[Report] Even Supporters Say "I Don't Know" Amid Unpredictable Voting Fever... America Holds Its Breath Over Post-Election Trauma

[US Election 2024]
"Need to Open a New Chapter" vs "Stop Immigration and Revive the Economy"
US Voters Torn Between Hope and Concern
Post-Election Trauma Amid a Nail-Biting Close Race

"The performance Harris has shown while serving as vice president is not satisfactory. However, there is no other option to prevent Trump's election and open a new chapter for the United States."

"Trump is the only suitable candidate who can stop the flood of illegal immigration and revive the economy."

On the 5th, the election day for the 47th President of the United States (local time), voters are waiting to cast their ballots at a polling station set up at the Fort Lee Community Center in Bergen County, New Jersey. Photo by Kwon Haeyoung, New Jersey correspondent.

On the 5th (local time), the day of the 47th U.S. presidential election, the polling station was set up at the Fort Lee Community Center in Bergen County, New Jersey. When I arrived at 8 a.m., voters had been coming since early morning. Although many had already voted by mail or early voting, so the waiting lines were not long, voters kept arriving at the polling station. As the afternoon approached, the number of voters visiting the polling station increased. At another polling station set up at the Fort Lee Museum, around 1 p.m., about 20 voters were lined up waiting to vote.

Bergen County, New Jersey, like nearby New York City, is predominantly composed of voters with a pro-Democratic Party inclination. Most voters met at the polling station that day hoped for the election of Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic candidate. Megan, a woman in her 40s who came out after voting, said, "Trump is a racist and is negative about women's reproductive rights (abortion)." She added, "Trump tramples on values that America must protect, such as diversity and human rights, without hesitation, and he is a threat to democracy." Many voters expressed a sense of crisis that Trump, who fosters politics of division and conflict, must be stopped rather than giving a favorable evaluation of the Biden-Harris administration.

Fred McNulty, a man in his 30s living in New York City, said, "Trump's chaotic foreign policy has encouraged dictators and authoritarians." He added, "If Harris is elected, she will continue to support Ukraine, which has been invaded by Russia, and seek more diplomatic solutions regarding the Israel-Gaza war and the North Korean nuclear issue."

As illegal immigration has emerged as a serious social problem, voters expressing support for former President Trump were also encountered. Pento, a 60-year-old immigrant living in Fort Lee, said, "I am also an immigrant, but I came to the U.S. legally." He emphasized, "Illegal immigration causes many social costs such as crime and tax burdens. I strongly support former President Trump's immigration policy to raise the border wall and stop illegal immigration."

On the 5th, the day of the 47th U.S. presidential election (local time), voters are waiting to cast their ballots at a polling station set up at the Fort Lee Community Center in Bergen County, New Jersey. Photo by Kwon Haeyoung, New Jersey correspondent.

The current U.S. presidential election is a neck-and-neck race between the two candidates, making it impossible to predict the outcome until the very end. At midnight Eastern Time, the first official voting began in Dixville Notch, a small mountain village in northern New Hampshire, where Vice President Harris and former President Trump each received three votes, resulting in a tie. Voters met at the polling stations also found it difficult to predict the election results. Amy, a Korean-American woman in her 40s who came out after voting in Fort Lee that day, said, "I hope Harris wins, but it's really hard to predict who will win." She added, "We will have to wait until the election is over to see the results." Dongseok Kim, president of the Korean American Voter Coalition (KAGC), said, "Trump was expected to have the upper hand, but recently Harris has performed well in Iowa, a Trump stronghold, and there are quite a few 'Hidden Harris' supporters?conservative white women married to conservative white men?quietly supporting Harris." He added, "Since the support rates for both candidates in battleground states are extremely close and there are many variables, it may take several days to announce the election results."

As American society is politically divided and the election is extremely close, the trauma of Americans regarding the post-election aftermath is also significant. Especially, former President Trump has recently said that he should not have left the White House in 2020, showing signs of building a rationale to contest the election defeat, which has increased voters' concerns. McNulty said, "Trump's refusal to accept the 2020 election results led to the January 6 Capitol riot and violent coup attempt." He expressed concern that "Trump's election could again threaten democracy and cause it to regress."

As the official voting began, tension spread across the United States. Javed Ali, a professor at the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy at the University of Michigan, expressed concern, saying, "After the election results are announced, individuals who believe the election was rigged or that votes were stolen are likely to engage in aggressive behavior." In response, U.S. authorities have significantly strengthened security at voting and counting facilities. Metal fences were installed at the counting center in Las Vegas, Nevada, and Arizona law enforcement deployed drones and snipers in preparation for any situation. Among the 50 U.S. states, 24 have expressed willingness to dispatch the National Guard if requested by Washington D.C.

Meanwhile, Vice President Harris and former President Trump appealed to voters to exercise their voting rights and rallied their support bases until election day. Harris said in a radio interview in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, a major battleground state, "People are tired of this era that divides us," adding, "We have more in common than what divides us." She emphasized, "Leadership is not about blaming and tearing people down but about finding common ground." Former President Trump, confident of victory, urged his supporters to vote. On his social media platform Truth Social, he posted, "Today will be the most important day in American history," adding, "We will achieve a tremendous victory together and make America great again." He urged, "No matter how long it takes, be sure to vote."

The official voting began at 6 a.m. in key states such as New York and Virginia. Starting at 7 p.m., seven states including the battleground state Georgia will close voting and begin counting votes sequentially. The number of eligible voters in this election is 244 million, and based on the 66.6% turnout rate in 2020, about 162 million people are expected to participate in voting.