This is how election day progresses in the United States: long lines of voters

Americans will vote for their next president this November 5, in an election that promises to be close between the Republican Donald Trump and the Democrat and current vice president, Kamala Harris.

Although about 75 million Americans voted early; Many others continue to go to the polls, which are expected to close between 7:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m., Eastern Time in the United States.

From that moment, a count will begin where seven key states: Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin could determine the president for the next four years.

“There’s not going to be any violence,” Trump said after voting in Palm Beach, Florida, before noon.

In statements to journalists, he added that he did not have to ask his followers to refrain from violent acts if he lost the elections.

“I don’t have to tell them” because “they are not violent people,” he said.

While Harris has visited various local media outlets in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and Atlanta, Georgia this day, seeking to convince the undecided.

“We’re going to be patient,” his campaign chairwoman Jen O’Malley Dillon said during an appearance Tuesday on MSNBC.

“We are going to be very focused on what will happen in the first part of the night. But we know that some of our most contested states won’t be fully counted until later in the evening or early in the morning.”

Meanwhile, without public appearances or the usual press conference, President Biden maintains a low profile today, on election day in the United States.

Environment in ballot boxes

A team of the Voice of America He toured several voting centers in Silver Spring, Maryland, where long lines can be seen at voting centers.

Some of the people interviewed claim to have spent almost two hours waiting to vote.

The head of the voting precinct, Andrew L., told VOA that the day has been very busy.

At Langley Park-McCormick Elementary School, one of the majority Latino neighborhoods in Prince George’s County, Maryland, immigrant Marvin Acevedo says that the voting process at this center has been quick and that this is her fourth time vote in presidential elections.

“My call is to the Hispanic community, those of us who can vote, to be present to participate” in what he considers “a commitment.”

What has happened so far?

During the opening of the polls, minor incidents were reported due to equipment failures in some polls.

In the afternoon, a man was arrested in New York state for threatening to burn down a voting center. He could not vote because he had not registered after his release, which led to an angry reaction.

He was located by the police and detained. Charges against him are still pending.

Also in Tijuana, Mexico, migrants lined up hours before their 5 a.m. appointments to legally enter the United States using an online phone app that Joe Biden’s administration introduced in January 2023 to discourage illegal border crossings.

More than 852,000 immigrants have entered the United States through the CBP One application, whose future depends on the outcome of the US presidential election.

Trump has harshly criticized CBP One as part of his immigration platform that includes plans for mass deportations.

Harris has given few specific details on immigration, but is expected to largely continue the Biden administration’s policies, including severe restrictions on asylum seeking.

[Colaboró en la redacción la periodista de VOA Karla Arévalo]

Connect with the Voice of America! Subscribe to our channelsYouTube, WhatsApp and to newsletter. Turn on notifications and follow us on Facebook, x and instagram.