Americans Kick Off In-Person Voting for Historic Presidential Election

Americans began casting their first in-person votes on Friday for a high-stakes presidential election. Democratic nominee Kamala Harris faces incumbent Donald Trump, who has highlighted the importance of winning to save the country. Early voting started in Virginia, Minnesota, and South Dakota, with more states to follow.

On Friday, Americans began casting their first in-person votes for the presidential election, which is six weeks away. Both Republican and Democratic leaders are calling it the most important election in generations. Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris and other party leaders have described Republican nominee Donald Trump as a threat to democracy, while Trump insists he must win to save the country from Democratic rule.

The commencement of in-person voting signals the start of a six-week period leading to the Nov. 5 Election Day. This marks the final phase of a bitterly divided campaign. In recent months, Harris replaced Joe Biden as the Democratic nominee, and Trump has survived two assassination attempts in Pennsylvania and Florida. Early voting began in Virginia, Minnesota, and South Dakota, with additional states expected to follow by mid-October.

Despite Trump's previous skepticism about early voting, the Republican National Committee has endorsed it this year to secure votes ahead of time, as turnout can be affected by factors like weather. The Democratic Party has effectively used early voting in past elections, accumulating millions of votes. In 2018, Democrats accounted for a higher percentage of early votes compared to Republicans, a trend that continued into 2022.

(With inputs from agencies.)