New US President to be elected after controversial election campaign

BBC
New US President to be elected after controversial election campaign

Americans are choosing between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump as voting in the US presidential election goes into full swing. It began with villages in New Hampshire just after midnight before states throughout the East Coast started polling at 06:00 EST (11:00 GMT). Mrs Clinton and Mr Trump have cast their ballots in New York polling stations, alongside their spouses. Voters in several states have faced long queues pointing to a high turnout. Some polling locations have also reported equipment failures, exacerbating delays.

On Tuesday Mr Trump filed a suit against the Clark County Registrar of Voters in Nevada, alleging the state kept early voting stations opened longer than the designated closing time. Polling in Nevada shows the race between Mrs Clinton and Mr Trump is extremely tight.

Mr Trump's lawyers have asked for relevant early ballots not to be mixed with other ballots.

Both candidates targeted battleground states on Monday, with campaigning taking them to rallies in North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Michigan.

Americans are choosing a new president after one of the most rancorous election campaigns the country has seen.

Mrs Clinton urged voters to back a "hopeful, inclusive, big-hearted America" while Mr Trump told supporters they had a "magnificent chance to beat the corrupt system".

Polls give Mrs Clinton a four-point lead over Republican Mr Trump.

Results are expected some time after 23:00 EST (04:00 GMT on Wednesday) once voting ends on the West Coast. State projections will not be available until polling ends - in most states between 19:00 EST (24:00 GMT) and 20:00 EST (01:00 GMT).

A record number of Americans - more than 46 million - have voted early by post or at polling stations.

There are signs of a high turnout among Hispanic voters, which is believed to favour Mrs Clinton.

Election day follows a bitter campaign during which the candidates have traded insults and become mired in a series of scandals.

On Sunday Mrs Clinton's campaign received a boost when the FBI said newly discovered emails sent by an aide showed no evidence of criminality.

Election day voting began just after midnight in the small New Hampshire village of Dixville Notch, where seven votes were cast - four for Mrs Clinton, two for Mr Trump and one for the libertarian Gary Johnson.

All 50 states and Washington DC will vote across six different time zones.

Americans are also voting for Congress. All of the House of Representatives - currently Republican controlled - is up for grabs, and a third of seats in the Senate, which is also in Republican hands.

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