WASHINGTON- Americans started to vote in a presidential election on
Tuesday with polls showing US President Barack Obama and Republican
challenger Mitt Romney neck-and-neck in a race that will be decided in a
handful of states.
Polling stations opened across the eastern
United States and parts of the Midwest as dawn broke. At least 120
million Americans were expected to vote on giving Obama a second term or
replacing him with Romney.
REUTERS/Darren Hauck
Residents wait in line during lunch hour to cast their early votes in the upcoming U.S. presidential elections, at the Milwaukee Municipal Building in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Carlo Allegri / Reuters
A man dressed as the Statue of Liberty watches TV screens in Times Square giving US presidential election results in New York.
Mark Leffingwell / Reuters
Election worker in Colorado begins tallying ballots.
REUTERS/Brian Snyder
Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney and vice-presidential nominee Paul Ryan talk to supporters and campaign workers at a campaign office during the US presidential election in Richmond Heights, Ohio.
REUTERS/Jason Reed
US President Barack Obama makes a phone call to a volunteer as he visits a campaign field office in Chicago, on election day.
REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque
US Vice President Joe Biden holds hands with a poll worker as he emerges from the voting booth after casting his ballot during the US presidential election in Greenville, Delaware November 6, 2012.
REUTERS/Brian Snyder
Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney and his wife Ann get their ballots to vote during the US presidential election in Belmont, Massachusetts November 6, 2012.
REUTERS/Scott Miller
Long lines greeted people waiting to take part in early voting at the West Oaks Library in Ocoee, Florida.
REUTERS/Chris Keane
A poll worker prepares 'I Voted' stickers at Harrison United Methodist Church during the U.S. presidential election in Pineville, North Carolina.
REUTERS/Herb Swanson
The 10 registered voters in the small village of Dixville Notch, New Hampshire wait to cast the first election day ballots of the U.S. presidential election moments after midnight November 6, 2012.
REUTERS/Chris Keane
Voters wait in line to vote at Harrison United Methodist Church during the U.S. presidential election in Pineville, North Carolina.
REUTERS/Chris Keane
Voters cast their ballots on electric touch screen voting machines at Harrison United Methodist Church during the U.S. presidential election in Pineville, North Carolina.
As Americans headed to voting booths, campaign
teams for both candidates worked feverishly at the last minute to
mobilize supporters to cast their ballots. Polls will begin to
close in Indiana and Kentucky at 6 p.m. EST (2300 GMT) on Tuesday, with
voting ending across the country over the next six hours.
The
presidential contest is now likely to be determined by voter turnout -
specifically, what combination of Republicans, Democrats, white,
minority, young, old and independent voters shows up at polling
stations.