Americans voted in a historic Presidential poll today with Democrat frontrunner Barack Obama bidding to become the first black occupant of the White House and his Republican opponent John McCain hoping for a surprise election-day upset amid a raft of adverse opinion surveys.
With Democrats eyeing both the Senate and House of Representatives, today's polls may also result in a political re-alignment on the Capitol Hill.
47-year-old first-time Illinois Senator Obama, who clinched the Democratic Presidential nomination after a long hard-fought battle with seasoned Hillary Clinton, is widely expected to emerge victorious with a number of opinion polls giving him an edge over the Vietnam War veteran McCain.
But, 72-year-old McCain, seeking to leave behind the legacy of incumbent George W Bush who is being criticised for his foreign and economic policies, hopes to make a remarkable comeback in the race for Presidency defying poll pundits. If he wins he will be the oldest person to be inaugurated as President.
Some states, including Florida, Georgia and Colorado started early voting with a large number of people queueing up to cast their ballots.
"Today is Election Day. The opportunity to set our country on a new path has never felt more real than it does right now. The polls are open in most places, and people are already making their voices heard for change. There's just one thing left to do -- vote and make sure everyone you know votes, too," Obama said in an e-mail message to his supporters.
