Latest US Election: Harris and Trump tied in first official election results – as voting day dawns for millions of Americans | US News

On the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, made famous by the Rocky Balboa film franchise, Kamala Harris capped her campaign with a blockbuster.

Harris took the stage after 11 p.m. and raised her fist into the night sky as the 30,000-strong crowd cheered.

On the eve of an election for the ages, she repeated a final message of hope and unity.

“We end the same way we started,” she said, “with optimism and joy, knowing that we as people have the power to shape our future and face any challenge when we do it together.”

The vice president was led to the lectern by Speaker Oprah Winfrey, who opted for a darker final message, warning that depending on the outcome, Americans may “never vote again.”

It was a star-studded evening with a spectacular stage that included performances by Lady Gaga, Ricky Martin and Fat Joe, the Puerto Rican rapper who called on fellow Latinos to move the country away from Donald Trump.

But will the excitement carry over to the ballot box? So says Ryan Richardson, a young woman from Philadelphia.

“I think Kamala Harris has done more than any person could have imagined in the last 120-plus days,” she says.

“If this isn’t a moment for the history books, I don’t know what is. The way she has galvanized voters of every age, race, socioeconomic spectrum and brought us all to Philadelphia tonight to make history is truly amazing.”

Harris suggested she chose the Philadelphia landmark with her own history in mind, calling the steps made famous by the Rocky films “a tribute to those who start as underdogs and rise to victory.”

Harris’ team believes she is no longer an underdog, boosted by early voting data that shows women turning out in large numbers. Polls show women support Harris by significant margins.

Outside Harris’ previous rally in Allentown, Pennsylvania, where voters were split between her and Trump, a group of a dozen women chanted her name. “Kam-a-la” they sang and danced.

Pat Hillbish was a registered Republican but says she couldn’t contemplate voting for Trump.

“I’m voting for Kamala,” she said, “because she stands for everything that’s right – truth and justice. And I’m so sick of the hate.”

In the first election since Roe v. Wade was overturned and the constitutional right to choose was removed, reproductive rights became a motivating factor for some voters.

“I certainly hope women vote for Harris,” Jean Gerding said. “I also hope that men are the ones who understand that the government really shouldn’t play any role in our decision about abortion.”

Harris did not mention Donald Trump by name at her latest rally. Previously, she only called him “the other guy.”

She signed the shortest of presidential campaigns in Philadelphia, the birthplace of the United States. In the coming hours, the residents of this city will determine where the country goes next.