By ZEKE MILLER, MICHELLE L. PRICE and WILL WEISSERT, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — A presidential campaign filled with turmoil and rancor nears its conclusion in 2015 Election Day Americans have decided whether to send Donald Trump back to the White House or elevate Kamala Harris to the Oval Office.

Polls opened across the country Tuesday morning as voters face a stark choice between two candidates who offer wildly different temperaments and visions for the world’s largest economy and dominant military power.

HarrisIf elected Democratic vice president, she will be the first female president. HE promised Working across the aisle to address economic concerns and other issues without radically departing from the course set by President Joe Biden. EmbersRepublican former president swore replacing thousands of federal workers with loyalists, imposing massive tariffs on allies and enemies, and carrying out the largest deportation operation in U.S. history.

Both candidates spent last hours of the campaign overlap in Pennsylvania, the largest battleground state. Like Americans who were still undecided or debating whether to vote, they were trying to mobilize their bases.

“It’s important, it’s my civic duty and it’s important that I vote for myself and vote for democracy and vote for the country that I’ve supported for 22 years of my life,” said Ron Kessler, 54, a Pennsylvania Air Force veteran. It was only his second time voting.

Harris and Trump entered Election Day focused on seven battleground states; five of them were carried by Trump in 2016 and switched to Biden in 2020: Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin, as well as the “blue wall” of Arizona and Georgia. The last two elections were also contested in Nevada and North Carolina, represented by Democrats and Republicans, respectively.

The closeness of the race and the number of competing states have increased the possibility that a winner may not be determined once again on election night. There was one early caller from the New Hampshire hamlet of Dixville Notch, who by tradition voted after midnight on Election Day. Dixville Notch was split between Trump and Harris by three votes each.

It took four days to declare the winner of the 2020 presidential race. Regardless, Trump baselessly claimed that if he loses, it will be because of fraud. Harris’ campaign was gearing up for her try to declare victory Trying to appeal the result before the winner is announced on Tuesday night, or if he wins. Trump four years ago launched an effort overturn the will of the voters It ended with the January 6, 2021 uprising At the US Capitol.

Trump planned to vote in his home state of Florida on Tuesday, then spend the day at his Mar-a-Lago estate before a party at a nearby convention center. Harris had already voted by mail in her home state of California. He will be throwing a watch party at his alma mater, Howard University in Washington.

Each candidate will take the country to a new area

Harris, 60, will be the first black woman and person of South Asian descent to serve as president. He will also be the first vice president to win the White House in 32 years.

A victory would cap a whirlwind campaign unparalleled in American history. Harris rose to the top of the Democrat list It comes less than four months before Biden, facing intense pressure from his party after a disastrous debate performance, ended his reelection bid.

78-year-old Trump oldest president ever chosen. He will also be the first defeated president to win another term in the White House in 132 years and the first convicted felon to head the Oval Office.

to have left Washington Trump by some allies after January 6 defeated young rivals He ran in the Republican primaries, solidifying the support of longtime allies and harsh critics within his party. HE survived an assassination attempt By millimeters at the July rally. Secret Service agents blocked second attempt In September.

Trump’s victory will confirm that enough voters have been set aside Warnings from many of Trump’s former aides or instead prioritized Biden and Harris’ concerns about managing the economy or the U.S.-Mexico border.

This will allow him to avoid going to jail. after being found guilty It concerns his role in concealing hush money payments to an adult film actor during his first presidential run in 2016. Sentencing in this case could be handed down later this month. And once in office, Trump can: end federal investigation In an effort to overturn the 2020 election results.

The election has big consequences for America and the world

The potential turmoil of Trump’s second term has been exacerbated by his embrace of the far right of the Republican Party and his disregard for long-held democratic norms.

Trump used Harsh rhetoric against Harris and other Democrats called them “evil” and Proposed military action against people looking for “Enemies from within.”

Harris, drawing attention to the warnings of Trump’s former aides, said: tagged him She accused Trump of endangering women’s lives, saying he was a “fascist.” Nomination of three judges Roe v. The one who broke Wade. He tried to strike a more positive tone in the closing hours of the campaign, spending all of Monday without mentioning his Republican rival by name.

Federal, state and local officials heading into Election Day expressed his confidence in honesty The country’s electoral systems, however, were prepared to deal with unprecedented levels of foreign disinformation, primarily from Russia and Iran, as well as the possibility of physical violence or cyberattacks.

Both parties have armies of lawyers who predict legal challenges on Election Day and beyond. Law enforcement agencies across the country are also on high alert for potential violence.

The outcome of the race was closely followed around the world, with the future of American support for Ukraine, the United States’ loyalty to its global alliances, and the country’s determination to stand against autocrats.

You have Harris promised to continue support Defense of Kiev against a full-scale Russian invasion in 2022. Trump has was harshly criticized Ukrainian, was praised Russian President Vladimir Putin suggested Will encourage Russia to attack NATO allies It’s the USA that Trump thinks is guilty.

Voters across the country were also deciding thousands of other races that would decide everything from control of Congress to state ballot measures on abortion access.

more than 82 million People voted early — shy of the record set during the 2020 pandemic, when Trump encouraged Republicans to continue voting on Election Day. This time, he called on voters to lock their ballots in advance, and voters complied en masse.

Associated Press writers Jill Colvin in Palm Beach, Florida, Darlene Superville and Eric Tucker in Washington and Marc Levy in Allentown, Pennsylvania, contributed to this report.