American voters will decide tonight on their next president. The final polls will close at 1.00 am EST (6.00 am GMT) early on Wednesday morning.
Former US President, Donald Trump, and current US Vice-President, Kamala Harris, are currently going head-to-head in the 2024 US general election. Millions of votes have already been cast – and the race looks to be close.
Similarly to the 2020 election, the winner may not be announced tonight. In the last election, the current US President, Joe Biden, became the 46th American President by winning Pennsylvania’s 20 electoral votes instead of Trump, which pushed him over the required 270 votes to earn the presidency.
Tonight’s election will be decided by seven swing states. These consist of Georgia, North Carolina, Michigan, Wisconsin, Arizona, Nevada, and most importantly Pennsylvania.
Republican candidate, Trump, is running with JD Vance, and has continued to use the political slogan, ‘Make America Great Again’. Democrat, Harris, has Tim Walz as her running mate for the election, and they have used the phrase ‘A New Way Forward’ throughout their campaign. Economic issues, reproductive rights, and immigration are among the most discussed topics throughout the electoral debates.
Young American Voters in Ireland Share Concerns and Hopes for Election Outcome
Abigail Hanney, 20, a study abroad student from New Hampshire, discussed her feelings about the election stating, “There’s a huge lack of political education. I think learning about the dire state of our country is embarrassing and depressing, so a lot of people decide to stay in the dark. I think I’m delusionally optimistic. I truly hope people recognize the gravity of the election. Women’s rights, LGBTQ+ rights, immigrant rights… they’re all on the line. As a woman, I can’t afford to let Trump win.”
University of Limerick (UL) student Aaron Garvey, 20, a dual citizen, spoke to Limerick Voice about the upcoming election saying, “I think it’s a must-win election for Donald Trump to save America. Harris has had the last 4 years in office and much hasn’t changed. This time Trump has a much better team around him and has the best foreign policy of any US president.”
Fourth-year UL Physics student, Niamh Terranova, 22, expressed, “As a dual citizen of Ireland and America, I know that living in Ireland while what happens may not affect my day-to-day life, I hope for the sake of the people living in the USA and for the world in general, that Americans do the right thing. I have faith that they will.”
With everything to play for, tonight’s election will be a close call with Trump or Harris in the running to claim victory.