US election 2024: Kamala Harris makes surprise stop in Washington as millions cast their votes

Millions of Americans have begun casting their votes in the presidential race, as ITV News' election team reports

Kamala Harris has made a surprise stop in Washington as millions of people head to polling stations across the US to vote for the next president.

Harris visited the headquarters of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) on Tuesday and thanked multiple callers on the phone for voting for her.

She told one voter: “Remind each other and everyone the power of your voice, your vote, this election is obviously so important.”

Meanwhile, Donald Trump cast his vote alongside his wife Melania in Palm Beach, Florida, where his multi-million-dollar golf club is located.

Harris holds up a phone at the DNC headquarters on election day, Credit: AP

Trump told reporters that he currently has a "substantial lead" and the election "won’t even be close".

"I hear we’re doing very well everywhere... It seems that the conservatives are voting very powerfully," he said on Tuesday, wearing his red MAGA hat.

"I ran a great campaign. I think it was maybe the best of the three. We did great in the first one. We did much better in the second one but something happened. I would say this is the best campaign we’ve run."

Harris voted via post last week, joining more than 77 million Americans to vote ahead of polling day.

Trump speaking after casting his ballot in Palm Beach, Flordia

In a last-ditch attempt to secure votes in the key swing state of Georgia, Harris also appeared on a local radio station telling listeners "we’ve got to get it done. Today is voting day and people need to get out and be active".

“I’ve just been so focused on the task in front of me, the reflection has only been about making sure that I’m responding to the needs of folks around the policies," Harris said.

Former President Barack Obama also took to social media to urge people to vote, saying that "just a handful of votes" could decide the winner.

Trump's running mate JD Vance was seen voting in Ohio. Speaking to reporters, he said he felt "good about this race".

The stakes are particularly high as key issues like abortion rights, the economy and immigration dominate the discourse.

Bomb threats in Georgia

Over the last few days, voting has been hit by wild claims of voter fraud.

On polling day in Georgia, bomb threats were made against polling stations, which turned out to be false.

They were allegedly "Russian in origin" and temporarily closed two polling stations in the state, local officials said.

Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger told reporters on Tuesday: "We’ve heard some threats that were of Russian origin.

“In the interest of public safety, we always check that out, and we’ll just continue to be very responsible when we hear about stuff like that.”

However, a statement from the FBI does not disclose the source of the bomb threat.

"FBI is aware of several bomb threats that have been made around the state of Georgia. Election integrity and protecting our community is our highest priority... as Americans exercise their right to vote," the agency said.

Raffensperger added that "Russia's motive is to destabilise America" after he claimed the country was behind the bomb threats

The first ballots on Tuesday were cast in a tony township in the state of New Hampshire, where polling always opens at midnight on election day (0500 am UK time).

The town, Dixville Notch, only has six voters so the result was announced a few hours later - and it was a dead heat. However, we are told not to read into that, because the voting pattern in Dixville Notch is not considered a good indicator of the final outcome of the presidential race.

Most states open their polling stations at 7am in their local time, so voters started to turn up in big numbers from about 10am UK time with more polls opening throughout the day.

Queues form outside a polling station in Pennsylvania. Credit: AP

Voting issues in swing states

Voting hours in Pennsylvania will be extended until 10pm ET (3am GMT) due to a software malfunction that disrupted ballot scanning, according to a local court ruling.

The extension request was approved by a state court on Tuesday, based on the suggestion of Cambria County election officials in western Pennsylvania.

Plus any votes cast after 8pm ET (1am GMT) will be classified as provisional ballots.

In North Carolina, the election board has approved an additional 30 minutes of voting in two counties due to apparent technical issues on Tuesday.

Polls in Burke County in the state’s western region and Wilson County will now close at 8pm ET (1am GMT).

A polling station in Wilson experienced printer issues that prevented voters from casting their ballots for about an hour, while a polling station in Burke County faced delays due to laptop problems.

What are the polls saying?

A poll in Iowa, conducted by the respected pollster Ann Selzer, was headline news on the eve of the election.

It found Harris leading Trump by three percentage points in the Hawkeye state.

But arguably of more significance, it suggests older white non-college-educated women are breaking late for Harris and may be an indicator of a similar trend in the other critical rust belt states of Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin.

The first ballots were cast in a tony township in the state of New Hampshire, where polling always opens at midnight on election day.

How does the election work?

In order to win the election you need to get at least 270 seats in the Electoral College. Each of the 50 states, plus Washington DC, make up this map.

They are broken down by the number of politicians and the population of each state. Wyoming has the smallest population and therefore three votes, whereas California has the largest, so gets 54 electoral votes.

The winner takes it all in each state. Even if you win by just one vote, you get all the points up for grabs.

In total, there are 538 points that could be won, 270 is the magic number.

The new President should be sworn in on January 20, 2025. Credit: AP

The election is likely to be decided by seven swing states. These are states that have voted for both the Democratic and Republican Party in the past and may be likely to change again. 

These states are the so-called "Rustbelt" and may decide the winner:

  • Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania in the north

  • Further south, the "Sunbelt" with Arizona and Nevada to the west

  • Georgia and North Carolina to the east

The candidate who gets the most popular votes does not necessarily win the election. In 2016, more Americans voted for Hilary Clinton, yet Trump won the Electoral College. 

The election will not only decide the next president - but also the makeup of the US senate, ITV News Deputy Political Editor Anushka Asthana explains

What are the candidates campaigning about?

The campaign rhetoric has focused heavily on key issues that resonate with the American electorate.

Trump has centred his campaign on themes of economic recovery and national security, emphasising his administration’s achievements prior to the pandemic. 

He argues for tax cuts, deregulation, and a strong military stance.

Queues stretch around the corner as people in Cleveland wait to vote

Video credit: Tristan Rader

Trump has also framed the election as a choice between freedom and government control, appealing to voters who prioritise individual liberties and a robust economy. 

Harris, on the other hand, has highlighted themes of equity, healthcare reform, and climate action.

She emphasises the need for a comprehensive approach to healthcare, including lowering prescription drug prices and expanding access. 

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