Reporters' log: America votes

The BBC's team of correspondents log their reports and personal impressions as Americans cast their vote in the country's presidential and congressional elections.

Come back for the latest - most recent entries are at the top.

This log has now closed.

Click here for the current Reporters' Log - Awaiting a Result Nov 3

Brian Barron :: Columbus, Ohio :: 0649GMT

It's a difficult time for the Democrats. They had very high hopes earlier in the evening when the unofficial exit polls were looking very positive for them.

But as the counting progressed, it now looks very much as if the momentum is with the president.

One US television network, Fox News, has already called Ohio for the president. This has annoyed the Kerry camp which issued a statement challenging this. It pointed out that there are at least 200,000 votes to be counted.

None the less, the traction seems to be with Mr Bush here in these 20 vital electoral votes. But it could still go on for another hour or two before there is resolution.

Michael Buchanan :: Columbus, Ohio :: 0642GMT

We still do not know how this is going to go here. That is underlined by the John Kerry campaign statement a few minutes ago too.

Officially 87.7 percent have been counted and at this moment Mr Bush has 51 percent and Mr Kerry 48.5 percent.

If the margin for victory is a quarter of one percent or less then there is an automatic recount. One party worker told me that if the difference was less than two percent then the result would be heading for the courts.

There are also some military votes yet to be counted here too but I wouldn't be surprised if this ended up in court.

Bridget Kendall :: at the Kerry rally, Boston :: 0636 GMT

The Kerry camp hasn't made any public statements since Florida was lost. But as regards Ohio, they still think that until all the votes are counted that there is enough of a margin in it to remain inconclusive.

They are not prepared to concede defeat. They want to wait until the estimated remaining 250,000 votes are accounted for before they're clear exactly on which side of the margin Ohio rests.

The mood here has changed from earlier this evening. There's enormous tension in the air.

People seemed relaxed earlier on. Many thought the Democrats were home and dry but it's not like that any more.

Stephen Evans :: at the Bush rally, Washington DC :: 0625 GMT

The mood among Republicans clicked into euphoria the moment Florida was declared for Mr Bush. Chants of "four more years, four more years" echoed around the room.

The mood then intensified as Ohio edged towards Mr Bush. Republican strategists here said they were optimistic about victory.

Mr Bush was spending the evening in the White House with large numbers of his family and was expected to come to address party workers once a definite result was known.

So here at the Ronald Reagan Convention Centre it is not quite a victory party, but it is getting that way.

Daniel Lak :: Miami, Florida :: 0617 GMT

Republicans in Miami are celebrating President Bush's victory in Florida. Several hundred of them have come to one of the city's hotels where the official victory celebration is being held.

People here are obviously ecstatic, but say they expected to win Florida, that they didn't believe the polls that showed President Bush trailing in some of the later days of the campaign.

There is a mix of people here. There are many hispanic voters, Cuban and those from other parts of Latin America. The exit polls showed that President Bush did particularly well in Florida among Hispanic voters.

David Willis :: Miami, Florida :: 0612GMT

It appears that the President's victory here has been more emphatic this time than in 2000. No talk of dimpled or pregnant chads this time round.

The turnout here was so high that in some polling stations they were still voting when the networks were calling the state for George W Bush.

There was a lot of concern about the electronic voting machines and that they did not create a paper trail, which makes a manual recount almost impossible. But there is no talk of that here now.

Michael Buchanan :: Columbus, Ohio :: 0608GMT

The latest here is that we are not in a position to call Ohio yet. Some American tv stations are calling it for Bush but we're not able to do that yet. I'm at the party the Republicans are throwing in Columbus. The spirits here have improved over the evening. The official result we should have within the next hour or so.

Justin Webb :: Washington D.C. :: 0558GMT

The evening started with the Democrats very confident. TV pictures of long queues of voters snaking around polling stations convinced many Democratic supporters that they had successfully brought new blood to the polls.

Rumours on the internet also fuelled their optimism. But as the evening wore on the reality began to sink in. President Bush was still perfectly capable of keeping all the states he won in the year 2000.

States where the Democrats had held out some hope of pulling a surprise; Colorado for instance or West Virginia remained in the Bush camp. Republicans began to feel more cheerful, then late in the evening Florida was projected as a win for President Bush. The President's senior aide, Karen Hughes, spoke to party supporters and was upbeat predicting a win in Ohio for President Bush.

At the moment the situation in Ohio is still up in the air. Voters were queuing at polling stations there for hours into the night. If John Kerry takes that state, he still has a chance of winning but it's looking very tight and the Republicans are looking increasingly confident.

John Simpson :: Bush rally, Washington DC :: 0552GMT

There are people packed in here now, great excitement, people going crazy when they hear projected results coming in, they think it is going their way. From this vantage point it looks like they may be right. We think we will get George W Bush appearing here at some stage to thank his supporters.

Jill McGivering :: Boston, Massachusetts :: 0547GMT

The crowd in Copley Square have been listening to a whole string of musicians, Bon Jovi and James Taylor amongst them. I caught a word with James Taylor and he told me it was important for him to get involved in the process and that this was the most important election in his life.

Mr Taylor said the country was at a crossroads and the decision they were making was essential. We have to ask ourselves if we are willing to cancel the American dream because we have been attacked he told me. The important thing for me and my friends is to be on the right side of this fight.

The concert is carrying on now but the mood is more subdued. It is pouring with rain now and getting very cold.

Brian Hanrahan :: Boston, Massachusetts :: 0524GMT

It is damp here now, the rain has started. The mood is more and more subdued. We see the Kerry people withdrawing more and more too. Although the music has been good there really has been no politics here. John Kerry has stayed away, still watching the results and biting his nails I'm sure.

Daniel Lak :: Miami, Florida :: 0506GMT

President Bush took this state by fewer than 540 votes in the year 2000. On current form his victory this year will be considerably larger. With about 98% of polling stations reporting, the president's lead is around 300,000 votes, although many votes in Miami and other Democratic-leaning parts of the state are still be counted, the President picked up a number of counties that Al Gore, the Democratic challenger four years ago, had won.

Exit polls showed that Mr Bush and Mr Kerry both polled strongly among their key constituents, white males and rich people in the case of the President, African Americans in the case of Mr Kerry. But President Bush did pick up support from Hispanic voters, a group that grew considerably in Florida in the past four years.

Michael Buchanan :: Columbus, Ohio :: 0457GMT

Hours after the polls officially closed many Ohio residents were still casting their ballots as a high turnout led to long lines at polling stations. An election official in Knox County told the BBC that some voters there had waited eight and a half hours to register their preferences.

Election organisers were handing out paper ballots in some cases rather than asking people to wait for a voting machine to become available. The tightness of the race in Ohio was predicted by the polls. What wasn't foreseen it seems by overstretched election officials was the sheer number of people who wanted to have a say in choosing America's next president.

Philippa Thomas :: Columbus, Ohio :: 0442GMT

The voting here in Ohio has been trickling to a halt. We have heard in the last half hour that there are only very few precincts where there are still voters in line.

It's safe to say that the overwhelming majority of people in Ohio have voted and the few who may still be left will have been waiting in line for more than four hours.

It has been an amazing night for turnout David. We had reports of nine hour waits in one small liberal area of Ohio.

Bridget Kendall :: at the Kerry rally, Boston :: 0421GMT

The Kerry camp is very much focused on what is going to happen in Ohio and Florida.

Some of them talk about good turnout in southern Florida which, they hope, is heavily Democratic. And they're encouraged by the turnout in Ohio.

I asked a Democrat aide what they thought about the Midwest states falling to George Bush. They said the Democrat showing is good there too. But how much of this is spin, we just don't know.

The chairman of the Democratic National Congress came out here not long ago to make an appeal for people to ring their friends in states where people are still voting and urge them to vote.

So there still seems to be some anxiety to make sure that people are filling up those voting booths with Democratic supporters.

John Simpson :: at the Bush rally, Washington DC :: 0355GMT

There's a stressful excitement going on here. Over an hour ago, the mood here began to change quite radically.

Until that time most people still thought that the big turnout would favour the Democrats. This coloured the Republicans' approach.

Now the senior figures in the party are coming out of the woodwork and wanting to talk - a important signal. And the atmosphere is rising here.

The feeling is increasing that the party is in with a chance of winning a slender victory.

Nick Childs :: Washington DC :: 0253GMT

President Bush, watching the election unfold from the White House, has just told reporters he is very upbeat.

But the early projections are offering no great surprises and still no clear indicators as to the final outcome of this tight and very bitterly fought race.

Those states called so far have all voted the same way they did in 2000. Mr Bush will have been relieved to hold on to West Virginia, which he took from the Democrats four years ago.

New Jersey, which might have swung to the Republicans because of the attacks of 11 September, stayed Democrat. And still, the key battleground states of Ohio, Florida and Pennsylvania remain unknowns.

David Willis :: Miami, Florida :: 0244GMT

Here in Florida half of the polling stations are still open nearly three hours after they were due to close. So many people have flocked to the polling stations that there are still long queues outside many of them.

There have been incredible scenes here today. I encountered a man who said he had come back three times to cast his vote simply because the queue was so long.

Another woman told me that she had come all the way from Chicago specifically to cast her vote here in Florida.

Nick Childs :: Washington :: 0151GMT

With votes still being cast and counted across the country, this continues to be an extremely tight election for both sides.

The votes in key swing states like Ohio, Florida and Pennsylvania are said at this stage to be too close to call.

The early projections have George Bush and John Kerry having their share of victories in other states, with all of those called so far voting along the same party lines as they did four years ago.

Philippa Thomas :: Columbus, Ohio :: 0128GMT

The Democrats say they have scored a court victory over the fact that so many voters are still waiting to cast their vote.

We are told hundreds and hundreds are still lined up and because they were there before the time when the polls should have closed, they will be allowed to vote.

The problem is how to get those lines moving more quickly. The Democrats are saying that a judge has ordered two key counties in Ohio to offer voters an alternative to the electronic machines - punch card ballots or papers to fill in.

This is an attempt to try to reduce the number of people who may say they have been turned away unfairly.

John Simpson :: at the Bush rally, Washington DC :: 0026GMT

The Republicans seem to be going for the standard line, that their people on the ground are first class and their team is unmatchable in places like Ohio, Pennsylvania and Florida.

They will be hearing all the optimistic sounds coming out of the Democratic camp but they have a lot of sense and will be remembering what happened four years ago.

Bridget Kendall :: at the Kerry rally, Boston :: 0022GMT

It's already buzzing with excitement here. The stage behind me is where John Kerry might be able to declare victory later on.

Senator Kerry himself is at a hotel not very far from here waiting to hear the first results come in on television.

When you talk to Democratic advisors here in Boston, the impression you get is a large amount of optimism and I think there will be an awful lot of very disappointed people if they don't see John Kerry announced at the winner as early as tonight.

Daniel Lak :: Miami, Florida :: 0002GMT

Early exit polls in this election, not seen yet as necessarily accurate, still show a very close finish in Florida, with the edge to Mr Kerry.

Turnout across the state both on election day and in two weeks of advanced polling has been high. That is seen as good for the Democratic Party challenger.

Tens of millions of dollars have been invested since the last election to avoid a repeat of the sustained and contentious allegations of fraud and malpractice.

So far there are relatively few reports of problems from around the state, but with counting yet to take place there is still room for legal challenges and other problems.

Quinn Kleinfelter :: Detroit, Michigan :: 2357GMT

People have been waiting in long lines, trying to get in to vote for their preferred candidate. But here in Detroit, there has been a problem.

One of the largest groups that represents African Americans is filing a lawsuit asking for an injunction from the justice department against the State of Michigan.

They say there have been Republican challengers who have castigated several people at the polls in an apparent effort to try to force them away.

Detroit is more than 80% African American and the NAACP is now requesting that the polling stations are kept open longer to try to give more people an opportunity to cast their vote.

Justin Webb :: Washington DC :: 2349GMT

There is still no firm polling evidence proving that turnout across the board has been high, but polling officials in several states have said they have been amazed by the numbers of people turning up to vote.

The anecdotal evidence is piling up and the Democrats like the look of it. So far, although there have been glitches and hold-ups, America's creaking electoral system has just about coped.

One of the biggest prizes of the night, the state of Ohio with its 20 electoral votes, is due to shut its polling stations in a little over half an hour.

It had been widely predicted that Ohio would be very close. If there is a clear winner he would become the favourite to go on and win the national race as well.

Philippa Thomas :: Columbus, Ohio :: 2317GMT

From anecdotal evidence it seems that there are a lot of new voters coming out and the Democrats hope that means Ohio will break towards them. At this point that is pure speculation.

All we can say is that turnout has been very high. And the process may be delayed if there are still people waiting in queues to cast their vote.

John Simpson :: Washington DC :: 2241GMT

There is an extraordinary absence of any kind of mood here at all. All the kind of people that normally hang around these things - telling you how well it's going - they are all rather notable by their absence.

There truly doesn't seem to be a sense of impending victory that the Republicans were talking about beforehand.

As we saw in 2000, it's too early to give much significance to these straws in the wind. But at this stage we have to assume that the Republicans aren't looking as good as they might.

Tom Carver :: Boston, Massachusetts :: 2234GMT

The mood here is pretty positive. The Kerry camp thinks it has had the momentum over the last couple of days. Democrats feel they survived the worst that the White House can throw at them and they are very buoyed by the high turnout.

I've had access to some of the internal polling of the Kerry camp. That shows they are four points up in Florida and Ohio, very tight in Iowa but ahead in the rest of the Midwest.

These are obviously highly provisional and should be taken with a large health warning. But if they do end up getting Florida and Ohio I would say that it's pretty much all over.

Let's remember though, at this stage in the 2000 election, such polls showed Gore three points up in Florida, and of course he went on to lose.

Gavin Hewitt :: Boston, Massachusetts :: 2208GMT

There are quite a lot of smiles on faces here in Boston. Democrats say the day so far is going according to plan. They have a large turnout in Florida. They say many first-time voters have turned out and newly registered voters too.

And their game plan has always been to get these people out.

John Kerry is quietly confident, but sanguine and when he and his friends gather in a couple of hours' time, there will be a lot of anxiety and biting of nails.

Matt Frei :: Washington DC :: 2205GMT

I keep coming across Republicans who ask; "How are we doing?" As if I know!

What we can say with certainty is that both the Republicans and the Democrats have all the faithful out to the polling booths. This election might depend on that tiny sliver of undecided Americans.

Historically the undecided tend to side with the challenger, John Kerry. But history has been proven wrong so many times during this campaign and it might be overturned again.

Justin Webb :: Washington DC :: 2013GMT

There are some who say this election is a disaster and there is going to be a terrible, unhealthy split in the heart of America. Others are happy that people are getting involved. The huge turnout puts me in mind of the first multi-racial elections in South Africa. Americans are getting out and taking part.

Daniel Griffiths :: Washington DC :: 1854GMT

This election will essentially be a referendum on the president - are voters happy with his leadership or do they feel it's time for a change? All the opinion polls suggest that the country is divided. Both sides say it now comes down to how well they can get out the vote amongst their grassroots supporters.

Jeremy Cooke :: Boston, Massachusetts :: 1807GMT

John Kerry is feeling confident. In a short time he'll be at home with his family and at that time he'll be in the same boat as the rest of us - watching and waiting.

But a note of caution here - Democrats remember bitter memories of what happened four years ago, they will have to be absolutely convinced that the results are accurate or beyond doubt before they claim victory here.

Stephen Evans :: Crawford, Texas :: 1805GMT

President Bush emerged from voting to chants of "four more years". He is expected to spend the evening in Washington with his wife and his father. The key state of Ohio was recently tilting towards Kerry, but the Bush camp feel it can be won, hence the last push there even on election day. Bush's father, the former president, will also be with them, both perhaps wondering if the son will follow the path of the father.

Brian Hanrahan :: Boston :: 1804GMT

John Kerry is still campaigning. He'll spend the afternoon doing television interviews for key states still in the balance. He'll vote in Beacon Hill, a fashionable district in Boston, where he has one of his five houses.

This evening he'll watch the results come in with family and friends, but short of decisive result, he'll be slow to claim victory or concede defeat.

Jill McGivering :: Cleveland, Ohio :: 1753GMT

The Kerry campaign is holding an open-air rally in central Boston this evening as the first results start to come in. It's designed to be a victory party for their winning candidate but if he loses, it could become a political wake. Crowds supporting the Senator have been counting off the days for weeks now. Finally this is it.

Jonathan Paterson :: Columbus, Ohio :: 1727GMT

The Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe, for the first time in their history, have accepted an invitation to monitor the US presidential election. After the debacle of Florida in 2000 they decided to send monitors across the US to gauge the fairness of polling.

A representative in Columbus has complained that a legal dispute over who can be present in polling stations has prevented them from successfully monitoring the polling. "What kind of message does this send to countries like Azerbaijan if we can't even monitor an American polling booth", one monitor said.

Philippa Thomas :: Columbus, Ohio :: 1718GMT

The worry here is that Ohio will be the new Florida. The buzz phrase that they are using a lot here is the "margin of litigation". You do have a sense of the lawyers circling. President Bush has just left after his last campaign visit, making that extra effort to get every vote out. He visited one of the telephone banks, thanked volunteers and even spoke to one potential voter. I presume that voter was pre-selected for him.

Michael Buchanan :: Columbus, Ohio :: 1716GMT

I have visited several polling stations this morning and the people turning out to vote are surprised at the numbers of people here and the long wait they have to endure. One man told me it normally took him ten minutes to vote and he was going to be late for work which shocked him.

Nick Clarke :: Washington D.C. :: 1707GMT

The message here is if you need a lawyer, wait until tomorrow, because thousands of them are in polling stations across the land poring over suspect ballot papers.

Lawyers have at least been outnumbered by voters. There seems to have been a record turnout so far, with queues across the country. High turnout would favour the Democrats.

John Simpson :: Washington D.C. :: 1705GMT

I've been covering US elections since 1964. I think there hasn't been such a nasty election here since 1972 and the time of the Vietnam war. I'm not sure this degree of bitterness is a terribly good idea. I think after the election the bitterness isn't going to go away.

There is going to be a great deal of anger on the part of the Republicans if John Kerry wins and I think they will make life really difficult for Kerry in the Senate.

Rob Watson :: Washington D.C. :: 1621GMT

Voting is now taking place from the east coast to Hawaii. After a long, expensive and bitter campaign the fate of the two candidates is now in the hands of the voters.

Much will now depend on turnout. If it's high, as expected, that should favour John Kerry. History shows first time and occasional voters are more likely to vote for change. So far there are no reports of major problems at the polling stations despite the passion surrounding this election.

Rachel Clarke :: Washington DC :: 1612GMT

Polls are now open right across America. TV news networks are crossing regularly to reporters at polling stations in various key states. All are saying that the lines are long but people are calm and determined to wait their turn to vote.

Correspondents also report large numbers of government and party election observers and lawyers. The day started smoothly, but news is just coming in of the first legal challenge - from the key state of Pennsylvania where there are claims that voting machines already had votes registered on them when polls opened this morning.

Adam Brookes :: Crawford, Texas. :: 1608GMT

The image of President Bush coming out of the polling booth which was broadcast all over the networks this morning will be the last image people see of Bush before casting their votes. So it was important for him to project an image which was accepting, calm and presidential.

He really did look impressive considering his punishing schedule of the last few days. This was very carefully choreographed and good timing, and places Bush in the milieu he seeks to appeal to - the hometown, the heartland of rural America. Values and conservatism and faith really matter here - so this was a nifty piece of campaigning in itself.

Justin Webb :: Washington D.C. :: 1606GMT

I am really struck by people telling me stories of them making real efforts to get out to vote. One man told me how he rang his mum and his aunt this morning to make sure they were going to vote. One taxi driver, of Turkish origin told me the other day how he had made sure all his family were registered, about 40 of them. None of these people have voted before.

Gill Farrington :: North Carolina :: 1547GMT

I have two campaigners here with me at this voting station, one from each party. They are both very passionate about politics. DG from the Democratic party says that if people feel they can make a difference they will want to come out and vote. He says people care deeply about the result of this election.

Both parties here have registered a lot of new people in this area.

DG also told me that today is his chance to say we need a change of government and that it is very healthy for their political system to get it out in the open and fight it out today.

Laura from the Republican party says that 9/11 has made Americans all more patriotic and she is concerned with staying safe. That's what this election is about for her.

Daniela Relph :: Miami, Florida :: 1528GMT

It's taking between half an hour and one hour to cast a vote here - but there is incredible patience at the polling stations as everyone remembers the chaos of last time. They want to make their vote count.

I can't emphasise enough how much what happened at the last election is on people's minds. They really want things to be worked out properly in Florida this time round.

Adam Brookes :: Crawford, Texas :: 1525GMT

President Bush looked very, very calm, very relaxed when he appeared here to cast his vote. He didn't look like a man who yesterday had visited six states in 19 hours. He enjoys the campaign, I think he's a different man when he's away from Washington and on the campaign trail.

Suzy Price :: Miami, Florida :: 1500GMT

Voters in Florida wasted no time in getting to the polls to cast their votes. Voting is a priority in this mainly black neighbourhood. There are four touch screen voting systems here. Everyone is aware that fewer than 600 votes in Florida decided the last election and some said they were worried there was no paper record of their vote.

A member of the election protection coalition handing out copies of voters' rights said after seeing weeks of problems last time, she was determined to do what she could to help.

Daniel Griffiths :: Washington DC :: 1450GMT

President Bush has cast his vote in his home state of Texas. He said the campaign had been what he called "a fantastic experience". He said he hoped the election would end tonight, a reference to the recount in Florida four years ago.

Across the country, election officials report no major problems at polling stations, though they say lines of voters are longer than expected.

Adam Brookes :: Crawford, Texas :: 1413GMT

President Bush is on a plane to Ohio - Ohio of course is one of the closest fought of all the battleground states across America.

He says he is going up to Ohio to thank the volunteers for the work they've done. In fact, it is a last minute campaign appearance - and an attempt to swing a handful more voters over to his side, and to try to persuade a few more of his core supporters to get out and vote.

Only after that will he head back to Washington DC to watch the results come in.

Jane Hughes:: Boston, Massachusetts :: 1412GMT

It really could come down to a few hundred voters in a few key places. The other thing that has really struck me about this election is how much people care about it.

People who have never volunteered before are volunteering. People who have never given money to political campaigns before have been giving money because they feel this is so important.

I think that is the other reason why turnout is going to be so high, because people on both sides feel absolutely impassioned about this. A lot of people are saying it is the most important election they have seen in their lifetime.

Michael Buchanan:: Columbus, Ohio :: 1410GMT

There have been an awful lot of voters. I can say there are at least 40 people inside waiting in the hall to get to vote. People here think they're heading for an historic turnout in this precinct. It's showery but a fine morning.

For Kerry winning Cleveland is crucial, and we're hearing the weather there is not that good at all.

Robin Brant :: Crawford, Texas :: 1402GMT

The president stepped out of his motorcade outside the polling booth after it pulled up at 0740 local time, and then emerged four minutes later with an "I voted" sticker on his lapel. He told reporters it was such a wonderful feeling to have voted.

When asked if he had butterflies, he said "No, I feel calm. I've given it my all. I think it's going to be me."

He said he thought the issue of this campaign was trust. When he was asked for his thoughts on John Kerry he said "I wish him all the best."

Adam Brookes :: Crawford, Texas :: 1345 GMT

A relaxed looking President Bush, even after the intense campaigning of the last few days. Yesterday - six campaign stops in six states, in 19 hours. Really he does look remarkably relaxed.

I think what was important in what he had to say were two things: The first was that series of questions where he said: " Who do you trust, who do you trust ?"

That , ultimately is what this campaign has come down to be about - whether or not the American people trust President Bush to continue with his current set of policies in the war on terrorism, the war in Iraq - or whether they could trust John Kerry with America's security. It is all about personal trust.

And the second thing President Bush said there was he hoped the election ends tonight. This is an enormous cloud hanging over these proceedings. Everyone in Washington DC particularly does hopes the election ends tonight.

But it is perfectly possible that we will see this election run into days and days of legal wrangling.

Jeremy Cooke :: Boston, Massachusetts :: 1320GMT

Like President Bush, John Kerry is campaigning down to the wire. As we speak he is winding up a campaign rally in Wisconsin. Moving on from that here to Boston, he'll cast his vote here in a couple of hours' time and then there's really not much more he can do.

He's going to go and have a bowl of his favourite New England clam chowder in one of his favourite downtown Boston restaurants and then like the rest of us he'll simply have to sit and wait and watch the results come in.

Daniel Griffiths :: Washington D.C. :: 1316GMT

The election will essentially be a referendum on President Bush - are voters happy with his leadership or do they feel it's time for a change. All the opinion polls suggest that the country is divided on the main issues like the economy, the war in Iraq, and national security.

But this will be as much about presidential personality as politics. And with this contest so close, both candidates are making campaign stops today. It's likely that the winner will be decided by a few key states, particularly Florida and Ohio.

Suzy Price :: Miami, Florida :: 1303GMT

The polls at precinct 513 opened bang on time here in Miami. Before gates opened, about 30 people were queuing outside in the Miami sunshine. Some people said to me it was crucial that they voted and important they could come before work to make their voices heard.

There are particular concerns here about the touch screen voting system. The manager of the county actually came here to reassure the public. But there's clearly great enthusiasm for voting here and this is being reflected throughout Florida.

Dermot Murnaghan :: Washington D.C. :: 1301GMT

Well this morning, the legal challenges have already begun. In the crucial state of Ohio Republicans have won the right to challenge the eligibility of voters at polling stations. The Democrats say they'll appeal.

Suzy Price :: Miami, Florida :: 1220GMT

It is sunny here, blue sky, everyone in t-shirts and shorts. I'm at a polling station in a fairly poor urban area, we have a queue of about 30 people currently. The issues for people here are health insurance, employment and of course the war in Iraq.

Those in charge here are confident that the electronic machines will work but one woman has just told me she is not convinced her vote will be counted. She said to me I have no piece of paper to prove I have voted.

Jane Hughes :: Boston, Massachusetts :: 1208GMT

Behind me is the place where John Kerry hopes he'll be making a victory speech later. It's just so close - no-one knows what to expect later tonight. They don't know if they're going to be celebrating here or if this will be a big wake.

Hundreds of thousands of Kerry volunteers are mobilising across the swing states, so they can physically go door to door to say to people: "Have you cast your vote?" "Will you go and vote now?"

They see getting as many of their supporters out to vote now as the key, not actually changing the minds of those last undecided voters.

Michael Buchanan :: Columbus, Ohio :: 1207GMT

I'm at a voting station here in one of the key states, a line of people is snaking around the building already with several hundred already waiting to vote. One voter Tim Cotter has just told me he's surprised at the number of people in the queue here already and he says he has voted here for years. He thinks people are energised by this election.

The local paper here has a headline saying "Finally it is time to Vote". It is a beautiful morning here but in northern Ohio it is cold and wet, Cleveland is important for John Kerry so the weather there may have an impact.

Adam Brookes :: Crawford, Texas :: 1203GMT

So hair-raisingly close is this election, that both candidates are out there, even on polling day trying to swing a few more votes their way.

It really is down to a matter of a few thousand, even a few hundred votes either way that could decide the outcome in this election, so the campaign organisers are beside themselves - they are thinking about that one more van, one more bus-load of voters, would that be enough to turn it?

It's terribly, terribly close so the campaigners are desperate to be on the ground mobilising every last vote.

Daniel Griffiths :: Washington D.C. :: 1130GMT

More than one hundred million people voted in the 2000 presidential election, but after this year's hotly contested campaign, many pollsters are expecting turnout to increase dramatically, possibly by as much as twenty per cent. That would make it one of the biggest elections in US history.

Both parties say they have extensive "get out the vote" operations, that means millions of volunteers targeting potential voters with a barrage of telephone and door to door calls. Traditionally higher turnouts have favoured the challenger. But both sides feel that with this contest so close, it now all comes down to how well they can mobilise their own grassroots supporters to go out and vote.

Daniela Relph :: Miami, Florida :: 1111GMT

I'm here at a polling station just outside Miami. There is a huge campaign here to get the vote out. Both sides touring the state making sure everyone can get to the polls. The polling officers and staff at this station have arrived, they are in there now checking out the touch screens which people will use to vote. They will also have to take an oath before polling starts to say they will do their best to prevent fraud.

Early voting here in Florida has been very popular, it has been taking place for several days. Already one out of every five voters here have voted. People here are hoping that will make voting today easier but everyone is prepared for long queues.

Jane Hughes :: Boston, Massachusetts :: 1107GMT

People here will be able to cast their votes in an hours time. I am at the site of what the Kerry campaign hopes will be a victory party. John Kerry is not back here yet - he will be later today. I'm told John Kerry is superstitious and is not thinking about his speech from here yet.

Adam Brookes :: Crawford, Texas :: 1103GMT

In about two and a half hours time we think President Bush is going to leave his ranch. He's going to come into the centre of Crawford Texas, this tiny town in central Texas which he likes to call home. He'll go to the local fire station where they have set up the polling booth, and he will cast his ballot there and then he's off on the campaign trail again.

Even on voting day he'll be back out on the stump in a final last gasp attempt to bring round a few more voters in that crucial state of Ohio. From there he'll go back to DC to watch the results come in.

Jon Sopel :: Washington D.C. :: 1101GMT

It is six o'clock in the morning here on the east coast, and that means some of the first polling stations have opened their doors for business in the 2004 presidential election. The west coast will follow in a few hours' time.

This is normally the occasion when the candidates return home, cast their vote with their loved ones, and then await the verdict of the people. But because it is so excruciatingly tight both George Bush and John Kerry will be out campaigning once again in those handful of swing states on which this election will depend. Nothing can be left to chance.