Presidential elections kick off in the US as Hillary Clinton wins in the first ballot
Right about now Americans are at the polls to elect their 45th president, a choice between Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton and her Republican rival Donald Trump in one of the most divisive election cycles in US history.
The residents of tiny Dixville Notch in New Hampshire have already cast their traditional first-in-nation ballots with a total of eight votes – Clinton getting four and Trump two.
No full results or exit polls will be available before polling stations begin to close on the US East Coast from 7pm local time (00:00 GMT on Wednesday), and it may be three or more hours after that before the direction of the race becomes clear.
Hillary Clinton cast her vote in Chappaqua, New York, where she and her husband, former president Bill Clinton, have lived since he left office in 2001.
“I know the responsibility that goes with this,” she said as she greeted people waiting at the polling station to see her. “So many people are counting on the outcome of this election and what it means for our country, and I’ll do the best I can if I’m fortunate enough to win today.”
Donald Trump cast his ballot at a school near his New York home, after which the Republican nominee quipped to reporters that it was a “tough decision” to make his voting choice.
When Trump arrived at the polling station he was greeted by jeers and boos”.
Clinton has a slim lead in the polls but no one was ruling out a Trump victory. A polling average by tracker site RealClearPolitics gave Clinton a 3.3-percentage point national lead.
