Washington: Most ballot stations throughout the United States have opened for Americans to vote for the nation's 47th president amid a neck-and-neck competition between the two presidential hopefuls, the incumbent Vice President Kamala Harris and the former President Donald Trump. The staggered opening of voting centers is due to the varying time zones across the country, including Eastern, Central, Pacific, Atlantic, and Alaska times. Generally, centers began operations at 5:30 a.m. local time and are scheduled to close by 8 a.m. According to Kuwait News Agency, figures released by Florida University indicate that the number of early voters reached 82 million, as numerous ballot stations had opened weeks ahead of the official kickoff on November 5. Trump of the Republican Party and Harris of the Democrats are striving to secure at least 270 votes in the Electoral College, which comprises a total of 538 votes. The candidate who garners 270 Electoral College votes will be declared the winner. The competition is particularly intense in swing states such as Pennsylvania and Michigan, considered strongholds for Arab voters. Texas is largely Republican, whereas states like New York are predominantly Democratic. The campaign discussions have revolved around local issues like inflation and immigration, as well as international matters such as the war on Gaza. Opinion polls have shown a very tight race between the two candidates. The Muslim population in the US is estimated at three million, and they, along with Arab voters, are expected to support the candidate perceived to be more sympathetic towards the Gazans and Lebanese in their conflicts with Israel.
