Will judges decide who'll be the next US President? How will the US election result impact ties with India? How will the Indian American community cast its vote? India's Former Permanent Representative to the UN Syed Akbaruddin decodes the US Election with Palki Sharma Upadhyay.

Gravitas: India's former top diplomat to the UN decodes the U.S. election

US television news networks are preparing for an election night like no other, as a divided nation chooses the next president amid a global pandemic, with more voters casting their ballots early and by mail than ever before. 
 
In this year’s contest between Republican US President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden, a Democrat, TV networks are facing heightened pressure to report election results accurately and without unwarranted speculation. 
 
Among the challenges facing the nation - and the networks - are a president stoking fears of ballot fraud, a deeply divided electorate and the specter of a prolonged vote count, which raises the potential for protests, violence and lawsuits.

This will be the first presidential election in which the major TV networks will get data from different providers, raising the potential for divergent perspectives on election night returns. 
 
Fox Corp’s Fox News and the Associated Press are no longer using traditional in-person exit polls, instead relying on online and telephone surveys that aim to reach early and Election Day voters. The news organizations will combine that survey data with real-time results tabulated by the AP to help make projections. 
 
The three broadcast news networks and AT&amp;T-owned CNN are part of the National Election Pool consortium, which will rely on the firm Edison Research for exit polls and results as they come in from each precinct. Reuters has a distribution deal with the NEP for 2020 election data. 
 
Networks will be showcasing their investments in more polling, deeper data analysis, and additional reporting on the mechanics of voting, voting integrity and misinformation. 
 
ViacomCBS Inc.-owned CBS News will broadcast its Election Night coverage from Times Square for the first time, with primetime coverage beginning at 7:00 p.m. EST. The network will use four high-resolution LED video walls to display real-time data, maps, results and video feeds from around the country. 
 
CNN will begin its coverage at 4:00 p.m. EST on Tuesday, with correspondent John King reporting live from the network’s “Magic Wall,” along with political director David Chalian, who will cover exit polls. 
 
Comcast Corp-owned NBC News` coverage will begin at 7:00 pm. EST, lasting until at least 4 am, and as long as the race continues. The network will rely on more than 100 NBC News journalists for its coverage. Its “Decision Desk” will make projections when there is 99.5 percent statistical confidence in the result. 
 
Walt Disney Co’s ABC News will begin its primetime coverage at 7 pm. EST, with anchor George Stephanopoulos leading coverage from New York. 
 
Fox News is airing an eight-hour-long live special “Fox News Democracy 2020: Election Coverage,” beginning at 6 pm EST; additional coverage will continue until 9 am.

US television news networks are preparing for an election night like no other, as a divided nation chooses the next president amid a global pandemic, with more voters casting their ballots early and by mail than ever before.

US television news networks are preparing for an election night like no other, as a divided nation chooses the next president amid a global pandemic, with more voters casting their ballots early and by mail than ever before. In this year’s contest between Republican US President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden, a Democrat, TV networks are facing heightened pressure to report election results accurately and without unwarranted speculation. Among the challenges facing the nation - and the networks - are a president stoking fears of ballot fraud, a deeply divided electorate and the specter of a prolonged vote count, which raises the potential for protests, violence and lawsuits. This will be the first presidential election in which the major TV networks will get data from different providers, raising the potential for divergent perspectives on election night returns. Fox Corp’s Fox News and the Associated Press are no longer using traditional in-person exit polls, instead relying on online and telephone surveys that aim to reach early and Election Day voters. The news organizations will combine that survey data with real-time results tabulated by the AP to help make projections. The three broadcast news networks and AT&T-owned CNN are part of the National Election Pool consortium, which will rely on the firm Edison Research for exit polls and results as they come in from each precinct. Reuters has a distribution deal with the NEP for 2020 election data. Networks will be showcasing their investments in more polling, deeper data analysis, and additional reporting on the mechanics of voting, voting integrity and misinformation. ViacomCBS Inc.-owned CBS News will broadcast its Election Night coverage from Times Square for the first time, with primetime coverage beginning at 7:00 p.m. EST. The network will use four high-resolution LED video walls to display real-time data, maps, results and video feeds from around the country. CNN will begin its coverage at 4:00 p.m. EST on Tuesday, with correspondent John King reporting live from the network’s “Magic Wall,” along with political director David Chalian, who will cover exit polls. Comcast Corp-owned NBC News` coverage will begin at 7:00 pm. EST, lasting until at least 4 am, and as long as the race continues. The network will rely on more than 100 NBC News journalists for its coverage. Its “Decision Desk” will make projections when there is 99.5 percent statistical confidence in the result. Walt Disney Co’s ABC News will begin its primetime coverage at 7 pm. EST, with anchor George Stephanopoulos leading coverage from New York. Fox News is airing an eight-hour-long live special “Fox News Democracy 2020: Election Coverage,” beginning at 6 pm EST; additional coverage will continue until 9 am.

US TV networks prepare to deliver results of an unprecedented election

1.6 million Indian Americans are voting this year. They make up only 1 per cent of the population. But they have significant political clout, which explains the choice of Kamala Harris, the vice-presidential pick of Joe Biden. It's an attempt to woo the Indian diaspora.

But has it worked?

Traditionally, Indian Americans have leaned towards Democrats. The trend may not have changed significantly this year even though many in India seem to support Donald Trump.

Indian Americans, according to recent opinion polls, are still backing the democrats.&nbsp;

Has Trump gained at all?

He has.

In 2016, only 16 per cent Indian Americans said they will vote Trump. In 2020, 28 per cent have said they support Trump.

However, these are just opinion polls. They tend to get it wrong, more often than not.

Both Democrats and Republicans have gone out of their way to reach out to the Indian diaspora. On August 4, the Trump campaign announced the formation of a group called 'Hindu voices for Trump'. Two days later, the Democratic National Convention organised an interfaith service.&nbsp;

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The Republicans are banking on Trump's camaraderie with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the success of Howdy Modi event in Houston and the Namaste Trump event in India.

The Democrats are banking on Kamala Harris' Indian roots.

But why is there a rush to win Indian American votes? Let's take a look at numbers. Indian Americans make up 1 per cent of US population. But they own one-third of all Silicon Valley start-ups. 8 per cent of America's high-tech firms were founded by Indian Americans.

Consider all of America's Fortune 500 companies. 2 per cent of them are led by Indian Americans. Examples include, MasterCard, Microsoft, Alphabet, Adobe and IBM. 1 in every 7 doctors in the US is of Indian descent. At least 10 Indian Americans are lawmakers. 
&nbsp; 
According to some estimates, half of America's motels are owned by Indian Americans. This section happens to be very affluent. The median income of an Indian American household is higher than that of other Asian communities.

It is easy to understand why both parties are vying for this important vote bank.

Memorable moments of US Election 2020 campaign:

This has been an election campaign to remember, but there have been some moments that are sure to linger on in everyone's mind.

US President Donald Trump broke into a dance in his campaign rally in Michigan. The YMCA dance made global headlines.

Next was the fly on Vice-President Mike Pence's head. During the Vice-Presidential debate between Mike Pence and Kamala Harris, a fly sat on Pence's head when he was live. This amusing development was witnessed by millions around the globe.

Then there was "Shut Up Man".&nbsp;

First Presidential debate between Donald Trump and Joe Biden saw the former make so many interruptions that Joe Biden actually told the president to "Shut Up".

Another memorable and surprising moment was when Donald Trump announced that he was positive for coronavirus.

And to top it all, Trump elicited many reactions across the media when he said that he would kiss everyone. He said this in Florida rally. This was his first rally after recovery from coronavirus infection.

1.6 million Indian Americans are voting this year. They make up only 1 per cent of the population. But they have significant political clout, which explains the choice of Kamala Harris, the vice-presidential pick of Joe Biden.

1.6 million Indian Americans are voting this year. They make up only 1 per cent of the population. But they have significant political clout, which explains the choice of Kamala Harris, the vice-presidential pick of Joe Biden. It's an attempt to woo the Indian diaspora. But has it worked? Traditionally, Indian Americans have leaned towards Democrats. The trend may not have changed significantly this year even though many in India seem to support Donald Trump. Indian Americans, according to recent opinion polls, are still backing the democrats. Has Trump gained at all? He has. In 2016, only 16 per cent Indian Americans said they will vote Trump. In 2020, 28 per cent have said they support Trump. However, these are just opinion polls. They tend to get it wrong, more often than not. Both Democrats and Republicans have gone out of their way to reach out to the Indian diaspora. On August 4, the Trump campaign announced the formation of a group called 'Hindu voices for Trump'. Two days later, the Democratic National Convention organised an interfaith service. × The Republicans are banking on Trump's camaraderie with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the success of Howdy Modi event in Houston and the Namaste Trump event in India. The Democrats are banking on Kamala Harris' Indian roots. But why is there a rush to win Indian American votes? Let's take a look at numbers. Indian Americans make up 1 per cent of US population. But they own one-third of all Silicon Valley start-ups. 8 per cent of America's high-tech firms were founded by Indian Americans. Consider all of America's Fortune 500 companies. 2 per cent of them are led by Indian Americans. Examples include, MasterCard, Microsoft, Alphabet, Adobe and IBM. 1 in every 7 doctors in the US is of Indian descent. At least 10 Indian Americans are lawmakers. According to some estimates, half of America's motels are owned by Indian Americans. This section happens to be very affluent. The median income of an Indian American household is higher than that of other Asian communities. It is easy to understand why both parties are vying for this important vote bank. Memorable moments of US Election 2020 campaign: This has been an election campaign to remember, but there have been some moments that are sure to linger on in everyone's mind. US President Donald Trump broke into a dance in his campaign rally in Michigan. The YMCA dance made global headlines. Next was the fly on Vice-President Mike Pence's head. During the Vice-Presidential debate between Mike Pence and Kamala Harris, a fly sat on Pence's head when he was live. This amusing development was witnessed by millions around the globe. Then there was "Shut Up Man". First Presidential debate between Donald Trump and Joe Biden saw the former make so many interruptions that Joe Biden actually told the president to "Shut Up". Another memorable and surprising moment was when Donald Trump announced that he was positive for coronavirus. And to top it all, Trump elicited many reactions across the media when he said that he would kiss everyone. He said this in Florida rally. This was his first rally after recovery from coronavirus infection.

US Election 2020: Why Indian Americans are important for both parties

The election with far-reaching implications on the world is her. It's #ElectionDay in America and the voters are writing the final chapter of this historic Presidential Election. WION reports the last election pitches from the #Election2020.

US Election New York Direct: The final appeals before election

Twitter has once again labelled the tweet of US President <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/donald-trump">Donald Trump </a>and described the content as "disputed" and potentially "misleading".

Trump took to Twitter to criticise apex court's decision for allowing the state of Pennsylvania for counting mailed ballots three days post the presidential election, calling it "dangerous" and warning it would trigger "violence".&nbsp;

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"The Supreme Court decision on voting in Pennsylvania is a VERY dangerous one. It will allow rampant and unchecked cheating and will undermine our entire systems of laws. It will also induce violence in the streets. Something must be done," Trump tweeted on Tuesday.&nbsp;

Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-election-2020-donald-trump-dismisses-fake-polls-joe-biden-urges-americans-to-end-chaos-339967">US election 2020: Donald Trump dismisses 'fake' polls, Joe Biden urges Americans to end 'chaos'</a>&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;

Twitter labelled the US president's tweet, saying: "Some or all of the content shared in this Tweet is disputed and might be misleading about an election or other civic process."

Facebook also added a label to the post, which said, "Both voting by mail and voting in person have a long history of trustworthiness in the US. Voter fraud is extremely rare across voting methods."

Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/grateful-that-trump-hasnt-tried-bottling-his-urine-and-selling-it-as-immunity-juice-john-oliver-slams-the-us-president-339931">Grateful that Trump hasn't tried bottling his urine and selling it as Immunity juice: John Oliver slams the US President</a>

About a month ago, Trump claimed he is "immune" to novel coronavirus after getting a treatment, which according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is incorrect as it says no evidence backs this claim.

The social media giant added a warning label to the tweet and said it "violated" rules for "spreading misleading and potentially harmful information related to Covid-19."

Twitter had also labelled Trump's tweet before when he called coronavirus is less deadly than seasonal flu and asking people to vote twice.&nbsp;

Twitter has once again labelled the tweet of US President Donald Trump and described the content as "disputed" and potentially "misleading". Trump took to Twitter to criticise apex court's decision for allowing the state of Pennsylvania for counting mailed ballots three days post the presidential election, calling it "dangerous" and warning it would trigger "violence".

Twitter has once again labelled the tweet of US President Donald Trump and described the content as "disputed" and potentially "misleading". Trump took to Twitter to criticise apex court's decision for allowing the state of Pennsylvania for counting mailed ballots three days post the presidential election, calling it "dangerous" and warning it would trigger "violence". "The Supreme Court decision on voting in Pennsylvania is a VERY dangerous one. It will allow rampant and unchecked cheating and will undermine our entire systems of laws. It will also induce violence in the streets. Something must be done," Trump tweeted on Tuesday. Also read | US election 2020: Donald Trump dismisses 'fake' polls, Joe Biden urges Americans to end 'chaos' Twitter labelled the US president's tweet, saying: "Some or all of the content shared in this Tweet is disputed and might be misleading about an election or other civic process." Facebook also added a label to the post, which said, "Both voting by mail and voting in person have a long history of trustworthiness in the US. Voter fraud is extremely rare across voting methods." Also read | Grateful that Trump hasn't tried bottling his urine and selling it as Immunity juice: John Oliver slams the US President About a month ago, Trump claimed he is "immune" to novel coronavirus after getting a treatment, which according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is incorrect as it says no evidence backs this claim. The social media giant added a warning label to the tweet and said it "violated" rules for "spreading misleading and potentially harmful information related to Covid-19." Twitter had also labelled Trump's tweet before when he called coronavirus is less deadly than seasonal flu and asking people to vote twice.

Twitter labels Donald Trump's tweet again, calls it 'disputed'

Voting for US Presidential Elections is going on and everyone is eager to know the results. Millions of Americans have voted already. However, the election day has its own aura and excitement. Although we are eager to know the results, there is still time for that. The voting in various states closes at different time and different states have different rules as to the permissible time limit for postal votes to be accepted.

All of this can get very chaotic, so we are bringing you a timeline of what will happen next as per Indian Standard Time

<h2>November 4</h2>

3.30 am IST:&nbsp;Edison Research will release preliminary findings from its exit polls, which are based on in-person interviews with voters on Election Day, in-person interviews at early voting centers before Nov. 3, and telephone interviews with people who voted by mail.

The initial data will look at national and state voter sentiment and motivations, but not detailed percentage estimates. Results from ballot questions in individual states will be released after voting ends in the state.

Edison will refine and update its national and state exit poll results through the night, gathering more voter responses and adjusting the weightings to reflect turnout.

4:30-5:30 IST: Some polling stations begin to close in the Republican strongholds of Indiana and Kentucky, the first in the country to close.

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&nbsp;

5:30 am IST: Voting ends in Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, South Carolina, Virginia and Vermont. 
Some polling stations begin to close in Florida, but many remain open until 8 p.m. (local time)

The initial results from Florida could favor Biden due to the high volume of early ballots that the state began to scan more than three weeks ago; opinion polls suggest more Democrats voted early, whereas more Republicans waited until Election Day. If there is a "blue mirage," it will fade as more in-person ballots from Tuesday are tallied.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/live-us-election-2020-donald-trump-joe-biden-more-than-98-million-voted-to-elect-the-next-president-340039">Click here for LIVE updates on US Election 2020</a>

6:00 am: Polls close in North Carolina, Ohio and West Virginia.

Like Florida, the initial results from North Carolina and Ohio could favor Biden because the states began to scan early ballots weeks before Election Day. A truer picture of the vote will emerge as more ballots are tabulated.

North Carolina counts ballots that arrive as late as Nov. 12 if they are postmarked by Nov. 3. Ohio accepts ballots 10 days after the election if they are postmarked by Nov. 2.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/why-paneer-tikka-was-trending-on-us-election-day-340135">Why Paneer Tikka was trending on US election day</a>

6:30 am IST: Voting ends in Alabama, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee and Washington D.C.

Pennsylvania does not begin to process early votes until Election Day and the state will accept mail-in ballots up to three days after the election if they are postmarked by Nov. 3. As a result, the initial vote counts from Pennsylvania may show a "red mirage" favoring Trump until the absentee ballots are counted, experts say.

7 am IST: Reuters expects to publish updated national exit poll results from Edison Research, with percentage estimates of support for Biden vs Trump. 
Polling stations close in Arkansas.

7:30 am IST: Voting ends in Arizona, Colorado, Kansas, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, South Dakota, Texas, Wisconsin and Wyoming.

Like Pennsylvania, the early results from Michigan and Wisconsin are expected to favor Trump because ballots cannot be counted before Election Day. (Michigan does allow some ballots to be opened, but they cannot be counted.)

Arizona allows ballots to be scanned 14 days before the election.

8:30 AM IST: Polls close in Iowa, Montana, Nevada and Utah.

Iowa allows ballot envelopes to be opened on the Saturday before the election and tabulating to begin on Monday. Ballots postmarked by Nov. 2 can arrive as late as the Monday after the election.

Nevada allows ballot scanning to begin 14 days before the election, and accepts ballots up to seven days after the election if they are postmarked by Nov. 3.

9:30 am IST: Voting ends in California, Idaho, Oregon and Washington.

10:30 am IST: Polls close in Hawaii.

11:30 am IST: Voting ends in Alaska.

 
This was about closure of polls. Now let's see what is on cards in coming days. IST is ahead of timezones in the US by roughly 10-12 hours. The exact timing and day of the events in India described ahead will vary as per the time they are held in the US.

<h2>December 8</h2>

States have until this date, known as the "safe harbor" deadline under federal law, to resolve any disputes over their vote totals and certify the winner. If a state fails to finalize its vote count by then, Congress is no longer required to accept its results under the Electoral College system.

<h2>December 14</h2>

Members of the Electoral College cast their ballots for president. Under the U.S. system, the winner of each state`s popular vote earns that state`s electoral votes, which are apportioned by population. The candidate who receives a majority of the 538 electoral votes available, or 270, wins the presidency.

<h2>January 6, 2021</h2>

Congress meets at 1 p.m. in Washington to count the electoral votes and declare a winner.

<h2>January 20, 2021</h2>

Inauguration Day. The winner and his running mate are sworn in as president and vice president at the U.S. Capitol in Washington.

(With Reuters inputs)

Voting for US Presidential Elections is going on and everyone is eager to know the results. Millions of Americans have voted already. However, the election day has its own aura and excitement.

Voting for US Presidential Elections is going on and everyone is eager to know the results. Millions of Americans have voted already. However, the election day has its own aura and excitement. Although we are eager to know the results, there is still time for that. The voting in various states closes at different time and different states have different rules as to the permissible time limit for postal votes to be accepted. All of this can get very chaotic, so we are bringing you a timeline of what will happen next as per Indian Standard Time November 4 3.30 am IST: Edison Research will release preliminary findings from its exit polls, which are based on in-person interviews with voters on Election Day, in-person interviews at early voting centers before Nov. 3, and telephone interviews with people who voted by mail. The initial data will look at national and state voter sentiment and motivations, but not detailed percentage estimates. Results from ballot questions in individual states will be released after voting ends in the state. Edison will refine and update its national and state exit poll results through the night, gathering more voter responses and adjusting the weightings to reflect turnout. 4:30-5:30 IST: Some polling stations begin to close in the Republican strongholds of Indiana and Kentucky, the first in the country to close. × 5:30 am IST: Voting ends in Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, South Carolina, Virginia and Vermont. Some polling stations begin to close in Florida, but many remain open until 8 p.m. (local time) The initial results from Florida could favor Biden due to the high volume of early ballots that the state began to scan more than three weeks ago; opinion polls suggest more Democrats voted early, whereas more Republicans waited until Election Day. If there is a "blue mirage," it will fade as more in-person ballots from Tuesday are tallied. Click here for LIVE updates on US Election 2020 6:00 am: Polls close in North Carolina, Ohio and West Virginia. Like Florida, the initial results from North Carolina and Ohio could favor Biden because the states began to scan early ballots weeks before Election Day. A truer picture of the vote will emerge as more ballots are tabulated. North Carolina counts ballots that arrive as late as Nov. 12 if they are postmarked by Nov. 3. Ohio accepts ballots 10 days after the election if they are postmarked by Nov. 2. Also Read | Why Paneer Tikka was trending on US election day 6:30 am IST: Voting ends in Alabama, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee and Washington D.C. Pennsylvania does not begin to process early votes until Election Day and the state will accept mail-in ballots up to three days after the election if they are postmarked by Nov. 3. As a result, the initial vote counts from Pennsylvania may show a "red mirage" favoring Trump until the absentee ballots are counted, experts say. 7 am IST: Reuters expects to publish updated national exit poll results from Edison Research, with percentage estimates of support for Biden vs Trump. Polling stations close in Arkansas. 7:30 am IST: Voting ends in Arizona, Colorado, Kansas, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, South Dakota, Texas, Wisconsin and Wyoming. Like Pennsylvania, the early results from Michigan and Wisconsin are expected to favor Trump because ballots cannot be counted before Election Day. (Michigan does allow some ballots to be opened, but they cannot be counted.) Arizona allows ballots to be scanned 14 days before the election. 8:30 AM IST: Polls close in Iowa, Montana, Nevada and Utah. Iowa allows ballot envelopes to be opened on the Saturday before the election and tabulating to begin on Monday. Ballots postmarked by Nov. 2 can arrive as late as the Monday after the election. Nevada allows ballot scanning to begin 14 days before the election, and accepts ballots up to seven days after the election if they are postmarked by Nov. 3. 9:30 am IST: Voting ends in California, Idaho, Oregon and Washington. 10:30 am IST: Polls close in Hawaii. 11:30 am IST: Voting ends in Alaska. This was about closure of polls. Now let's see what is on cards in coming days. IST is ahead of timezones in the US by roughly 10-12 hours. The exact timing and day of the events in India described ahead will vary as per the time they are held in the US. December 8 States have until this date, known as the "safe harbor" deadline under federal law, to resolve any disputes over their vote totals and certify the winner. If a state fails to finalize its vote count by then, Congress is no longer required to accept its results under the Electoral College system. December 14 Members of the Electoral College cast their ballots for president. Under the U.S. system, the winner of each state`s popular vote earns that state`s electoral votes, which are apportioned by population. The candidate who receives a majority of the 538 electoral votes available, or 270, wins the presidency. January 6, 2021 Congress meets at 1 p.m. in Washington to count the electoral votes and declare a winner. January 20, 2021 Inauguration Day. The winner and his running mate are sworn in as president and vice president at the U.S. Capitol in Washington. (With Reuters inputs)

US Election 2020: A timeline of what's next according to Indian Standard Time

Voters on both sides of the nation’s widening political divide prepared Monday to render a verdict on President Donald Trump’s four tumultuous years in the White House and, in particular, his management of the coronavirus pandemic that has upended American life for the past eight months.

As Trump and Joe Biden raced across the most important battleground states in a frenzied final push for votes, the 2020 election was unfolding in a country with urgent problems: an uncontrolled public health crisis, a battered economy, deep ideological divisions, a national reckoning on race and uncertainty about whether the outcome of the vote will be disputed.

Undeterred by the pandemic, Americans have already displayed an uncommon determination to have their voices and votes heard this year. Nearly 100 million cast their ballots in advance of Election Day, shattering records as they endured long lines at early voting sites or sent in their ballots by mail.

Much of the country felt on edge as if the often-predicted “most important election of a lifetime” had finally arrived. Ahead of the polls opening Tuesday, businesses in cities from Denver to Detroit to Washington, D.C., were boarding up their windows with plywood as they readied for the possibility of civil unrest. Some governors were readying the National Guard.

“Everyone is starting to panic,” Fernando Salas, a construction worker, said as he pounded nails into a plywood frame at a storefront in a trendy shopping district near Los Angeles.

Election administrators braced themselves to pull off the twin challenges of holding an election during a pandemic and fending off efforts by a president who is trailing in the polls to undermine trust in the vote-counting process.

“Please be patient,” Jim Kenney, the mayor of Philadelphia — the biggest city in one of the most important swing states — urged, predicting long lines Tuesday. Both the Trump and Biden campaigns were readying armies of lawyers for a potentially prolonged fight.

Still, the unchecked spread of COVID-19 shadowed the election, and on Monday, a report from the coordinator of the White House virus task force contradicted the president’s repeated claims on the campaign trail that the United States was on the way to defeating the virus.

The report, by Dr Deborah Birx, warned against the type of rallies that Trump had been holding. It also predicted that the U.S. would continue to see days when the number of new cases exceeded 100,000, according to a White House official who has reviewed the document, which was first reported by The Washington Post.

Voters were wracked with nervous energy. Katie Whelan, a high school history teacher from New Jersey, crossed the Pennsylvania border to knock on doors over the weekend for Biden in the key battleground. The previous night, she said, she had awakened from a panic dream involving Hillary Clinton and the dread of falling just short at the ballot box. “She was like, ‘Honey, I’ve been there,’ ” Whelan recalled Clinton telling her in the dream.

Adding to her anxiety, Whelan could not tell if the nightmare was set in 2016 or 2020. “I stood over the sink and drank 3 pints of water,” Whelan said. “And I said to myself, ‘I better get canvassing.’ ”

For Trump and Biden, their final events on the last full day of 2020 campaigning offered as stark a display of their differences as anything they said.

Seeking to project a sense of normalcy even as infection caseloads surge, Trump flouted public health guidelines with a slate of large rallies in North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, and even made a winking nod to firing the country’s top infectious disease expert, Dr Anthony Fauci, should he win another term, in a Florida rally that lasted past midnight Sunday.

In Ohio and Pennsylvania, Biden argued there could be no return to the routine until the virus was under control and his itinerary of socially distanced, drive-in rallies — “Honk if you agree with me!” he shouted in Cleveland — served a visual expression of his sober approach. Biden, the former vice president, cast race as a referendum on Trump’s stewardship of a pandemic that has infected more than 9 million people in the United States and cost more than 230,000 lives.

“The first step to beating the virus is beating Donald Trump,” Biden declared, adding, “The power to change the country is in your hands.”

In his own meandering and grievance-filled appearances, in which he lashed out against Nancy Pelosi, Adam Schiff, Hillary Clinton and the news media, Trump framed his reelection as an economic imperative to avoid “a deadly Biden lockdown” of the economy’s fragile recovery.

“This is not the crowd of a second-place finisher,” Trump said in Scranton, Pennsylvania, where Biden will also appear on Election Day, in a sign of Pennsylvania’s potential to tip the election.

Trump has signalled he may try to declare victory prematurely if the early tabulations favour him, and the Biden campaign held an unusual public briefing on the eve of the election to set expectations. At issue is not just the tallying of the vote but how fast certain states can count. Some key battlegrounds, such as Pennsylvania, are expected to take days while others, like Florida and North Carolina, will likely process most votes within hours.

“Under no scenario will Donald Trump be declared a victor on election night,” Jen O’Malley Dillon, Biden’s campaign manager, bluntly declared.

As polling places were set to open on Election Day, Trump’s road back to the White House was plainly narrower than Biden’s pathway. Polls show Trump trailing nationally and in most of the key battlegrounds needed to reach the 270 electoral votes required to win the presidency.

Trump has been forced to defend not just the three Northern industrial states — the former “blue wall” of Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Michigan — that he flipped in a surprise victory four years ago, but also an array of diversifying states across the Sun Belt and the South, including Florida, Arizona, North Carolina, Georgia and even Texas.

Those latter five states combine for 109 Electoral College votes, nearly all of which analysts believe Trump must win.

On Monday, Biden dispatched his most potent surrogate, former President Barack Obama, to two of those states: Florida and Georgia. The former president campaigned for Biden and two Senate Democratic challengers in Georgia, then stumped for Biden in Florida. Democratic Party strategists are hoping to win the three Senate seats they need to wrest back control of that chamber, along with the White House, and enact a progressive agenda in 2021.

The widening map had some Democrats coveting not only victory Tuesday but also a landslide repudiation of Trump and his brand of Republicanism, including aspirations of flipping Texas for the first time since 1976.

That Biden himself began his final full day on the road in Ohio — a state Trump carried by 8 percentage points — appeared a sign his campaign hoped to run up the score. Ohio was not among the dozen closest states in 2016.

But voters in both parties are mistrusting of the polls. Trump has actively questioned them on a near-daily basis. And many Democrats are still scarred by the shock of 2016.

Outside the Polk County Auditor’s office in Des Moines, Iowa, the line to vote early stretched around the block. For 18-year-old Mikayla Simpson, who stood in line wearing earbuds and a tan camouflage Trump 2020 baseball cap, the wait to cast her first vote for Trump was well worth it.

“I’d stand here all day if I had to,” she said.

Turnout on Tuesday will be critical even with the record early voting.

Trump, who for months has sown mistrust in mail-in ballots, is especially in need of a huge in-person showing, banking that the Republican Party’s early investment in door-knocking will pay off.

Trump’s chances are mostly pinned on luring white working-class voters to the polls — many of whom have flocked to his rallies despite the health risks. Seeking to recapture the energy of his surprise 2016 win, Trump’s final stop is expected to be in Grand Rapids, Michigan, the same city he finished his 2016 schedule.

The Democratic ticket ended the day in Pennsylvania’s two biggest media markets alongside pop stars at rallies in stadium parking lots, with Harris in Philadelphia with John Legend and Biden in Pittsburgh with Lady Gaga. Lady Gaga also performed at Clinton’s final 2016 rally, then in North Carolina.

“Vote like this country depends on it, because it does,” she said Monday.

In the final stretch, both parties were zeroing in on key demographics. Biden spoke with the African American community in Pittsburgh while his running mate, Sen. Kamala Harris of California, headlined a Latino get-out-the-vote effort in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Obama campaigned in Miami-Dade County, Florida’s most populous which is a majority Latino and Black.

Trump continued to obsess aloud about how white suburban women had flocked toward the Democratic Party during his presidency, helping to deliver Democrats the House in 2018 and possibly the White House in 2020.

“I say to the women of the suburbs: love me, women of the suburbs,” Trump said.

For Trump, the race’s waning days have been a characteristically chaotic closing stretch. He has threatened to send in lawyers to stop vote counting, cheered on supporters who surrounded a Biden bus on a Texas highway and baselessly accused doctors of exaggerating how many people had died from the virus so that they could make more money.

In Fayetteville, North Carolina, on Monday, Trump condemned the Supreme Court decision that will allow ballots to be counted in Pennsylvania after Election Day. “Do you know what can happen during that long period of time?” Trump said without evidence. “Cheating.”

Biden and Trump’s closing messages captured their divergent approaches to electoral politics.

“There will be no red states and blue states, just the United States,” Biden said of his potential presidency.

Trump had a very different pitch. “You have the power to vote, so go out and vote,” he said. “Unless you’re going to vote for somebody other than me, in which case, sit it out.”

Voters on both sides of the nation’s widening political divide prepared Monday to render a verdict on President Donald Trump’s four tumultuous years in the White House and, in particular, his management of the coronavirus pandemic that has upended American life for the past eight months.

Voters on both sides of the nation’s widening political divide prepared Monday to render a verdict on President Donald Trump’s four tumultuous years in the White House and, in particular, his management of the coronavirus pandemic that has upended American life for the past eight months. As Trump and Joe Biden raced across the most important battleground states in a frenzied final push for votes, the 2020 election was unfolding in a country with urgent problems: an uncontrolled public health crisis, a battered economy, deep ideological divisions, a national reckoning on race and uncertainty about whether the outcome of the vote will be disputed. Undeterred by the pandemic, Americans have already displayed an uncommon determination to have their voices and votes heard this year. Nearly 100 million cast their ballots in advance of Election Day, shattering records as they endured long lines at early voting sites or sent in their ballots by mail. Much of the country felt on edge as if the often-predicted “most important election of a lifetime” had finally arrived. Ahead of the polls opening Tuesday, businesses in cities from Denver to Detroit to Washington, D.C., were boarding up their windows with plywood as they readied for the possibility of civil unrest. Some governors were readying the National Guard. “Everyone is starting to panic,” Fernando Salas, a construction worker, said as he pounded nails into a plywood frame at a storefront in a trendy shopping district near Los Angeles. Election administrators braced themselves to pull off the twin challenges of holding an election during a pandemic and fending off efforts by a president who is trailing in the polls to undermine trust in the vote-counting process. “Please be patient,” Jim Kenney, the mayor of Philadelphia — the biggest city in one of the most important swing states — urged, predicting long lines Tuesday. Both the Trump and Biden campaigns were readying armies of lawyers for a potentially prolonged fight. Still, the unchecked spread of COVID-19 shadowed the election, and on Monday, a report from the coordinator of the White House virus task force contradicted the president’s repeated claims on the campaign trail that the United States was on the way to defeating the virus. The report, by Dr Deborah Birx, warned against the type of rallies that Trump had been holding. It also predicted that the U.S. would continue to see days when the number of new cases exceeded 100,000, according to a White House official who has reviewed the document, which was first reported by The Washington Post. Voters were wracked with nervous energy. Katie Whelan, a high school history teacher from New Jersey, crossed the Pennsylvania border to knock on doors over the weekend for Biden in the key battleground. The previous night, she said, she had awakened from a panic dream involving Hillary Clinton and the dread of falling just short at the ballot box. “She was like, ‘Honey, I’ve been there,’ ” Whelan recalled Clinton telling her in the dream. Adding to her anxiety, Whelan could not tell if the nightmare was set in 2016 or 2020. “I stood over the sink and drank 3 pints of water,” Whelan said. “And I said to myself, ‘I better get canvassing.’ ” For Trump and Biden, their final events on the last full day of 2020 campaigning offered as stark a display of their differences as anything they said. Seeking to project a sense of normalcy even as infection caseloads surge, Trump flouted public health guidelines with a slate of large rallies in North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, and even made a winking nod to firing the country’s top infectious disease expert, Dr Anthony Fauci, should he win another term, in a Florida rally that lasted past midnight Sunday. In Ohio and Pennsylvania, Biden argued there could be no return to the routine until the virus was under control and his itinerary of socially distanced, drive-in rallies — “Honk if you agree with me!” he shouted in Cleveland — served a visual expression of his sober approach. Biden, the former vice president, cast race as a referendum on Trump’s stewardship of a pandemic that has infected more than 9 million people in the United States and cost more than 230,000 lives. “The first step to beating the virus is beating Donald Trump,” Biden declared, adding, “The power to change the country is in your hands.” In his own meandering and grievance-filled appearances, in which he lashed out against Nancy Pelosi, Adam Schiff, Hillary Clinton and the news media, Trump framed his reelection as an economic imperative to avoid “a deadly Biden lockdown” of the economy’s fragile recovery. “This is not the crowd of a second-place finisher,” Trump said in Scranton, Pennsylvania, where Biden will also appear on Election Day, in a sign of Pennsylvania’s potential to tip the election. Trump has signalled he may try to declare victory prematurely if the early tabulations favour him, and the Biden campaign held an unusual public briefing on the eve of the election to set expectations. At issue is not just the tallying of the vote but how fast certain states can count. Some key battlegrounds, such as Pennsylvania, are expected to take days while others, like Florida and North Carolina, will likely process most votes within hours. “Under no scenario will Donald Trump be declared a victor on election night,” Jen O’Malley Dillon, Biden’s campaign manager, bluntly declared. As polling places were set to open on Election Day, Trump’s road back to the White House was plainly narrower than Biden’s pathway. Polls show Trump trailing nationally and in most of the key battlegrounds needed to reach the 270 electoral votes required to win the presidency. Trump has been forced to defend not just the three Northern industrial states — the former “blue wall” of Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Michigan — that he flipped in a surprise victory four years ago, but also an array of diversifying states across the Sun Belt and the South, including Florida, Arizona, North Carolina, Georgia and even Texas. Those latter five states combine for 109 Electoral College votes, nearly all of which analysts believe Trump must win. On Monday, Biden dispatched his most potent surrogate, former President Barack Obama, to two of those states: Florida and Georgia. The former president campaigned for Biden and two Senate Democratic challengers in Georgia, then stumped for Biden in Florida. Democratic Party strategists are hoping to win the three Senate seats they need to wrest back control of that chamber, along with the White House, and enact a progressive agenda in 2021. The widening map had some Democrats coveting not only victory Tuesday but also a landslide repudiation of Trump and his brand of Republicanism, including aspirations of flipping Texas for the first time since 1976. That Biden himself began his final full day on the road in Ohio — a state Trump carried by 8 percentage points — appeared a sign his campaign hoped to run up the score. Ohio was not among the dozen closest states in 2016. But voters in both parties are mistrusting of the polls. Trump has actively questioned them on a near-daily basis. And many Democrats are still scarred by the shock of 2016. Outside the Polk County Auditor’s office in Des Moines, Iowa, the line to vote early stretched around the block. For 18-year-old Mikayla Simpson, who stood in line wearing earbuds and a tan camouflage Trump 2020 baseball cap, the wait to cast her first vote for Trump was well worth it. “I’d stand here all day if I had to,” she said. Turnout on Tuesday will be critical even with the record early voting. Trump, who for months has sown mistrust in mail-in ballots, is especially in need of a huge in-person showing, banking that the Republican Party’s early investment in door-knocking will pay off. Trump’s chances are mostly pinned on luring white working-class voters to the polls — many of whom have flocked to his rallies despite the health risks. Seeking to recapture the energy of his surprise 2016 win, Trump’s final stop is expected to be in Grand Rapids, Michigan, the same city he finished his 2016 schedule. The Democratic ticket ended the day in Pennsylvania’s two biggest media markets alongside pop stars at rallies in stadium parking lots, with Harris in Philadelphia with John Legend and Biden in Pittsburgh with Lady Gaga. Lady Gaga also performed at Clinton’s final 2016 rally, then in North Carolina. “Vote like this country depends on it, because it does,” she said Monday. In the final stretch, both parties were zeroing in on key demographics. Biden spoke with the African American community in Pittsburgh while his running mate, Sen. Kamala Harris of California, headlined a Latino get-out-the-vote effort in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Obama campaigned in Miami-Dade County, Florida’s most populous which is a majority Latino and Black. Trump continued to obsess aloud about how white suburban women had flocked toward the Democratic Party during his presidency, helping to deliver Democrats the House in 2018 and possibly the White House in 2020. “I say to the women of the suburbs: love me, women of the suburbs,” Trump said. For Trump, the race’s waning days have been a characteristically chaotic closing stretch. He has threatened to send in lawyers to stop vote counting, cheered on supporters who surrounded a Biden bus on a Texas highway and baselessly accused doctors of exaggerating how many people had died from the virus so that they could make more money. In Fayetteville, North Carolina, on Monday, Trump condemned the Supreme Court decision that will allow ballots to be counted in Pennsylvania after Election Day. “Do you know what can happen during that long period of time?” Trump said without evidence. “Cheating.” Biden and Trump’s closing messages captured their divergent approaches to electoral politics. “There will be no red states and blue states, just the United States,” Biden said of his potential presidency. Trump had a very different pitch. “You have the power to vote, so go out and vote,” he said. “Unless you’re going to vote for somebody other than me, in which case, sit it out.”

Undeterred by pandemic, Americans prepare to render a verdict on Trump

Over 100 million votes have&nbsp;been cast as Americans come out to vote on Election Day on November 3 during US elections 2020.&nbsp; | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/live-us-election-2020-donald-trump-joe-biden-more-than-98-million-voted-to-elect-the-next-president-340039">Live:&nbsp;No indications foreign actor can compromise polls, says official</a>

Watch:

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/us-election-2020-who-is-leading-on-opinion-poll-charts-before-historic-day-340186/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

According to <a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/us-elections-2020-crucial-states-that-could-determine-course-of-the-race-340196">US Elections</a> Project, 100,298,838&nbsp;votes have been cast with 35,733,103&nbsp;in-person votes and 64,565,735 mail-in&nbsp;ballots.

Voters in California have voted in large number with over 12 million votes cast with over 9 million voters having cast their ballot&nbsp;in Texas.

In Florida, over 8.9 voters have cast their ballot.

In North Carolina, over 4.5 million votes&nbsp;have been cast. In Ohio, over 3 million voters have cast their ballot.

Over 100 million votes have been cast as Americans come out to vote on Election Day on November 3 during US elections 2020. | Live: No indications foreign actor can compromise polls, says official Watch: According to US Elections Project, 100,298,838 votes have been cast with 35,733,103 in-person votes and 64,565,735 mail-in ballots.

Over 100 million votes have been cast as Americans come out to vote on Election Day on November 3 during US elections 2020. | Live: No indications foreign actor can compromise polls, says official Watch: According to US Elections Project, 100,298,838 votes have been cast with 35,733,103 in-person votes and 64,565,735 mail-in ballots. Voters in California have voted in large number with over 12 million votes cast with over 9 million voters having cast their ballot in Texas. In Florida, over 8.9 voters have cast their ballot. In North Carolina, over 4.5 million votes have been cast. In Ohio, over 3 million voters have cast their ballot.

US Elections 2020: Over 100 million votes cast; California leads in polling

Voters in the all important swing state of Wisconsin turned out on Tuesday (November 3) morning to cast their votes in the bitterly contested presidential race between incumbent Donald Trump and challenger Joe Biden after a tumultuous four years that have left the United States as deeply divided as at any time in recent history.

US Election 2020: What you need to watch out for

The Trump campaign has repeatedly attacked Lady Gaga over the last few days. For her part, the singer has reveled in making Trump angry and is scheduled to perform in support of Biden on Monday.

US Election 2020: Donald Trump campaign and Lady Gaga trade insults

American businesses prepare for possible civil unrest after US election 2020

US election 2020: Key moments of Donald Trump's presidential tenure

Look who’s back, back again?

Rapper Eminem recently took centre stage in politics as he featured in a campaign video for Joe Biden. In a new video supporting Joe Biden, Eminem was seen dancing to his anthem ‘Lose Yourself’.

Eminem shared the video on Twitter and captioned it: "One opportunity...#Vote," as he backed the former two-term vice president and senator, Joe Biden.

The video runs for 45 seconds and is black and white that has a collage of images of young parents, skaters, people waiting in line to vote and athletes.&nbsp;

Eminem can be heard rapping in the video: "Look/ If you had/ One shot/ Or one opportunity/ To seize everything you ever wanted/ In one moment/ Would you capture it/ Or just let it slip?"&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
One opportunity... <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Vote?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Vote</a> <a href="https://t.co/sCUhq4dvAN">https://t.co/sCUhq4dvAN</a>
— Marshall Mathers (@Eminem) <a href="https://twitter.com/Eminem/status/1323304002285654016?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 2, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

The song is a part of his 2002 Oscar-winning film ‘8 Mile’.

Recently, stars like Lady Gaga, Stevie Wonder, Bruce Springsteen, Barbra Streisand, John Legend, Jennifer Hudson, Andra Day, Leon Bridges, Maggie Rogers, Cher, Nine Inch Nails, Rufus Wainwright, Jason Mraz, David Crosby, Billy Porter, MC Hammer, Cyndi Lauper and many more have come out to vote and show their support for one candidate or another.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/us-elections-2020-beyonce-comes-out-to-vote-as-she-endorses-joe-biden-kamala-harris-339994" hreflang="en">US Elections 2020: Beyonce comes out to vote as she endorses Joe Biden, Kamala Harris</a>

<h2><a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/donald-trump-vs-joe-biden-which-celebrity-is-backing-whom-in-the-us-presidential-elections-333505" hreflang="en">Donald Trump Vs Joe Biden: Check out celebrities choices for 2020 US elections</a></h2>

Look who’s back, back again? Rapper Eminem recently took centre stage in politics as he featured in a campaign video for Joe Biden. In a new video supporting Joe Biden, Eminem was seen dancing to his anthem ‘Lose Yourself’.

Look who’s back, back again? Rapper Eminem recently took centre stage in politics as he featured in a campaign video for Joe Biden. In a new video supporting Joe Biden, Eminem was seen dancing to his anthem ‘Lose Yourself’. Eminem shared the video on Twitter and captioned it: "One opportunity...#Vote," as he backed the former two-term vice president and senator, Joe Biden. The video runs for 45 seconds and is black and white that has a collage of images of young parents, skaters, people waiting in line to vote and athletes. Eminem can be heard rapping in the video: "Look/ If you had/ One shot/ Or one opportunity/ To seize everything you ever wanted/ In one moment/ Would you capture it/ Or just let it slip?" One opportunity... #Vote https://t.co/sCUhq4dvAN — Marshall Mathers (@Eminem) November 2, 2020 × The song is a part of his 2002 Oscar-winning film ‘8 Mile’. Recently, stars like Lady Gaga, Stevie Wonder, Bruce Springsteen, Barbra Streisand, John Legend, Jennifer Hudson, Andra Day, Leon Bridges, Maggie Rogers, Cher, Nine Inch Nails, Rufus Wainwright, Jason Mraz, David Crosby, Billy Porter, MC Hammer, Cyndi Lauper and many more have come out to vote and show their support for one candidate or another. US Elections 2020: Beyonce comes out to vote as she endorses Joe Biden, Kamala Harris Donald Trump Vs Joe Biden: Check out celebrities choices for 2020 US elections

Eminem features in Joe Biden campaign video as he performs his classic 'Lose Yourself'

A nation with nearly 8% unemployment and mourning more than 231,000 COVID-19 deaths, where 4 out of 5 Americans say they feel nervous about the country’s future, gets a final chance Tuesday to decide which candidate is best equipped to lead it past those daunting numbers.

The division and anxiety are evident in conversations among voters in long lines outside early voting places and across browning autumn lawns where warring yard signs pit neighbour against neighbour. Here in the middle of the country, where case counts are surging and college football games were postponed after much angst this past weekend, the worry is all connected, from people on either side of the political chasm.

The coronavirus trends are especially pronounced in several battleground states, including Wisconsin and Michigan, which Joe Biden is fighting to win back for the Democrats after President Donald Trump’s victories there in 2016, and where infection rates were ticking up as the calendar wound down.

A fundamental unease about the country hovers over most other concerns voters describe as they cast ballots: The future of America troubles them more than whether they may lose a job in this recession, whether they could become ill in this pandemic, whether they could personally be harmed by violent crime.

In national polling by The New York Times and Siena College, voters across the political spectrum say they worry that the next generation of Americans will be worse off. And they are concerned America could lose its democracy.

That sentiment means different things to voters on the left and the right. Republicans describe fears of creeping socialism from within the Democratic Party and deep changes in American values amid protests against police and historical figures. Democrats fear threats to democracy from within the White House itself, as they describe Trump undermining the country’s institutions and rule of law.

Other opinion polling leading up to the election has shown Americans deeply divided not just on which candidate they support in the election, but also on questions that have become inseparable from partisan politics this year.

Democrats believe the worst of the coronavirus pandemic is yet to come; Republicans believe the worst is already behind the country. Democrats, by broad margins, approve of the Black Lives Matter movement; Republicans, to a comparable degree, have denounced it.

Voters in the two parties disagree on the outlook for the economy, the importance of wearing masks and even whether schools should reopen in person.

They even see different realities in their personal lives: Just 1 in 5 Democrats said they were personally better off than four years ago, in a recent Times/Siena national poll. Nearly 9 in 10 Republicans said they were better off at the end of the first Trump administration.

Heading into Election Day in 2016, the presidential candidates — and the country — were facing an economy that was pointed upward. There had been 79 months of uninterrupted private-sector job gains, the unemployment rate was running below 5% for the first time since the start of the Great Recession, wages were growing and there were high levels of consumer confidence.

Today, the economic picture looks very different. The official unemployment rate in September was 7.9%, and more than 12.6 million people are unemployed — 5 million more than when Trump took office.

There has been progressing since the spring when the spreading pandemic shut down the economy and virtually halted commerce. But the improvements, fueled in part by $2.2 trillion in government assistance to individuals and businesses, are fading. Hundreds of thousands of new jobless claims are reported every week at levels that still eclipse previous records.

Several major companies have said they expect another wave of layoffs and furloughs. Wall Street analysts warn that growth is likely to continue to slow, leaving the economy about 2.5% smaller than it was last year.

In several battleground states, including Pennsylvania (8.1%), Texas (8.3%), Ohio (8.4%), Michigan (8.5%) and Nevada (12.6%), the jobless rate is higher than the national average. Others are faring better, with Wisconsin at 5.4%, Georgia at 6.4% and North Carolina at 7.3%. All, though, are in much worse shape than they were a year ago.

Through most of the Trump administration, views of the economy closely tracked political preferences. Republicans could be counted on to have optimistic views about the economy and give Trump the credit, while Democrats had a much more negative outlook on the country’s prospects and Trump’s effect on them.

“People’s views of the economy are always coloured by party identification,” said Lynn Vavreck, a political scientist at UCLA.

Republicans remain more positive than Democrats, but overall confidence in the economy is low, according to Gallup Polls from mid-October, and only 28% of those surveyed approved of the way things were going in the United States.

Vavreck said that in this unusual year, handling of the economy and handling of the pandemic were joined together in a way that is difficult to peel apart.

But, she added, “there is a robust relationship between the actual economy and election outcomes.”

In Nebraska, the jobless rate in September was 3.5%, not that far off its rate last September and the lowest in the country. Many supporters of the president here tout the nation’s economy overall as one reason they plan to vote for him. They blame economic woes on the pandemic, which they think was outside his control.

“Trump has improved the economy and once they get a vaccine, I’m sure the economy will go back up again,” said Eli Duberow, 42, from Lincoln, Nebraska, as he was waiting for Trump’s rally in Omaha to start last week.

On top of economic and election worries, America is facing a pandemic with a growing number of victims; 9.3 million Americans have been infected.

Nebraska, which splits its Electoral College votes and has been a focal point for Trump, has averaged more than 1,100 coronavirus cases per day over the past week, the most of any point in the pandemic.

That, rather than the pandemic’s economic toll, is more present in the minds of some Nebraska voters — along with, for Republicans, the creep of socialism, and for Democrats, improvements to health care.

In the state’s 2nd Congressional District race in Omaha’s metropolitan area, the Democratic candidate, Kara Eastman, is being painted by her opponent as a radical socialist. Her Republican rival, Don Bacon, whom she has framed as heartless for not supporting COVID relief funds, had planned for an in-person election night hotel party, but switched it to a scaled-back event for staff and family as new coronavirus cases surged.

Across the country, the virus outlook is bleak and getting bleaker. Infection numbers are trending upward in 41 states, and more than 20 states have set weekly case records in recent days. The nation has averaged more than 82,000 cases per day over the past week, the most yet. Deaths, which tend to lag cases, have climbed more slowly to about 800 daily, still well below the spring peak.

Much of the recent increase has been driven by explosive growth in the same Northern battleground states that could decide the presidential race.

The situation is especially dire in Wisconsin and Iowa, which are third and fifth nationally in recent cases per capita. Ten of the country’s 17 metro areas with the highest rates of new cases over the past two weeks are in Wisconsin. More than 14,000 cases were announced in Iowa in the seven-day period ending Sunday, the most in any weeklong stretch of the pandemic.

Minnesota, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Michigan are all seeing worrisome rises. Cases have also reached record levels in the Omaha area, where Trump held a rally last week that drew thousands of mostly unmasked attendees.

In the Southern battlegrounds, the picture is somewhat more encouraging, though still not good. Cases are rising in Arizona, Florida and Texas, but so far remain below the peak levels seen this summer. In Georgia, which has also improved since summer, reports of new infections have levelled off in recent days. But in North Carolina, new cases and deaths are still emerging near record levels.

Worries about voter fraud, disinformation, misinformation, possible violence and disruptions to ballot casting are also troubling many Americans. But in Omaha the recent culprit of a more than an hourlong halt to early voting at the Douglas County Elections Commission was less nefarious: a squirrel had chewed through electric equipment.

A nation with nearly 8% unemployment and mourning more than 231,000 COVID-19 deaths, where 4 out of 5 Americans say they feel nervous about the country’s future, gets a final chance Tuesday to decide which candidate is best equipped to lead it past those daunting numbers.

A nation with nearly 8% unemployment and mourning more than 231,000 COVID-19 deaths, where 4 out of 5 Americans say they feel nervous about the country’s future, gets a final chance Tuesday to decide which candidate is best equipped to lead it past those daunting numbers. The division and anxiety are evident in conversations among voters in long lines outside early voting places and across browning autumn lawns where warring yard signs pit neighbour against neighbour. Here in the middle of the country, where case counts are surging and college football games were postponed after much angst this past weekend, the worry is all connected, from people on either side of the political chasm. The coronavirus trends are especially pronounced in several battleground states, including Wisconsin and Michigan, which Joe Biden is fighting to win back for the Democrats after President Donald Trump’s victories there in 2016, and where infection rates were ticking up as the calendar wound down. A fundamental unease about the country hovers over most other concerns voters describe as they cast ballots: The future of America troubles them more than whether they may lose a job in this recession, whether they could become ill in this pandemic, whether they could personally be harmed by violent crime. In national polling by The New York Times and Siena College, voters across the political spectrum say they worry that the next generation of Americans will be worse off. And they are concerned America could lose its democracy. That sentiment means different things to voters on the left and the right. Republicans describe fears of creeping socialism from within the Democratic Party and deep changes in American values amid protests against police and historical figures. Democrats fear threats to democracy from within the White House itself, as they describe Trump undermining the country’s institutions and rule of law. Other opinion polling leading up to the election has shown Americans deeply divided not just on which candidate they support in the election, but also on questions that have become inseparable from partisan politics this year. Democrats believe the worst of the coronavirus pandemic is yet to come; Republicans believe the worst is already behind the country. Democrats, by broad margins, approve of the Black Lives Matter movement; Republicans, to a comparable degree, have denounced it. Voters in the two parties disagree on the outlook for the economy, the importance of wearing masks and even whether schools should reopen in person. They even see different realities in their personal lives: Just 1 in 5 Democrats said they were personally better off than four years ago, in a recent Times/Siena national poll. Nearly 9 in 10 Republicans said they were better off at the end of the first Trump administration. Heading into Election Day in 2016, the presidential candidates — and the country — were facing an economy that was pointed upward. There had been 79 months of uninterrupted private-sector job gains, the unemployment rate was running below 5% for the first time since the start of the Great Recession, wages were growing and there were high levels of consumer confidence. Today, the economic picture looks very different. The official unemployment rate in September was 7.9%, and more than 12.6 million people are unemployed — 5 million more than when Trump took office. There has been progressing since the spring when the spreading pandemic shut down the economy and virtually halted commerce. But the improvements, fueled in part by $2.2 trillion in government assistance to individuals and businesses, are fading. Hundreds of thousands of new jobless claims are reported every week at levels that still eclipse previous records. Several major companies have said they expect another wave of layoffs and furloughs. Wall Street analysts warn that growth is likely to continue to slow, leaving the economy about 2.5% smaller than it was last year. In several battleground states, including Pennsylvania (8.1%), Texas (8.3%), Ohio (8.4%), Michigan (8.5%) and Nevada (12.6%), the jobless rate is higher than the national average. Others are faring better, with Wisconsin at 5.4%, Georgia at 6.4% and North Carolina at 7.3%. All, though, are in much worse shape than they were a year ago. Through most of the Trump administration, views of the economy closely tracked political preferences. Republicans could be counted on to have optimistic views about the economy and give Trump the credit, while Democrats had a much more negative outlook on the country’s prospects and Trump’s effect on them. “People’s views of the economy are always coloured by party identification,” said Lynn Vavreck, a political scientist at UCLA. Republicans remain more positive than Democrats, but overall confidence in the economy is low, according to Gallup Polls from mid-October, and only 28% of those surveyed approved of the way things were going in the United States. Vavreck said that in this unusual year, handling of the economy and handling of the pandemic were joined together in a way that is difficult to peel apart. But, she added, “there is a robust relationship between the actual economy and election outcomes.” In Nebraska, the jobless rate in September was 3.5%, not that far off its rate last September and the lowest in the country. Many supporters of the president here tout the nation’s economy overall as one reason they plan to vote for him. They blame economic woes on the pandemic, which they think was outside his control. “Trump has improved the economy and once they get a vaccine, I’m sure the economy will go back up again,” said Eli Duberow, 42, from Lincoln, Nebraska, as he was waiting for Trump’s rally in Omaha to start last week. On top of economic and election worries, America is facing a pandemic with a growing number of victims; 9.3 million Americans have been infected. Nebraska, which splits its Electoral College votes and has been a focal point for Trump, has averaged more than 1,100 coronavirus cases per day over the past week, the most of any point in the pandemic. That, rather than the pandemic’s economic toll, is more present in the minds of some Nebraska voters — along with, for Republicans, the creep of socialism, and for Democrats, improvements to health care. In the state’s 2nd Congressional District race in Omaha’s metropolitan area, the Democratic candidate, Kara Eastman, is being painted by her opponent as a radical socialist. Her Republican rival, Don Bacon, whom she has framed as heartless for not supporting COVID relief funds, had planned for an in-person election night hotel party, but switched it to a scaled-back event for staff and family as new coronavirus cases surged. Across the country, the virus outlook is bleak and getting bleaker. Infection numbers are trending upward in 41 states, and more than 20 states have set weekly case records in recent days. The nation has averaged more than 82,000 cases per day over the past week, the most yet. Deaths, which tend to lag cases, have climbed more slowly to about 800 daily, still well below the spring peak. Much of the recent increase has been driven by explosive growth in the same Northern battleground states that could decide the presidential race. The situation is especially dire in Wisconsin and Iowa, which are third and fifth nationally in recent cases per capita. Ten of the country’s 17 metro areas with the highest rates of new cases over the past two weeks are in Wisconsin. More than 14,000 cases were announced in Iowa in the seven-day period ending Sunday, the most in any weeklong stretch of the pandemic. Minnesota, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Michigan are all seeing worrisome rises. Cases have also reached record levels in the Omaha area, where Trump held a rally last week that drew thousands of mostly unmasked attendees. In the Southern battlegrounds, the picture is somewhat more encouraging, though still not good. Cases are rising in Arizona, Florida and Texas, but so far remain below the peak levels seen this summer. In Georgia, which has also improved since summer, reports of new infections have levelled off in recent days. But in North Carolina, new cases and deaths are still emerging near record levels. Worries about voter fraud, disinformation, misinformation, possible violence and disruptions to ballot casting are also troubling many Americans. But in Omaha the recent culprit of a more than an hourlong halt to early voting at the Douglas County Elections Commission was less nefarious: a squirrel had chewed through electric equipment.

A country facing high joblessness, virus rates and anxiety picks its President

Grammy award winning musician John Legend isn't too happy with some of his colleagues from the music industry. 
 
Legend recently appeared at a rally for Democratic vice presidential nominee Sen. Kamala Harris in Philadelphia. The singer performed on stage with fellow artist Common, but before his performance, he addressed the audience about Lil Wayne and Ice Cube who have openly showed their support to US President Donald Trump. 
 
"Now, some people see the meanness, the bullying, the selfishness of Donald Trump, they mistake it for strength, a kind of twisted masculinity. Some see his greed and they mistake it for being good at business," said Legend. 
 
“Some of your former favorite rappers have been taken in by these lies. I think they’ve even founded a new supergroup, it’s called The Sunken Place," Legend said and added, "But Trump’s Platinum Plan for Black folks is nothing but fool’s gold. Because you can't bank on a word he says." 
 
Trump has proposed 'Platinum Plan' for the Black community which includes creation of 3 million jobs over the next four years, increasing access to capital by $500 billion and strengthening immigration policies to protect American jobs. 
 
Rapper Ice Cube, who till very recently was a critic of the Trump administration, has been roped in as one of the advisor for the plan. 
 
Last week, both Ice Cube and rapper Lil Wayne spoke in favour of Trump. Wayne tweeted that he had a 'great meeting' with Trump and even praised the 'Platinum Plan'. 
 
"Just had a great meeting with @realdonaldtrump @potus besides what he’s done so far with criminal reform, the platinum plan is going to give the community real ownership," Wayne said. "He listened to what we had to say today and assured he will and can get it done."

Ice Cube, in an interview, stated that he was not taking sides and playing politics in his new role.

&nbsp;

Grammy award winning musician John Legend isn't too happy with some of his colleagues from the music industry. Legend recently appeared at a rally for Democratic vice presidential nominee Sen.

Grammy award winning musician John Legend isn't too happy with some of his colleagues from the music industry. Legend recently appeared at a rally for Democratic vice presidential nominee Sen. Kamala Harris in Philadelphia. The singer performed on stage with fellow artist Common, but before his performance, he addressed the audience about Lil Wayne and Ice Cube who have openly showed their support to US President Donald Trump. "Now, some people see the meanness, the bullying, the selfishness of Donald Trump, they mistake it for strength, a kind of twisted masculinity. Some see his greed and they mistake it for being good at business," said Legend. “Some of your former favorite rappers have been taken in by these lies. I think they’ve even founded a new supergroup, it’s called The Sunken Place," Legend said and added, "But Trump’s Platinum Plan for Black folks is nothing but fool’s gold. Because you can't bank on a word he says." Trump has proposed 'Platinum Plan' for the Black community which includes creation of 3 million jobs over the next four years, increasing access to capital by $500 billion and strengthening immigration policies to protect American jobs. Rapper Ice Cube, who till very recently was a critic of the Trump administration, has been roped in as one of the advisor for the plan. Last week, both Ice Cube and rapper Lil Wayne spoke in favour of Trump. Wayne tweeted that he had a 'great meeting' with Trump and even praised the 'Platinum Plan'. "Just had a great meeting with @realdonaldtrump @potus besides what he’s done so far with criminal reform, the platinum plan is going to give the community real ownership," Wayne said. "He listened to what we had to say today and assured he will and can get it done." Ice Cube, in an interview, stated that he was not taking sides and playing politics in his new role.

John Legend slams Donald Trump supporters Ice Cube and Lil Wayne during a rally for Kamala Harris

Americans headed to the polls on Tuesday to choose either incumbent Donald Trump or challenger Joe Biden as their next president, after a tumultuous four years under the businessman-turned-politician that have left the country as deeply divided as at any time in recent history.

US Election 2020: Who is leading on opinion poll charts before historic day?

As the US gears up to <a href="https://www.wionews.com/us-election">cast ballots</a> on November 03, dozens of activists in the country are readying themselves to claim the streets and raise their voices against the current&nbsp;President&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;if he interferes with the election process.

Nearly&nbsp;130 groups from Planned Parenthood to Republicans for the Rule of Law have come together to form a colaition titled 'Protect the Rules' through which they have organised nearly 400 events in different parts of the country where people will take to the streets and peacefully protest against if President Trump interferes or manipulates the election results.

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/more-than-95-million-voters-cast-early-ballots-on-eve-of-us-election-2020-339969">More than 95 million voters cast early ballots on eve of US election 2020</a>

"We can’t assume that Donald Trump will respect the peaceful transfer of power” said Sean Eldridge, the founder and president of Stand Up America, a group that started organising this coalition in June.

The activists&nbsp; fear that the President may interfere in the vote counting process and use his muscle and economical power to try to turn the election results and/or refuse to step down if his&nbsp;Democratic rival&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/joe-biden">Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;wins the lections — a possibility many independent polls are supporting.

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-election-2020-battleground-states-and-electoral-colleges-338271" hreflang="en">US election 2020: Battleground states and electoral colleges</a>

"We are very concerned that Trump is going to try to steal this election, using his position of power,"&nbsp;said Kaela Bamberger, an organiser with Shut Down DC, which plans civil action that may include stopping traffic in the US capital.

Hinting towards the uprising in Belarus and Russia, Bamberger said, "The longer the person claims to be in power and tries to force their position of power to be extended, the more likely it is there’s nothing to be done about it."

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-election-2020-how-are-votes-counted-in-the-presidential-election-335422" hreflang="en">US election 2020: How are votes counted in the presidential election?</a>

The activists decided to group up and be ready for any possibility after Trump hinted that he would not cooperate if he loses the elections to "Sleepy Joe". However, the White House and repeteadly tried to reverse statement and has officialy stated that "The President will accept the results of a free and fair election".

Another student-led group We count on Us" is planning hundreds of peaceful demonstrations in the city hall and are ready to make regular and peacful checks to make sure nobody takes over the ballot centres by muscle power and "no line is crossed". The group is also urging citizens to exercise caution and patience, given the current pandemic. "Because of the pandemic, things look different this year, and that will require us to be more patient than usual,"&nbsp;said Neha Desaraju of the Sunrise Movement, a group which has joined the coalition.

As the US gears up to cast ballots on November 03, dozens of activists in the country are readying themselves to claim the streets and raise their voices against the current President Donald Trump if he interferes with the election process.

As the US gears up to cast ballots on November 03, dozens of activists in the country are readying themselves to claim the streets and raise their voices against the current President Donald Trump if he interferes with the election process. Nearly 130 groups from Planned Parenthood to Republicans for the Rule of Law have come together to form a colaition titled 'Protect the Rules' through which they have organised nearly 400 events in different parts of the country where people will take to the streets and peacefully protest against if President Trump interferes or manipulates the election results. Also read| More than 95 million voters cast early ballots on eve of US election 2020 "We can’t assume that Donald Trump will respect the peaceful transfer of power” said Sean Eldridge, the founder and president of Stand Up America, a group that started organising this coalition in June. The activists fear that the President may interfere in the vote counting process and use his muscle and economical power to try to turn the election results and/or refuse to step down if his Democratic rival Joe Biden wins the lections — a possibility many independent polls are supporting. Also read| US election 2020: Battleground states and electoral colleges "We are very concerned that Trump is going to try to steal this election, using his position of power," said Kaela Bamberger, an organiser with Shut Down DC, which plans civil action that may include stopping traffic in the US capital. Hinting towards the uprising in Belarus and Russia, Bamberger said, "The longer the person claims to be in power and tries to force their position of power to be extended, the more likely it is there’s nothing to be done about it." Also read| US election 2020: How are votes counted in the presidential election? The activists decided to group up and be ready for any possibility after Trump hinted that he would not cooperate if he loses the elections to "Sleepy Joe". However, the White House and repeteadly tried to reverse statement and has officialy stated that "The President will accept the results of a free and fair election". Another student-led group We count on Us" is planning hundreds of peaceful demonstrations in the city hall and are ready to make regular and peacful checks to make sure nobody takes over the ballot centres by muscle power and "no line is crossed". The group is also urging citizens to exercise caution and patience, given the current pandemic. "Because of the pandemic, things look different this year, and that will require us to be more patient than usual," said Neha Desaraju of the Sunrise Movement, a group which has joined the coalition.

'Protect the Results': Americans threaten protest if Donald Trump interferes in US Election 2020

Americans headed to the polls on Tuesday to decide whether incumbent Donald Trump or challenger Joe Biden will be elected president, after a tumultuous four years under the businessman-turned-politician that have left the country as deeply polarized as at any time in its recent history.

WION Dispatch: Donald Trump and Joe Biden hold final election rallies

US President Donald Trump sought to project a calm but confident image on the day when millions of Americans were out to decide whether he will get four more years or not. National poll numbers declared by various polling agencies put Biden a bit ahead of Donald Trump. But if Trump&nbsp;was worried, he did not let it show.

“Well, we feel very good," said Trump as he spoke with Fox News.

He made an appearance on Fox News on the election day and said that he had "solid chance of winning".

Donald Trump has previously said that he would "declare victory" if early trends during counting of votes favoured him.

When he was directly asked by Fox News about this on the election day however, he sidestepped the question.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/live-us-election-2020-donald-trump-joe-biden-more-than-98-million-voted-to-elect-the-next-president-340039">Click here for latest updates on US Presidential Election 2020</a>

As Americans head to polling stations on Tuesday, the question is not just whether Republican President Donald Trump will win a second four-year term or be defeated by his Democratic rival Joe Biden, but also when the result will be known.

The latest opinion polls show the race is close enough in the battleground states to swing the outcome to either party, even as Biden leads Trump in national polls.

(With Reuters inputs)

US President Donald Trump sought to project a calm but confident image on the day when millions of Americans were out to decide whether he will get four more years or not.

US President Donald Trump sought to project a calm but confident image on the day when millions of Americans were out to decide whether he will get four more years or not. National poll numbers declared by various polling agencies put Biden a bit ahead of Donald Trump. But if Trump was worried, he did not let it show. “Well, we feel very good," said Trump as he spoke with Fox News. He made an appearance on Fox News on the election day and said that he had "solid chance of winning". Donald Trump has previously said that he would "declare victory" if early trends during counting of votes favoured him. When he was directly asked by Fox News about this on the election day however, he sidestepped the question. Click here for latest updates on US Presidential Election 2020 As Americans head to polling stations on Tuesday, the question is not just whether Republican President Donald Trump will win a second four-year term or be defeated by his Democratic rival Joe Biden, but also when the result will be known. The latest opinion polls show the race is close enough in the battleground states to swing the outcome to either party, even as Biden leads Trump in national polls. (With Reuters inputs)

On US election day, Trump says he has a 'solid chance of winning'

Every presidential race has its own lingo, used in the days leading up to the November&nbsp;3&nbsp;election&nbsp;pitting Republican candidate&nbsp;Donald Trump against his Democratic challenger Joe Biden.

From naked ballots to a red&nbsp;mirage, it is essential for the American voters to be acquainted with technical jargon being used for the US election 2020.

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Here are the key political terms and their meanings:

NAKED BALLOTS

Sixteen states, including Pennsylvania, require voters to return mail ballots in a special "secrecy" envelope. Ballots that don't arrive in the envelope will be considered "naked" and might be disqualified. Celebrities including Naomi Campbell, Chris Rock, and Sarah Silverman disrobed in a video to promote proper voting procedures, "the least sexy thing a completely naked person can say," according to actor Josh Gad, who also stripped for the video by activist group Represent.Us. The group, which has promoted anti-corruption resolutions in US&nbsp;cities, says it does not endorse either candidate.

RED MIRAGE/BLUE SHIFT

Fearing crowded polling places amid the coronavirus&nbsp;pandemic, a record number of Americans, particularly Democrats, cast mail-in ballots this year, and counting them could take days. As a result, initial results on&nbsp;Election&nbsp;Day may show Republicans, indicated by red on&nbsp;election&nbsp;maps, holding large leads in battleground states such as Pennsylvania, which counts mail-in ballots received three days after November&nbsp;3. As ballots are tallied in the ensuing days, that "red mirage" could fade, giving way to a "blue shift." Experts see a possible "blue mirage" and "redshift" in Florida and North Carolina, which process mailed-in ballots before&nbsp;Election&nbsp;Day.

SPOILED BALLOTS

Ballots that are improperly marked can be rejected as spoiled. Trump said in an Oct. 27 Twitter post that the phrase "can I change my vote" was trending on Google and urged Americans to submit a new ballot for him. Some states allow voters to request a new absentee ballot but first, they have to request their original ballot be marked as spoiled. Following Trump's tweet, Google data showed a spike in searches for "spoiled ballots."

DUELING ELECTORS

A candidate becomes president by securing the most "electoral" votes rather than a majority of the national popular vote. The Electoral College system allows electors to the 50 states largely based on their population, and the candidate who wins the popular vote in a state generally gets its electors. But legal experts say Trump could try to convince Republican lawmakers in closely contested states to approve the Republican slate of electors based on early vote tallies. As more ballots are counted, Biden might eventually be certified as the winner of the same state. The result: Dueling electors and an outcome that could be determined by Congress.

COURT PACKING

Republicans confirmed Amy Coney Barrett as a Supreme Court justice on Oct. 26 to replace the late Ruth Bader Ginsburg, a hero to many for her advocacy for women's issues. Democrats had argued Ginsburg's seat should be filled after the&nbsp;election&nbsp;and in response to Barrett's confirmation, some have suggested that a Biden Administration could expand the court beyond its traditional nine justices. The idea surfaced briefly in the late 1930s and was criticized as "court-packing." Biden has said he will establish a bipartisan commission to consider changes to the court system, which he said is "getting out of whack."

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-election-2020-the-history-and-rules-of-poll-watching-338496" hreflang="en">US election 2020: The history and rules of poll watching</a>

POLL WATCHERS

The Republican National Committee is mobilizing thousands of supporters to monitor early voting sites and ballot drop boxes, looking for irregularities such as people dropping off multiple ballots in states where that generally is not allowed. This marks the first presidential&nbsp;election&nbsp;in nearly four decades in which the Republicans can engage in "ballot security" activities without prior review and approval from the Department of Justice. Some voting rights advocates worry that gun-toting groups might show up outside polling places and intimidate voters.

CANCEL CULTURE

It’s the idea of canceling or basically running a person, idea, or belief out of public discourse by people who hold opposing views. It’s a kind of shaming in the public square — or on social media — that has made some afraid to speak up.

Some believe that the practice of what amounts to shouting down in public certain people or beliefs has restricted free speech in America. Others say the discourse, especially on social media, has expanded free expression — and that it’s not about free speech but about the right to take issue with offensive or outdated ideas.

QANON

It’s a right-wing, pro-Trump conspiracy theory born in a dark corner of the internet that has crept into mainstream politics. The theory, promoted by extremists, is based on cryptic postings by the anonymous “Q,” who purported to be a government insider with access to classified information. The first Q posting appeared in October 2017.

In May 2019, an FBI bulletin mentioning QAnon warned that conspiracy theory-driven extremists had become a domestic terrorism threat and were likely to commit violent crimes inspired by their fringe beliefs. Yet, Trump praised QAnon supporters during a White House press briefing in August.

“I heard that these are people that love our country,” he said in his first public comments on the subject. Trump insisted that he hadn’t heard much about the movement, “other than I understand they like me very much” and “it is gaining in popularity.”

Every presidential race has its own lingo, used in the days leading up to the November 3 election pitting Republican candidate Donald Trump against his Democratic challenger Joe Biden.

Every presidential race has its own lingo, used in the days leading up to the November 3 election pitting Republican candidate Donald Trump against his Democratic challenger Joe Biden. From naked ballots to a red mirage, it is essential for the American voters to be acquainted with technical jargon being used for the US election 2020. Here are the key political terms and their meanings: NAKED BALLOTS Sixteen states, including Pennsylvania, require voters to return mail ballots in a special "secrecy" envelope. Ballots that don't arrive in the envelope will be considered "naked" and might be disqualified. Celebrities including Naomi Campbell, Chris Rock, and Sarah Silverman disrobed in a video to promote proper voting procedures, "the least sexy thing a completely naked person can say," according to actor Josh Gad, who also stripped for the video by activist group Represent.Us. The group, which has promoted anti-corruption resolutions in US cities, says it does not endorse either candidate. RED MIRAGE/BLUE SHIFT Fearing crowded polling places amid the coronavirus pandemic, a record number of Americans, particularly Democrats, cast mail-in ballots this year, and counting them could take days. As a result, initial results on Election Day may show Republicans, indicated by red on election maps, holding large leads in battleground states such as Pennsylvania, which counts mail-in ballots received three days after November 3. As ballots are tallied in the ensuing days, that "red mirage" could fade, giving way to a "blue shift." Experts see a possible "blue mirage" and "redshift" in Florida and North Carolina, which process mailed-in ballots before Election Day. SPOILED BALLOTS Ballots that are improperly marked can be rejected as spoiled. Trump said in an Oct. 27 Twitter post that the phrase "can I change my vote" was trending on Google and urged Americans to submit a new ballot for him. Some states allow voters to request a new absentee ballot but first, they have to request their original ballot be marked as spoiled. Following Trump's tweet, Google data showed a spike in searches for "spoiled ballots." DUELING ELECTORS A candidate becomes president by securing the most "electoral" votes rather than a majority of the national popular vote. The Electoral College system allows electors to the 50 states largely based on their population, and the candidate who wins the popular vote in a state generally gets its electors. But legal experts say Trump could try to convince Republican lawmakers in closely contested states to approve the Republican slate of electors based on early vote tallies. As more ballots are counted, Biden might eventually be certified as the winner of the same state. The result: Dueling electors and an outcome that could be determined by Congress. COURT PACKING Republicans confirmed Amy Coney Barrett as a Supreme Court justice on Oct. 26 to replace the late Ruth Bader Ginsburg, a hero to many for her advocacy for women's issues. Democrats had argued Ginsburg's seat should be filled after the election and in response to Barrett's confirmation, some have suggested that a Biden Administration could expand the court beyond its traditional nine justices. The idea surfaced briefly in the late 1930s and was criticized as "court-packing." Biden has said he will establish a bipartisan commission to consider changes to the court system, which he said is "getting out of whack." Also read| US election 2020: The history and rules of poll watching POLL WATCHERS The Republican National Committee is mobilizing thousands of supporters to monitor early voting sites and ballot drop boxes, looking for irregularities such as people dropping off multiple ballots in states where that generally is not allowed. This marks the first presidential election in nearly four decades in which the Republicans can engage in "ballot security" activities without prior review and approval from the Department of Justice. Some voting rights advocates worry that gun-toting groups might show up outside polling places and intimidate voters. CANCEL CULTURE It’s the idea of canceling or basically running a person, idea, or belief out of public discourse by people who hold opposing views. It’s a kind of shaming in the public square — or on social media — that has made some afraid to speak up. Some believe that the practice of what amounts to shouting down in public certain people or beliefs has restricted free speech in America. Others say the discourse, especially on social media, has expanded free expression — and that it’s not about free speech but about the right to take issue with offensive or outdated ideas. QANON It’s a right-wing, pro-Trump conspiracy theory born in a dark corner of the internet that has crept into mainstream politics. The theory, promoted by extremists, is based on cryptic postings by the anonymous “Q,” who purported to be a government insider with access to classified information. The first Q posting appeared in October 2017. In May 2019, an FBI bulletin mentioning QAnon warned that conspiracy theory-driven extremists had become a domestic terrorism threat and were likely to commit violent crimes inspired by their fringe beliefs. Yet, Trump praised QAnon supporters during a White House press briefing in August. “I heard that these are people that love our country,” he said in his first public comments on the subject. Trump insisted that he hadn’t heard much about the movement, “other than I understand they like me very much” and “it is gaining in popularity.”

US election 2020: Key political terms in the lingo of the presidential race

On the final day of the campaign of the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/us-election">US election</a> 2020, President <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a> on Monday dismissed&nbsp;polls that show him headed for defeat.

Meanwhile, his&nbsp;Democratic challenger&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/joe-biden">Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;urged Americans to draw a line under four years of "chaos."

While campaigning in the most fiercely contested battleground, Pennsylvania, The president threatened legal action to stop counting beyond Election Day. If Pennsylvania&nbsp;ballot-counting takes several days, as is allowed, Trump charged that “cheating can happen as you have never seen. ”

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Both campaigns insist they have a pathway to victory, though Biden’s options for winning the required 270 Electoral College votes are more plentiful. Trump is banking on a surge of enthusiasm from his most loyal supporters in addition to potential legal maneuvers.

Trump won the state in a stunner in 2016, but Biden has maintained a steady if narrowing lead there, and will make an 11th-hour Election Day trip to his gritty childhood hometown of Scranton.

Trump jetted into the city for a raucous event on Biden's home turf, but not before rallying supporters in Fayetteville, North Carolina.

"I watch these fake polls," Trump said there. "We're going to win anyway."

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The Republican's gripe at pollsters, combined with swipes at journalists, social media CEOs and his 2016 opponent Hillary Clinton, reflected the bitter mood as he faces the possibility of being removed from the White House.

As he pivoted back to his months-long attempts to paint Biden as either "sleepy" or "corrupt," the crowd chanted: "Lock him up!"

And Trump sought to recapture the spirit of his shock win four years ago, telling the crowd: "You elected an outsider as president who is finally putting America first."

But Biden, who has built his campaign on casting Trump as a reckless failure during the coronavirus pandemic, senses victory.

Opinion polls give him small but steady advantages in all the swing states that tip close elections and even threatening Republican strongholds like Georgia and Texas.

"It's time for Donald Trump to pack his bags and go home," Biden, 77, told supporters at a socially-distanced event in Cleveland, Ohio.

"We're done with the chaos! We're done with the tweets, the anger, the hate, the failure, the irresponsibility."

While, Trump spent the final full campaign day sprinting through five rallies, from North Carolina to Pennsylvania to Wisconsin. Biden on the other hand, devoted most of his time to Pennsylvania, where a win would leave Trump with an exceedingly narrow path. He also dipped into Ohio, a show of confidence in a state that Trump won by 8 percentage points four years ago.

On the final day of the campaign of the US election 2020, President Donald Trump on Monday dismissed polls that show him headed for defeat. Meanwhile, his Democratic challenger Joe Biden urged Americans to draw a line under four years of "chaos.

On the final day of the campaign of the US election 2020, President Donald Trump on Monday dismissed polls that show him headed for defeat. Meanwhile, his Democratic challenger Joe Biden urged Americans to draw a line under four years of "chaos." While campaigning in the most fiercely contested battleground, Pennsylvania, The president threatened legal action to stop counting beyond Election Day. If Pennsylvania ballot-counting takes several days, as is allowed, Trump charged that “cheating can happen as you have never seen. ” Both campaigns insist they have a pathway to victory, though Biden’s options for winning the required 270 Electoral College votes are more plentiful. Trump is banking on a surge of enthusiasm from his most loyal supporters in addition to potential legal maneuvers. Trump won the state in a stunner in 2016, but Biden has maintained a steady if narrowing lead there, and will make an 11th-hour Election Day trip to his gritty childhood hometown of Scranton. Trump jetted into the city for a raucous event on Biden's home turf, but not before rallying supporters in Fayetteville, North Carolina. "I watch these fake polls," Trump said there. "We're going to win anyway." The Republican's gripe at pollsters, combined with swipes at journalists, social media CEOs and his 2016 opponent Hillary Clinton, reflected the bitter mood as he faces the possibility of being removed from the White House. As he pivoted back to his months-long attempts to paint Biden as either "sleepy" or "corrupt," the crowd chanted: "Lock him up!" And Trump sought to recapture the spirit of his shock win four years ago, telling the crowd: "You elected an outsider as president who is finally putting America first." But Biden, who has built his campaign on casting Trump as a reckless failure during the coronavirus pandemic, senses victory. Opinion polls give him small but steady advantages in all the swing states that tip close elections and even threatening Republican strongholds like Georgia and Texas. "It's time for Donald Trump to pack his bags and go home," Biden, 77, told supporters at a socially-distanced event in Cleveland, Ohio. "We're done with the chaos! We're done with the tweets, the anger, the hate, the failure, the irresponsibility." While, Trump spent the final full campaign day sprinting through five rallies, from North Carolina to Pennsylvania to Wisconsin. Biden on the other hand, devoted most of his time to Pennsylvania, where a win would leave Trump with an exceedingly narrow path. He also dipped into Ohio, a show of confidence in a state that Trump won by 8 percentage points four years ago.

US election 2020: Donald Trump dismisses 'fake' polls, Joe Biden urges Americans to end 'chaos'

In the final day of a campaign unlike any other, President <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a> and his Democratic challenger <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/joe-biden">Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;spent Monday swarming the swing states that will decide the result of the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/us-election">US election</a> 2020.

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-election-2020-battleground-states-and-electoral-colleges-338271" hreflang="en">US election 2020: Battleground states and electoral colleges</a>

Meanwhile, over 95 million Americans had cast their votes in the 2020 presidential election by&nbsp;Monday, according to a tally by the US&nbsp;Elections Project at the University of Florida, a harbinger of what is expected to be the highest turnout of modern times.

The record-breaking number is about 69&nbsp;per cent of the 2016 total turnout in which Donald Trump contested against Hillary Clinton.

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-election-2020-how-are-votes-counted-in-the-presidential-election-335422" hreflang="en">US election 2020: How are votes counted in the presidential election?</a>

The new turnout shows the new interest of the Americans in the leadership of the country. it is also being understood as a cry for help by the Americans who are rushing to elect their choice of candidate to make sure their demands and ideologies are met.

Experts are predicting that the total voter count can surpass 138 million with the&nbsp;2016 elections as a comparison model,&nbsp;a total of 47 million voters had cast their ballot four days before the elections in 2016.

A sharp increase in mail-in and early in-person voting was largely prompted by the coronavirus&nbsp;pandemic, which has killed more than 230,000 people in the United States and continues unabated in many US&nbsp;states.

President Donald Trump, his administration criticized for its handling of the COVID-19 outbreak, trails Democratic challenger Joe Biden in national opinion polls. A Reuters/Ipsos poll taken on October 27-29 shows Biden ahead, 51&nbsp;per cent&nbsp;to 43 per cent.

But the race is still a toss-up in battleground states that decide the&nbsp;election&nbsp;through the Electoral College, including Arizona, Florida, and North Carolina.

A large number of Trump's Republican supporters are expected to turn up in person to vote on&nbsp;Election&nbsp;Day after Trump sowed distrust, without evidence, of mail-in voting by asserting it was riddled with fraud.

Democrats have largely embraced early voting, not only because of the pandemic but also because of steps the Trump administration has taken to slow down the processing of US&nbsp;mail.

Experts predict turnout will easily surpass the 138 million who voted in 2016. Only 47 million votes were submitted before&nbsp;Election&nbsp;Day four years ago.

In the final day of a campaign unlike any other, President Donald Trump and his Democratic challenger Joe Biden spent Monday swarming the swing states that will decide the result of the US election 2020.

In the final day of a campaign unlike any other, President Donald Trump and his Democratic challenger Joe Biden spent Monday swarming the swing states that will decide the result of the US election 2020. Also read| US election 2020: Battleground states and electoral colleges Meanwhile, over 95 million Americans had cast their votes in the 2020 presidential election by Monday, according to a tally by the US Elections Project at the University of Florida, a harbinger of what is expected to be the highest turnout of modern times. The record-breaking number is about 69 per cent of the 2016 total turnout in which Donald Trump contested against Hillary Clinton. Also read| US election 2020: How are votes counted in the presidential election? The new turnout shows the new interest of the Americans in the leadership of the country. it is also being understood as a cry for help by the Americans who are rushing to elect their choice of candidate to make sure their demands and ideologies are met. Experts are predicting that the total voter count can surpass 138 million with the 2016 elections as a comparison model, a total of 47 million voters had cast their ballot four days before the elections in 2016. A sharp increase in mail-in and early in-person voting was largely prompted by the coronavirus pandemic, which has killed more than 230,000 people in the United States and continues unabated in many US states. President Donald Trump, his administration criticized for its handling of the COVID-19 outbreak, trails Democratic challenger Joe Biden in national opinion polls. A Reuters/Ipsos poll taken on October 27-29 shows Biden ahead, 51 per cent to 43 per cent. But the race is still a toss-up in battleground states that decide the election through the Electoral College, including Arizona, Florida, and North Carolina. A large number of Trump's Republican supporters are expected to turn up in person to vote on Election Day after Trump sowed distrust, without evidence, of mail-in voting by asserting it was riddled with fraud. Democrats have largely embraced early voting, not only because of the pandemic but also because of steps the Trump administration has taken to slow down the processing of US mail. Experts predict turnout will easily surpass the 138 million who voted in 2016. Only 47 million votes were submitted before Election Day four years ago.

More than 95 million voters cast early ballots on eve of US election 2020

US election 2020: Polls begin as voters decide on Trump's fate

Kamala Harris' ancestral village in India prays for her victory in US Election 2020 | Photos

Iran's supreme leader mocked America's presidential election Tuesday in a televised address said that the U.S. presidential election's result will not impact Tehran's policy towards Washington.

"Our policy towards the United States is clearly set and does not change with the movement of individuals. It does not matter to us who comes and goes," Khamenei said in a speech carried live on state TV.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei reiterated a long-standing Iranian position that it didn't matter whether Trump or Joe Biden wins the vote, but the stakes couldn't be higher for the Islamic Republic.

Khamenei was speaking on the anniversary of the 1979 seizure of the U.S. embassy in Tehran, which coincided with the birthday of Islam's Prophet Mohammad.

"The students' attack on this den of spies was quite appropriate and wise," Khamenei said, referring to radical Islamist students who stormed the embassy, taking hostage 52 staff for an eventual 444 days. There have been no U.S.-Iranian diplomatic relations since.

Iran this year cancelled rallies and other events marking the embassy seizure because of concerns over the spread of the coronavirus which has killed about 36,000 people in the country, the worst hit in the Middle East.

The Democratic nominee, Joe Biden, has pledged to rejoin Iran's 2015 nuclear deal with six powers if Iran returns to compliance with it.

In 2018, President Donald Trump abandoned the deal, under which Iran international financial sanctions on Iran were lifted in return for curbs to its nuclear programme. Iran followed Washington's rejection by reducing its compliance.

Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif told U.S. network CBS on Monday that he wants the United States to rejoin the accord, but that "re-engagement does not mean renegotiation" because "if we wanted to do that [renegotiate], we would have done it with President (Donald) Trump four years ago."

Zarif told CBS that "the statements by the Biden camp have been more promising, but we will have to wait and see".

(With inputs from agencies)

Iran's supreme leader mocked America's presidential election Tuesday in a televised address said that the U.S. presidential election's result will not impact Tehran's policy towards Washington.

Iran's supreme leader mocked America's presidential election Tuesday in a televised address said that the U.S. presidential election's result will not impact Tehran's policy towards Washington. "Our policy towards the United States is clearly set and does not change with the movement of individuals. It does not matter to us who comes and goes," Khamenei said in a speech carried live on state TV. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei reiterated a long-standing Iranian position that it didn't matter whether Trump or Joe Biden wins the vote, but the stakes couldn't be higher for the Islamic Republic. Khamenei was speaking on the anniversary of the 1979 seizure of the U.S. embassy in Tehran, which coincided with the birthday of Islam's Prophet Mohammad. "The students' attack on this den of spies was quite appropriate and wise," Khamenei said, referring to radical Islamist students who stormed the embassy, taking hostage 52 staff for an eventual 444 days. There have been no U.S.-Iranian diplomatic relations since. Iran this year cancelled rallies and other events marking the embassy seizure because of concerns over the spread of the coronavirus which has killed about 36,000 people in the country, the worst hit in the Middle East. The Democratic nominee, Joe Biden, has pledged to rejoin Iran's 2015 nuclear deal with six powers if Iran returns to compliance with it. In 2018, President Donald Trump abandoned the deal, under which Iran international financial sanctions on Iran were lifted in return for curbs to its nuclear programme. Iran followed Washington's rejection by reducing its compliance. Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif told U.S. network CBS on Monday that he wants the United States to rejoin the accord, but that "re-engagement does not mean renegotiation" because "if we wanted to do that [renegotiate], we would have done it with President (Donald) Trump four years ago." Zarif told CBS that "the statements by the Biden camp have been more promising, but we will have to wait and see". (With inputs from agencies)

Iran's US policy not affected by who wins election: Ayatollah Khamenei

Millions of Americans will cast ballots on Tuesday in an Election Day unlike any other, braving the threat of COVID-19 and the potential for violence and intimidation after one of the most polarizing presidential races in U.S. history

Anxious Americans brace for Election Day with faces masked, stores boarded up

No matter the land, food is synonymous with emotions. We throw parties when we are happy. Sometimes even eat something to make us feel better in bouts of sadness. But we are true to our salt, and quite proud of our respective culinary traditions. We are passionate about our food.

Pramila Jayapal, US Congresswoman of Indian heritage, got the taste of how strong sentiments around food are.

It started with just a tweet. Jayapal posted a photo of 'Paneer Tikka' and said that it was her comfort food.

"Compulsive, night-before-election activity: make comfort food. That’s paneer tikka tonight, in honor of electing #KamalaHarris Veep tomorrow since she just said on Instagram that her favorite North Indian food is any kind of tikka! Let’s go, people! VOTE! #BidenHarris2020" she tweeted

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Compulsive, night-before-election activity: make comfort food. That’s paneer tikka tonight, in honor of electing <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/KamalaHarris?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#KamalaHarris</a> Veep tomorrow since she just said on Instagram that her favorite North Indian food is any kind of tikka! Let’s go, people! VOTE! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BidenHarris2020?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BidenHarris2020</a> <a href="https://t.co/gqyT7BotgG">pic.twitter.com/gqyT7BotgG</a>
— Pramila Jayapal (@PramilaJayapal) <a href="https://twitter.com/PramilaJayapal/status/1323482279029583872?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 3, 2020</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

But...and it's a major but! Many on Twitter disagreed with Jayapal who was saying the tasty looking dish in her tweet was 'Paneer Tikka'.

Paneer Tikka is a north Indian dish that is usually made with Indian cottage cheese along with veggies and is usually barbecued or lightly cooked and eaten from a skewer.

The dish Jayapal cooked appeared more like a curry

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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PaneerTikka?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PaneerTikka</a> died a premature death in this curry <a href="https://t.co/7fOxVn3gfp">https://t.co/7fOxVn3gfp</a>
— टंकीBaba (@rkgeemail) <a href="https://twitter.com/rkgeemail/status/1323536371567398913?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 3, 2020</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

Fans of the dish were so up in arms against Jayapal's tweet that Paneer Tikka started trending. The tweets were full of sarcasm sometimes.

A user posted a picture of a spicy soup, and invited Jayapal to have what he claimed was 'kheer' an Indian sweet dish, far cry from anything spicy.

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ये लो खीर खाओ <a href="https://t.co/yYvAx6Q0NI">pic.twitter.com/yYvAx6Q0NI</a>
— How Dare You Isolated Monk ? (@IsolatedMonk) <a href="https://twitter.com/IsolatedMonk/status/1323536175190011906?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 3, 2020</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

Some users were rolling eyes

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who's gonna tell her that's not paneer tikka... <a href="https://t.co/mejabynS4G">https://t.co/mejabynS4G</a>
— Saanvi is looking for sherlock moots •Zaira stan• (@daisysonofjohn) <a href="https://twitter.com/daisysonofjohn/status/1323528221061599232?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 3, 2020</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

Jayapal made a follow-up tweet sharing the recipe and this time, she called the dish 'Paneer Tikka Masala' instead of just 'Paneer Tikka'.

The addition of the word 'masala' took the preparation closer to resembling the one in the photo as 'Paneer Tikka Masala' is a curry dish.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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By popular demand, the recipe for Paneer Tikka Masala, slightly adapted from the fabulous <a href="https://twitter.com/twosleevers?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@twosleevers</a>! You can either eat the tikka on its own, or add the masala (sauce) which is like a curry. Enjoy! <a href="https://t.co/0tNyEZOWN4">pic.twitter.com/0tNyEZOWN4</a>
— Pramila Jayapal (@PramilaJayapal) <a href="https://twitter.com/PramilaJayapal/status/1323506998625755138?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 3, 2020</a></blockquote>
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So what do you like? Paneer Tikka or Paneer Tikka Masala?

No matter the land, food is synonymous with emotions. We throw parties when we are happy. Sometimes even eat something to make us feel better in bouts of sadness.

No matter the land, food is synonymous with emotions. We throw parties when we are happy. Sometimes even eat something to make us feel better in bouts of sadness. But we are true to our salt, and quite proud of our respective culinary traditions. We are passionate about our food. Pramila Jayapal, US Congresswoman of Indian heritage, got the taste of how strong sentiments around food are. It started with just a tweet. Jayapal posted a photo of 'Paneer Tikka' and said that it was her comfort food. "Compulsive, night-before-election activity: make comfort food. That’s paneer tikka tonight, in honor of electing #KamalaHarris Veep tomorrow since she just said on Instagram that her favorite North Indian food is any kind of tikka! Let’s go, people! VOTE! #BidenHarris2020" she tweeted Compulsive, night-before-election activity: make comfort food. That’s paneer tikka tonight, in honor of electing #KamalaHarris Veep tomorrow since she just said on Instagram that her favorite North Indian food is any kind of tikka! Let’s go, people! VOTE! #BidenHarris2020 pic.twitter.com/gqyT7BotgG — Pramila Jayapal (@PramilaJayapal) November 3, 2020 × But...and it's a major but! Many on Twitter disagreed with Jayapal who was saying the tasty looking dish in her tweet was 'Paneer Tikka'. Paneer Tikka is a north Indian dish that is usually made with Indian cottage cheese along with veggies and is usually barbecued or lightly cooked and eaten from a skewer. The dish Jayapal cooked appeared more like a curry #PaneerTikka died a premature death in this curry https://t.co/7fOxVn3gfp — टंकीBaba (@rkgeemail) November 3, 2020 × Fans of the dish were so up in arms against Jayapal's tweet that Paneer Tikka started trending. The tweets were full of sarcasm sometimes. A user posted a picture of a spicy soup, and invited Jayapal to have what he claimed was 'kheer' an Indian sweet dish, far cry from anything spicy. ये लो खीर खाओ pic.twitter.com/yYvAx6Q0NI — How Dare You Isolated Monk ? (@IsolatedMonk) November 3, 2020 × Some users were rolling eyes who's gonna tell her that's not paneer tikka... https://t.co/mejabynS4G — Saanvi is looking for sherlock moots •Zaira stan• (@daisysonofjohn) November 3, 2020 × Jayapal made a follow-up tweet sharing the recipe and this time, she called the dish 'Paneer Tikka Masala' instead of just 'Paneer Tikka'. The addition of the word 'masala' took the preparation closer to resembling the one in the photo as 'Paneer Tikka Masala' is a curry dish. By popular demand, the recipe for Paneer Tikka Masala, slightly adapted from the fabulous @twosleevers! You can either eat the tikka on its own, or add the masala (sauce) which is like a curry. Enjoy! pic.twitter.com/0tNyEZOWN4 — Pramila Jayapal (@PramilaJayapal) November 3, 2020 × So what do you like? Paneer Tikka or Paneer Tikka Masala?

Why Paneer Tikka was trending on US election day

Kamala Harris has occasionally used her mother’s Indian roots and her American success story to garner support while campaigning for the US elections, but villagers in Tamil Nadu’s Thulasenthirapuram-Painganaadu have taken it several notches further for Kamala, whose ancestors were from the village.&nbsp;

The Sri Dharmasastha Temple in the village had performed two special pujas (holy offerings) and other offerings on Tuesday - one in the morning and one in the afternoon, for Kamala’s victory as the Vice President of the United States. Kamala’s maternal grandfather P.V. Gopalan Iyer is said to have hailed from this village in Tamil Nadu’s Tiruvarur district. 
 
<img alt="US election 2020:" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="e8de4ebb-4b78-4990-a8e4-262115189cdd" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/IMG-20201103-WA0105.jpg" />

Goin by engravings on the temple wall, Kamala’s relatives who live in India had donated a small sum to the temple fund in 2014. The engraving bears the name Kamala Harris, with the donation sum Rs. 5000 (about 70USD) written beside it.&nbsp;

According to the village head, they consider Harris’ family their own people and take pride in it, adding that they had performed Pujas and erected banners in prominent parts of the village. Around 200 people are said to have visited the temple on Tuesday, as the temple had offered ‘Annadhaanam’ a custom where food is served as an offering.&nbsp;

“Idly-sambhar and meals were offered today after the pujas. We have kept laddoos (sweets) and firecrackers ready to celebrate in the event of her win tomorrow”, village head J.Sudhakar told Zee media.&nbsp;

When contacted, Kamala’s Uncle Gopalan Balachandran, a Delhi resident told Zee media that their family had donated to the temple long ago and that they came across reports of the villagers themselves conducting prayers, offerings for Kamala’s win.

Kamala Harris has occasionally used her mother’s Indian roots and her American success story to garner support while campaigning for the US elections, but villagers in Tamil Nadu’s Thulasenthirapuram-Painganaadu have taken it several notches further for Kamala, whose ancestors were from the village.

Kamala Harris has occasionally used her mother’s Indian roots and her American success story to garner support while campaigning for the US elections, but villagers in Tamil Nadu’s Thulasenthirapuram-Painganaadu have taken it several notches further for Kamala, whose ancestors were from the village. The Sri Dharmasastha Temple in the village had performed two special pujas (holy offerings) and other offerings on Tuesday - one in the morning and one in the afternoon, for Kamala’s victory as the Vice President of the United States. Kamala’s maternal grandfather P.V. Gopalan Iyer is said to have hailed from this village in Tamil Nadu’s Tiruvarur district. Goin by engravings on the temple wall, Kamala’s relatives who live in India had donated a small sum to the temple fund in 2014. The engraving bears the name Kamala Harris, with the donation sum Rs. 5000 (about 70USD) written beside it. According to the village head, they consider Harris’ family their own people and take pride in it, adding that they had performed Pujas and erected banners in prominent parts of the village. Around 200 people are said to have visited the temple on Tuesday, as the temple had offered ‘Annadhaanam’ a custom where food is served as an offering. “Idly-sambhar and meals were offered today after the pujas. We have kept laddoos (sweets) and firecrackers ready to celebrate in the event of her win tomorrow”, village head J.Sudhakar told Zee media. When contacted, Kamala’s Uncle Gopalan Balachandran, a Delhi resident told Zee media that their family had donated to the temple long ago and that they came across reports of the villagers themselves conducting prayers, offerings for Kamala’s win.

US election 2020: Ancestral village keeps sweets, firecrackers ready, hoping for Kamala Harris’ win

One of the most important days in political history is finally here and people are now heading towards their nearest polling booths and drop-in boxes to cast their ballots on the day of the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/us-election">US election 2020</a>.

The results for the elections will be out soon, and the next President will be decided out of the&nbsp;Democratic candidate and the Former President&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/joe-biden">Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;current President and the Republican candidate &nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>.

Many international organisations are now concluding their opinion polls and interestingly various <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/indian-astrologer-predicts-donald-trumps-win-against-joe-biden-in-us-election-2020-340090">astrologers</a> and even <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-election-2020-siberian-bear-and-tiger-predict-the-next-president-339999">Serbian bears</a> are also rushing to make their predictions about who will chair the White House for the next four years.

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-election-2020-twitter-again-labels-donald-trumps-tweet-calls-it-disputed-339979" hreflang="en">Twitter labels Donald Trump's tweet again, calls it 'disputed'</a>

While many are predicting Biden's win, a poll by Reuters and&nbsp;Ipsos has claimed that Biden is leading but by a very small margin, especially&nbsp;in the states North Carolina and Arizona — two states where Donald Trump had secured the winning spot in 2016 elections against Hillary Clinton.

The Reuters/Ipsos poll shows Biden leading nationwide by 52 per cent supporters and Trump trailing back with only 44 per cent&nbsp;supporters. Almost 50 per cent of Florida residents have shown support for Joe Biden, which is a progress from a week's prior poll that showed the two leaders on an almost tie with 49-47 per cent support in the state.

Arizona, however, has not yet picked out a clear winner as the two leaders are still tied in a tie. The same is the situation in the state of North Carolina where 51 per cent people said they believe Trump would be a better leader for handling the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-election-2020-president-donald-trumps-wildest-prediction-till-date-338554" hreflang="en">US election 2020: President Donald Trump's wildest prediction till date</a>

On the other hand, Michigan and Wisconsin — two states that Trump had won in 2016 — have picked Biden as a clear winner with a difference of at least 10 per cent in the support base (with 52 per cent voters supporting Biden in Michigan and 53 per cent in Wisconsin). The same has been predicted by the opinions polls conducted by American media organisation CNN International.

Nearly 25 per cent of the Pennsylvania residents have already cast their votes and have supported Biden. This is also a state where 51 per cent people think Biden will be able to handle the coronavirus pandemic in a better way than Trump. Nearly 51 per cent people are supporting Biden and Trump is struggling to fill the gap with only 44 per cent supporters in the state.

The poll was conducted between October 29 to November&nbsp;2 and studied responses from 1,333 adults, including 914 likely voters. The organisation also conducted polls of likely voters in six key states, namely&nbsp;Florida, Arizona, North Carolina, Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania.

One of the most important days in political history is finally here and people are now heading towards their nearest polling booths and drop-in boxes to cast their ballots on the day of the US election 2020.

One of the most important days in political history is finally here and people are now heading towards their nearest polling booths and drop-in boxes to cast their ballots on the day of the US election 2020. The results for the elections will be out soon, and the next President will be decided out of the Democratic candidate and the Former President Joe Biden and current President and the Republican candidate Donald Trump. Many international organisations are now concluding their opinion polls and interestingly various astrologers and even Serbian bears are also rushing to make their predictions about who will chair the White House for the next four years. Also read| Twitter labels Donald Trump's tweet again, calls it 'disputed' While many are predicting Biden's win, a poll by Reuters and Ipsos has claimed that Biden is leading but by a very small margin, especially in the states North Carolina and Arizona — two states where Donald Trump had secured the winning spot in 2016 elections against Hillary Clinton. The Reuters/Ipsos poll shows Biden leading nationwide by 52 per cent supporters and Trump trailing back with only 44 per cent supporters. Almost 50 per cent of Florida residents have shown support for Joe Biden, which is a progress from a week's prior poll that showed the two leaders on an almost tie with 49-47 per cent support in the state. Arizona, however, has not yet picked out a clear winner as the two leaders are still tied in a tie. The same is the situation in the state of North Carolina where 51 per cent people said they believe Trump would be a better leader for handling the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Also read| US election 2020: President Donald Trump's wildest prediction till date On the other hand, Michigan and Wisconsin — two states that Trump had won in 2016 — have picked Biden as a clear winner with a difference of at least 10 per cent in the support base (with 52 per cent voters supporting Biden in Michigan and 53 per cent in Wisconsin). The same has been predicted by the opinions polls conducted by American media organisation CNN International. Nearly 25 per cent of the Pennsylvania residents have already cast their votes and have supported Biden. This is also a state where 51 per cent people think Biden will be able to handle the coronavirus pandemic in a better way than Trump. Nearly 51 per cent people are supporting Biden and Trump is struggling to fill the gap with only 44 per cent supporters in the state. The poll was conducted between October 29 to November 2 and studied responses from 1,333 adults, including 914 likely voters. The organisation also conducted polls of likely voters in six key states, namely Florida, Arizona, North Carolina, Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania.

Biden may secure narrow win against Donald Trump in US Election 2020: Survey

Watch Top 10 pivotal moments of the presidential election campaign.

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The voting in the United States on Tuesday began with good news for Democratic nominee <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/joe-biden">Joe Biden </a>as all the residents in a small village of the state of New Hampshire unanimously voted for him at the stroke of midnight.&nbsp;

The entire process of voting and counting took just five minutes in the village of Dixville Notch and Biden claimed five votes and President <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/donald-trump">Donald Trump </a>failed to open his account.&nbsp;

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/biden-may-secure-narrow-win-against-donald-trump-in-us-election-2020-survey-340103">Biden may secure narrow win against Donald Trump in US Election 2020: Survey</a>

Since 1960, this tiny state of 12 residents near the Canadian border has traditionally voted "first in the nation".&nbsp;

Electoral laws in this state let municipalities with fewer than 100 residents to start their polling stations at midnight and to close them when all registered voters have cast their ballot.&nbsp;

A majority of polling stations on the East Coast will start at 6:00 or 7:00 am (1100 or 1200 GMT) on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, Trump ended his campaign on Monday with crowded rallies, where he emphasised that the there are high chances of polls being rigged against him.&nbsp;

Despite trailing on almost every poll, the 74-year-old president was confident on his victory, saying "we are going to make history once again".&nbsp;

The voting in the United States on Tuesday began with good news for Democratic nominee Joe Biden as all the residents in a small village of the state of New Hampshire unanimously voted for him at the stroke of midnight.

The voting in the United States on Tuesday began with good news for Democratic nominee Joe Biden as all the residents in a small village of the state of New Hampshire unanimously voted for him at the stroke of midnight. The entire process of voting and counting took just five minutes in the village of Dixville Notch and Biden claimed five votes and President Donald Trump failed to open his account. Also read | Biden may secure narrow win against Donald Trump in US Election 2020: Survey Since 1960, this tiny state of 12 residents near the Canadian border has traditionally voted "first in the nation". Electoral laws in this state let municipalities with fewer than 100 residents to start their polling stations at midnight and to close them when all registered voters have cast their ballot. A majority of polling stations on the East Coast will start at 6:00 or 7:00 am (1100 or 1200 GMT) on Tuesday. Meanwhile, Trump ended his campaign on Monday with crowded rallies, where he emphasised that the there are high chances of polls being rigged against him. Despite trailing on almost every poll, the 74-year-old president was confident on his victory, saying "we are going to make history once again".

Village in New Hampshire unanimously votes for Biden as US gets its first 2020 election results

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