Live coverage of the US Election
Americans start to vote after final efforts by candidates to influence voters in last hours of campaigning.
Voting started in the fiercely contested US presidential election, with Clinton and Trump as the candidates. Ballots were cast in several states, and the rest of the country will follow suit throughout the day.
The kick-off marks the end to a bitter campaign as Clinton and Trump presented radically different visions of how to lead the US.
In the final hours of campaigning on Monday night, the candidates and their political allies stopped off at major battleground states across the US in a last-ditch effort to woo voters.
As of Monday night,
Clinton’s lead over Trump had widened to 3.2 percent, according to an average of polls conducted by the website RealClearPolitics.
The figure came a day after the FBI announced that it had found no criminal wrongdoing in Clinton’s use of a private email server, following a last-minute review that clouded her campaign and allowed Trump to recover ground lost in a series of recent scandals.
Campaigning in the state of Pennsylvania on Monday, Clinton promised to build a “big-hearted” America.
She emphasized the importance of preserving core values and rejecting a divisive vision in favor of a hopeful, inclusive, and compassionate America.
Clinton emphasized her commitment to uniting the country, according to Al Jazeera’s Kimberly Halkett reporting from Philadelphia.
“Clinton said division would be the outcome of a Trump presidency,” she said.
‘Totally rigged system’
In a speech in Florida, Trump rallied against Washington, the medical-care system, and Clinton, calling for change in the broken political system. He criticized the FBI’s review of Clinton’s emails and targeted the “Washington establishment,” claiming a rigged system was protecting her. He vowed to end government corruption and reclaim the country from special interests. When we win tomorrow, we are going to drain the swamp.”
Al Jazeera’s Alan Fisher, reporting from New Hampshire, highlighted Trump’s claim that Clinton is unfit for the presidency due to corruption scandals.
“Trump also said
he would repeal and replace Obamacare, the Affordable Care Act as it is officially known in the US. And he said he would bring jobs and energy to the country,” our correspondent said.
Clinton and Trump are the least popular candidates in the past 30 years, according to joint polling by ABC News and the Washington Post. Trump has faced criticism for alienating minority groups, not releasing his tax returns, and making controversial remarks about women. Clinton’s campaign has been affected by the email scandal, Benghazi accusations, and her “basket of deplorables” comment.
If she wins Clinton will become the first-ever female US president.
Source: Al Jazeera News And Agencies
