. Economic concerns, including inflation and housing costs, are key issues for Nevada voters, along with a proposal to make abortion rights a state constitutional guarantee.