WASHINGTON: The marathon US presidential election is drawing to a close on Tuesday with Democrat Barack Obama favoured to defeat Republican John Democratic presidential nominee Senator Barack Obama and his wife Michelle vote in the US presidential election in Chicago. (Reuters Photo)
McCain and make history as the first black American commander in chief. As the polls began closing, The Associated Press called Kentucky for McCain and Vermont for Obama.
A record number of citizens were expected to have cast ballots in an election that stood to change the political face of a nation burdened with its worst economic crisis in nearly 80 years and still fighting wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The economy was by far the top issue on voters' minds and a huge drag on McCain, who Obama successfully tied to unpopular President George W. Bush.
An Associated Press exit poll found six in 10 voters across the United States named the economy as the most important issue facing the country. None of four other issues on the list — energy, Iraq, terror or health care — was chosen by more than one in 10. The results are based on a preliminary partial sample of nearly 10,000 voters in Election Day exit polls and telephone interviews over the past week for early voters.
The results in Kentucky and Vermont had been expected. Polls also have closed in Indiana, Georgia, South Carolina and Virginia, but winners in those states were not immediately apparent.
Earlier, lines stretched around buildings and crossed city blocks as people waited to cast ballots in the historic presidential race.
Touchscreen voting machines malfunctioned in some precincts, yet voting on Tuesday appeared to go smoothly overall.
Americans have kept a close eye on election problems recently. In 2000, the results of the election were held up until the US Supreme Court ultimately decided to halt a recount over contested votes in Florida, leaving George W. Bush the winner. In Ohio, there was turmoil in 2004 over malfunctioning machines and long lines.
On Tuesday, voters had to use paper ballots because of problems with electronic voting machines in some New Jersey precincts. And in New York, Board of Elections spokeswoman Valerie Vazquez-Rivera said many people began lining up as early as 4 a.m. (0900 GMT) at some polling places to avoid long lines, leading to erroneous reports that some sites were not opening on time.
Poll worker John Ritch in Chappaqua, New York, said: ``By 7:30 this morning, we had as many as we had at noon in 2004.''
Gov. Ed Rendell urged voters in Pennsylvania to ``hang in there'' as state and country officials braced for a huge turnout. More than 160 people were lined up to vote by the time polls opened at First Presbyterian Church in Allentown. ``I could stay an hour and a half at the front end or three hours at the back end,'' joked Ronald Marshall, a black Democrat.
Hundreds converged on polling precincts in Missouri, a crucial battleground state. Norma Storms, a 78-year-old resident of Raytown, said her driveway was filled with cars left by voters who couldn't get into nearby parking lots.
``I have never seen anything like this in all my born days,'' she said. ``I am just astounded.''