All eyes are on the United States as the country began voting in the most tense presidential election in the American history on Tuesday with US people waiting for the results with great worries.
Republican nominee Donald Trump, who is the incumbent present, and Democratic candidate Joe Biden are vying for the White House in the election.
Americans will decide the fate of president Trump and former vice-president Biden through the voting.
To win the election, Trump or Biden must clinch a minimum of 270 electoral college votes -- over 50 per cent of the total 538 votes.
The results of one of the most bitterly fought election in US history can start trickling in from late Tuesday evening, typically around 8pm EST [7:00am Wednesday in Bangladesh].
Bangladeshi Americans said Democrats are more enthusiastic about the polls this time than in the previous elections.
“It was expected that real Americans will cast vote with great enthusiasm, but that did not finally happened,” said Bangladeshi-born Morshed Alam, who was closing observing the polls.
He told Bangladesh Post over phone that Biden, who was leading Trump in pre-election opinion polls, has narrowed the gap with his rival in Republican strongholds, enhancing his chance to go to the White House.
Alam said Trump announced that he was preparing for legally challenge the vote counts sensing defeat.
Citing three anonymous sources “familiar with his [Trump] private comments”, American news site Axios -- axios.com -- said Trump “had told confidants he’ll declare victory on Tuesday night if it looks like he is ahead”.
According to a Guardian report, the incumbent president denied the Axios report, describing it as false, but confirmed he would try to shut down vote counting as soon as the polls close on Tuesday.
“I don’t think it’s fair that we have to wait for a long period of time after the election… As soon as the election is over – we are going in with our lawyers,” he told journalist in North Carolina.
Later, Trump told Fox there is no reason to “play games” and that he has a “very solid chance at winning.” He said he would declare himself the winner of the election “Only when there’s victory.”
The president said he believes his large rally crowds during his fast-paced weeks of campaigning are the “ultimate poll” and translate into a lot of votes for his reelection.
In pre-election opinion polls, Biden was leading Trump. But leading in polls does not guarantee victory. Hillary Clinton had a clear lead over Trump in the polls for almost the entire 2016 campaign. She ended up losing in the electoral college.
If elected, Biden would be the oldest president in the US history at his inauguration, at the age of 78. Trump, who is currently 74, would also be the oldest president ever if he wins a second term.
