Millions of Americans have already cast their ballots, with battleground states seeing record numbers; minor disruptions are met with resilience as officials prepare for Election Day.
Election Day 2024 has arrived, and tens of millions of Americans have already cast their ballots, with a significant surge in early voting across key battleground states.
Georgia, a pivotal swing state in recent elections, saw over 4 million voters participate early, prompting state officials to suggest that traditional polling locations might feel like “ghost towns” on Election Day itself.
North Carolina also saw impressive numbers, with 4.4 million voters—nearly 57% of registered voters—casting ballots early, including in areas still recovering from Hurricane Helene.
Early voting
Nationwide, early voting surpassed 82 million ballots as of Monday, a number already exceeding half the total ballots cast in 2020.
A notable shift this election season is the increased early turnout among Republicans, spurred by campaigns from former President Donald Trump and the Republican National Committee to counter Democratic dominance in early voting.
Despite long lines and minor disruptions, early voting has proceeded without major issues.
Local officials in hurricane-affected regions of North Carolina executed remarkable efforts to facilitate voting, even amid power outages and damaged infrastructure.
Additionally, while isolated arson incidents in Oregon damaged drop boxes, authorities swiftly responded to minimize the impact.
Trump and the RNC, however, continue to raise concerns over election security, citing instances like an investigation in Pennsylvania into potential fraudulent voter registrations.
These claims, often unsubstantiated, may signal upcoming challenges as the nation awaits the final results.
Controversy Over Elon Musk’s $1 Million-a-Day Sweepstakes Sparks Legal Battle in Pennsylvania
Philadelphia DA claims Musk’s political action committee misled the public, while Musk’s lawyer argues winners were chosen as “spokespeople,” not by chance.
A legal dispute erupted in Philadelphia on Monday over Elon Musk’s $1 million-a-day voter sweepstakes, as a lawyer for Musk’s political action committee (PAC), America PAC, clarified that recipients are selected deliberately—not by chance as originally claimed.
GOP attorney Chris Gober stated that winners of the giveaway, which targets key swing states, were handpicked based on personal stories and signed contracts to act as “spokespeople” for the PAC, challenging initial promises of a “random” selection process.
The giveaway, announced on October 19 in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, at an event alongside Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, was pitched by Musk as a daily, random $1 million award to petition signers.
Violates the law
Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner contends that Musk’s approach may violate Pennsylvania election law, arguing the selective process contradicts the terms Musk publicly stated.
On Monday, Krasner’s lawyer scrutinized a PAC official over the language used to promote the giveaway, particularly Musk’s repeated use of “chance” and “randomly” when describing the selection.
Gober, however, defended the PAC’s approach, stating, “The $1 million recipients are not chosen by chance. We know exactly who will be announced as the $1 million recipient today and tomorrow.”
As recipients in Arizona and Michigan await their awards, the legal argument over Musk’s promises and the selection process could intensify, especially as Election Day draws near in Pennsylvania.
Kamala Harris and Donald Trump Make Final Appeals in Pennsylvania as Polls Show a Dead Heat
With record-breaking early voting and razor-thin polling margins, both candidates make last-minute pushes in battleground Pennsylvania.
In the final hours before Election Day, Kamala Harris and Donald Trump each delivered their closing pitches in must-win Pennsylvania, a state that could decide one of the closest races in recent history.
With most pundits calling the race too close to predict, both candidates focused on rallying support in key counties to secure an edge.
Polls and betting markets reflect the tight nature of the contest, with Harris holding a slight late surge after out-fundraising Trump nearly five to one throughout her campaign.
The latest projections from prominent statistician Nate Silver point to a razor-thin advantage for Harris. In his simulation models, Harris emerged as the likely victor in 40,012 of 80,000 simulations.
However, a few hundred votes in key battleground counties could easily swing the result in Trump’s favour, especially amid expectations of close tallies and potential disputes over ballot integrity.
Unprecedented outcomes
This election could bring unprecedented outcomes.
A Harris win would make her the first female president and the first woman of South Asian and African-American descent in the Oval Office.
For Trump, a victory would mean a non-consecutive second term, making him only the second president in U.S. history to achieve this feat.
Harris has focused on energizing young and female voters, centering her platform on generational change and reproductive rights.
Meanwhile, Trump has attracted support among men and white women by addressing concerns over inflation, immigration, crime, and limiting U.S. military interventions abroad.
With around 78 million Americans having already cast early votes, all eyes are on Pennsylvania as the nation braces for a potentially historic and hard-fought election outcome.
