Votes are being held today to elect a new president in the United States. Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump are in the race to become the 47th president. The election competition between the Democratic candidate Harris and the Republican candidate Trump has been seen as "hardest in history". An NBC News poll has tied both candidates. 49 percent said they would vote for both Trump and Harris, while 2 percent said they were undecided.

Various polls show Harris ahead of Trump. According to an ABC News poll, Trump has 47 percent of voters, while Harris, who is running to become the first woman president, has 48 percent of voters. But this survey is not sure to be elected. According to the survey, 5 percent of the voters have not yet decided who to vote for. Because of this, it is seen that any of the two candidates can win.

It is not enough to win the American presidency by getting more overall votes across the country. Since the US presidential election is based on the 'Electoral College' system, the candidate who receives the least number of votes is likely to become the president. In 2016, Donald Trump was elected president even though he received about 3 million fewer votes than Hillary Clinton. In 2000, George W. Bush, the Republican who was elected president, received 500,000 fewer votes than the Democratic candidate, Al Gore.

To be elected president, at least 270 of the total 538 electoral votes must be obtained. 535 electoral votes have been determined for the 50 states of America and 3 electoral votes for the federal capital 'District of Columbia' based on population. Parties elect their supporters or party officers as electoral officers before the elections. Although electors can in principle vote for the candidate of their choice, they support the candidate who receives the most popular votes in their state.

If the electoral votes of the two candidates are equal, the lower house of the US Congress chooses the president from among the three candidates with the highest number of electoral votes. The president was elected in America only in 1824 through such a process. The vice-presidential candidate selected by the winning presidential candidate is also automatically elected. Trump has nominated J.D. Vance as his vice-presidential candidate, while Harris has chosen Minnesota Governor Tim Waltz as his vice-presidential candidate.

Most of the 50 states have traditionally had one party win presidential elections. Such states are known as 'Blue' and 'Red' states. The states in favor of the Democratic Party candidate are known as 'Blue' states and the states in favor of the Republican candidates are known as 'Red' states. 

Looking at past results, Harris is almost certain to carry 226 electoral votes, including California (54), New York (28) and Illinois (19), which have the most electoral votes. In this case, Harris would need at least 44 more electoral votes to be elected president. Similarly, Trump is certain to get at least 219 electoral votes, including Texas (40), Florida (30), Ohio (17). He now needs at least 51 more electoral votes to be elected president. As of now, it is not certain which candidate will get the electoral votes of the 7 states. Such states that determine the election results are called 'battleground states' or 'swing states'. 

Pennsylvania (19), Georgia (16), North Carolina (16), Michigan (15), Arizona (11), Wisconsin (10) and Nevada (6) total 'battleground states' or 'swing states' Electoral votes are 93. Of those seven states, only Michigan and Wisconsin lead Harris, according to an ABC News poll. Trump is seen ahead in five others. But his priority vote is much less than the remaining five percent of voters to decide which candidate to vote for. The Atlas Intel survey said that Trump is ahead in 6 states except for Michigan. Therefore, both the candidates are focusing on the election campaign of the 'Battleground State'. Both candidates have intensified their campaigns in these states. Harris has spent more on advertising than Trump in the 'Battleground State'. 

As of Oct. 7, Harris won 159 million in Pennsylvania, 126 million in Michigan, 73 million in Georgia, 75 million in Wisconsin, 62 million in Arizona, 55 million in North Carolina and 44 million in Nevada. According to the BBC, US dollars were spent on advertising.

Trump said 122 million Americans in Pennsylvania, 78 million in Michigan, 72 million in Georgia, 53 million in Wisconsin, 49 million in Arizona, 44 million in North Carolina and 22 million in Nevada. spent dollars.

It seems that it will be easier for Harris to get 270 electoral votes than for Trump. She could be elected president if she wins Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin. Election surveys show a tight contest in all these three states. Harris is slightly ahead in Michigan and Wisconsin, while the two candidates are tied in Pennsylvania.

Harris seems somewhat comfortable winning these three states. In these three states, Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton lost the 2016 election by a narrow margin, while Joe Biden won the 2020 election. But if Trump wins in one of these states, Harris must win another state to become president. In that case, North Carolina or Georgia could be options for him. Biden, who won in Georgia in the previous election, was defeated by a small margin in North Carolina. 

If Trump wins in Pennsylvania, Georgia and North Carolina, it seems that he will become president. If he loses Pennsylvania, he wins a second term in Georgia, North Carolina, Arizona, Wisconsin, and Nevada. If Trump can repeat the same results as in 2016, he will win all "swing states" except Nevada and become president with 306 electoral votes.

The Democratic Party is known as the Liberal Party. Civil rights, a comprehensive social safety net and addressing the impact of climate change are key agenda items. America's conservative Republican Party favors lower taxes, smaller government, gun rights, and tougher restrictions on immigration and abortion.

There are about 240 million voters in this year's elections. According to the American media, 78 million people have already 'pre-voted'. Of the 48 million young voters between the ages of 18 and 27, 8.3 million are exercising their franchise for the first time. 45 percent of them belong to the 'Gen-G' generation. Similarly, there are an estimated 47.9 million black Americans. At least 62 million are of Latin American origin. The number of Indian-American voters is 5.2 million. 

According to an NBC poll, 57 percent of women will vote for Harris, while 41 percent of women voters are in favor of Trump. 58 percent of voters favor Trump and 40 percent favor Harris. Two percent seem undecided about voting. It is said that there are more than 400,000 South Asian voters in the 'Battleground State' alone. A majority of them are Indians. While in the 2016 election, Trump won in Michigan by only 10,704 votes. Similarly, in the 2020 election, Biden won in Georgia with 11,779 votes and in Arizona with 10,457 votes. 

The majority of Latin American voters favor Harris. Fifty-four percent of Latin American voters said they would vote for Harris and 40 percent for Trump. Black voters are very few in favor of Trump. 12 percent of blacks said they would vote for Trump and 82 percent for Harris. 6 percent are undecided. Economy is the first priority for voters. In the US, the unemployment rate has decreased a lot recently and the stock market is on the rise. But most Americans say they are forced to fight against rising prices every day. Inflation is the highest it has been since the 1970s. The Gallup poll shows that it will certainly benefit Trump.

In the polls held in different countries of the world, the parties in power have suffered electoral defeat many times. The main reason for this is the post-Covid economy and the increase in living expenses. On this basis, it is not difficult to assess that American voters are also in favor of change. According to a Gallup study, only a quarter of Americans are satisfied that the country is moving in the right direction. 62 percent of Americans say the economy is getting worse. After the economy, any election seems to be influenced by emotional issues as well. Democratic candidate Harris has been strongly promoting abortion rights, while Republican candidate Trump has prioritized the issue of immigration.

With the release of data on the increase in encounters in the border area during the Biden administration, polls have shown that voters trust Trump more on immigration issues. In addition, Trump seems to have angered Latin-American voters compared to the previous election. Americans see Trump as a deeply polarizing politician. In the 2020 election, he received the most votes ever for a Republican candidate. Despite that, he was defeated in the election. This time he faces a tough challenge from Harris. Harris called Trump a "fascist" and said that he is a threat to democracy. A Reuters/Ipsos poll found that four in five Americans say the country is spiraling out of control and see Harris as a candidate for stability.

This is the first presidential election since the US Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade and the constitutional right to abortion. Pro-abortion voters overwhelmingly support Harris. Its effect was also seen in the 2022 mid-term elections. This time, voters are being asked about regulating abortion in 10 states, including the 'swing state' Arizona. This is likely to increase the vote in favor of Harris. In addition, since America will have its first female president, there is a possibility that more female voters will vote for Harris than Trump. 

Most US citizens 18 years of age or older can vote in the US presidential election. But all states except North Dakota require registration before the election. Each state has different rules and deadlines for registration in the electoral roll. US citizens living abroad can vote by mail by filing an application with the Federal Post Office system. In most of the states, voters are given the facility to vote before the polling day. 

According to Nepali time, the candidate who will be selected for a four-year term will take office from January 20, 2025. Usually, the winner is announced on the night of the election. But in cases where the results are determined by postal voting, it may take a few days to get the results. When another candidate is elected than the incumbent president in the election, the period until the office is resumed is called the transition period. At that time, the newly elected president selects the ministers and plans their tenure.

Although much is said about the presidential election, American voters are also voting for other positions. All 435 members of the House of Representatives, the lower house of the Federal Parliament, and 33 positions of the 100-member upper house, the Senate, are also being elected from today's election. The House of Representatives currently has 220 Republicans and 212 Democrats. The Senate, which votes on key government appointments, is controlled by Democrats. 

These two houses of parliament pass laws and exercise control over the White House. In the Senate, two members are elected from each state. The Senate currently has 49 Republicans, 47 Democrats, and 4 Democratic independents. Senate races in Montana, Wisconsin, Ohio, Nevada, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Arizona and Texas are expected to be very competitive. Out of these eight, currently 7 members belong to the Democratic Party.

The Vice President of the United States is the President of the Senate. He presides over the sessions of the Senate and casts the deciding vote. In addition to passing the bill, the Senate also has to approve the appointments of cabinet members, the Supreme Court and other federal judges and ambassadors appointed by the president. Likewise, voters in 11 states and two regions are electing governors. New governors are being elected in American Samoa, Delaware, Indiana, Missouri, New Hampshire, North Carolina, North Dakota, Puerto Rico, Utah, Vermont, Washington and West Virginia.