US Elections 2024: Republican V-P nominee JD Vance cast his ballot in Ohio

Republican vice presidential nominee JD Vance cast his ballot in person for the US Presidential Elections on Tuesday morning (local time), as reported by CNN.

Vance cast his ballot at the St. Anthony of Padua Church in Cincinnati from the state of Ohio. 

 

According to CNN, the senator and running mate of former US President Donald Trump was in good spirits when he arrived to cast his vote with his wife, Usha Vance and their children.

Following casting his vote, Vance told the reporters present there that he was thankful to those who came out to vote and also to witness "one of the great traditions in American democracy."

 

"I feel good; you never know until you know, but I feel good about this race," Vance said, as reported by CNN.

"I felt good about my own race a couple of years ago when I voted in this exact same spot. Hopefully, it goes as well for President Trump and me as it went for me a couple of years ago in the state of Ohio," he added.

Polling has now opened across 34 states in the US in what is termed to be one of their most consequential elections, which will decide the direction of not just the US but also have an influence on global geopolitics for the next four years.

Among the 34 states, polling has also begun in five swing states of Arizona, Wisconsin, Georgia, Michigan and Pennsylvania.

The polling hours will vary across the states, but most locations will vote between 6 am and 8 pm on Tuesday (local time). The first polls will close at around 7 pm ET (5:30 am IST) in six states, including Georgia. The final polls will close in the blue state of Hawaii and in the red state of Alaska at 12 am ET (10:30 am IST). Total votes will close by 1 pm ET (11:30 am IST), following which counting will start.

Despite the presence of many other parties, the US race is between the Democratic and Republican parties. Vice President Kamala Harris is the candidate of the incumbent Democrats, and she is aiming to create history by becoming the first woman in the US. If elected, she will also be the first Indian-origin President of the United States.

On the other hand, the Republican candidate is former President Donald Trump, who is eyeing a historic comeback to the White House after a bitter exit in 2020. Notably, if Trump wins, it will be the first instance in over 100 years of a president serving two non-consecutive terms in the White House.

Most of the polls have predicted a very close race between Trump and Harris, with all the leads projected within the margin of error.