Will Kamala Harris or Donald Trump win? Here are 10 key points while you wait for results – The Irish Times

Polling stations are opening throughout the territory The US is preparing for one of the next presidential elections in modern history with Kamala Harris And Donald Trump in the polls they go head to head. While you wait for the answer to the big question: “Who won the American election?”, here are 10 key stories from our reporters and columnists to help you get through the day. All night long we will have a live story that will tell you results how they land.

Viewing Guide

US Elections Explained

On the road

A Road Trip Through the Rust Belt: Who Will Rule Pennsylvania—Kamala Harris or Donald Trump?

• Jim Dlauter enjoys the Friday afternoon sun, distinguished by its psychedelic Pink Floyd T-shirt and sunglasses at his usual spot in downtown Gettysburg. He likes to observe what is happening in the world. Gettysburg is Pennsylvania’s lighthouse, attracting up to two million visitors each year to stand on the spot where Lincoln gave his speech. The city center feels like a movie set, but the preserved battlefield in the intense, silent heat creates an otherworldly atmosphere. The tourist rush ended that year and locals reclaimed their town, although Dlauter did not mind the influx of tourists. He talks about the strangeness of life in a place that is part small town, part magnet for American mythology, writes Kate Duggan in Pennsylvania.

“I want to go to Chicago”: immigrants, vigilantes and good Samaritans on the US-Mexico border

• Small things figure prominently in Tom and Carol Wingo’s memories. Retired teachers and former snowbirds are people who temporarily move to warmer areas to avoid the bite of winter. In 2019, they permanently traded Montana for southern Arizona. They now devote much of their time to helping immigrants who pass through part of the border wall between Mexico and the USA. “Sometimes you see people wearing makeup; preparing for a new life,” Carol says during a visit to a section of the wall south of Wye. “We found a teapot with leaves inside. They celebrated a little for making it this far,” writes Stephen Carroll of Why, Arizona.

‘It’s all gone up, up’: Meet Trump voters thirsty for gas in Georgia

• Pickups, trucks and SUVs rule the roads of rural Georgia as the huge machines and their massive engines seem to be approaching you at every turn. Inflation – especially rising gas prices – is a big concern among voters when asked what they think about elections. This is understandable, since many believe that choosing a car with a six-liter engine is the central point ” American way.” Some say things were different four years ago, but a lot of water has passed under highway bridges since then, writes Stephen Carroll of Perry, Georgia.

Arab Americans’ disillusionment with the Democratic Party in Michigan could cost Harris dearly

• Sitting in her office in downtown Dearborn, Sujud Hamadeh explains why she won’t vote for the Democratic Party. Her faith in the Party has been completely undermined over the past year while she’s been watching Israeli bombing of the Gaza Stripand a shocking death toll of more than 40,000 continue with the support of the political party she believed represented her. And she believes her disappointment – long-lasting and deep – is shared by many people she knows in the local Arab-American community, writes Kate Duggan of Dearborn, Michigan.

‘Welcome to Life’: Arizona constable in charge of evictions tries to practice justice and mercy

• Sitting in his Chevrolet Tahoe SUV, he explains that he is one of 26 constables serving more than four million Maricopa County residents. His work includes issuing warrants, orders of protection and eviction notices, as well as overseeing asset forfeitures. “Today is eviction day and there are four evictions to be done,” reports Stephen Carroll of Surprise, Arizona.

Opinion

Fintan O’Toole: Trump 2.0 will lead to US becoming a fascist state, held back by decrepitude and greed

• A couple of weeks ago I attended a conference in upstate New York where American writer and director Sebastian Junger (The Perfect Storm, Restrepo) retraced his father’s escape from the Nazis. From Dresden he reached Spain, then France, and then Portugal. He finally managed to settle in America in 1941 because “he said that fascism would never follow him here.” Junger did not need to go into detail, because it is quite possible that the guarantee of a fascism-free America is a guarantee that is about to expire. There is a 50/50 chance that a fascist will return to the Oval Office.

Jusin McCarthy: Blind admission of lies could put Trump back in the White House

• Spectators behind Donald TrumpThe US President’s podium is of more anthropological interest than any of the mucus that drips from the Republican candidate’s mouth at his campaign rallies. Women dominated the background more than 10 times this past weekend at Madison Square Garden; a jarring image in the campaign cowardly courting angry men. Perhaps the choreographer was trying to balance a virtual schedule of men-only warm-up acts—17 of them, including a wrestler, a shock jock, an unfunny comedian, a former Fox News host and a businessman who once said he would be “embarrassed” if he only made $400,000 a year. As these oratorical Chippendales stepped up to the microphone, the women behind the podium held up Trump signs and applauded.