International
0

At Long Last, Clinton or Trump?

At Long Last, Clinton or Trump?
At Long Last, Clinton or Trump?

Democrat and Republican Donald Trump faced voters on Tuesday, as millions of Americans turned out on Election Day to pick the next US president and end a bruising campaign that polls said favored Clinton.

In a battle centered largely on the character of the candidates, Clinton, 69, a former secretary of state and first lady, and Trump, 70, a New York businessman, made their final, fervent appeals to supporters late on Monday to turn out the vote, Reuters reported.

A Reuters/Ipsos States of the Nation poll gave Clinton a 90% chance of defeating Trump and said she was on track to win 303 electoral college votes out of 270 needed, to Trump's 235.

World markets braced for the outcome of one of the most contentious US presidential elections in history, with stocks up slightly on cautious expectations of a Clinton win.

Clinton arrived to cast her ballot at an elementary school in her hometown of Chappaqua, New York, on Tuesday morning. Chanting "Madam President", about 150 supporters turned out to cheer on the Democratic nominee who voted with husband Bill Clinton.

Trump, who planned to vote later in Manhattan, began Election Day with a ritual call to the "Fox & Friends" morning news show.

"I'm a little bit superstitious," he said. "I've won many primaries speaking to you first in the morning".

Each then hoped to hold an evening victory rally about a mile in New York City.

The final week of campaigning was a grinding series of get-out-the-vote rallies across battleground states where the election is likely to be decided.

Clinton went into election day as the favorite to become the first US woman president after spending eight years in the White House as first lady from 1993 to 2001.

But Trump advisers said the level of his support was not apparent in the polling and that they believed the New York businessman was in position for an upset victory along the lines of the "Brexit" vote in June to pull Britain from the European Union.

Add new comment

Read our comment policy before posting your viewpoints

Financialtribune.com