WASHINGTON (REUTERS)
Nearly three-quarters of voters in Tuesday's presidential election believe American democracy is under threat, according to national exit poll data from Edison Research, reflecting the deep anxiety that the nation faces after a contentious campaign between Democrat Kamala Harris and Republican Donald Trump.
Democracy and the economy ranked by far as the most important issues for voters.
The poll showed 73% of voters believed democracy was in jeopardy, against just 25% who said it was secure.
The figures reflect just a slice of the tens of millions of people who have voted, both before and on Election Day, and the preliminary results are subject to change through the course of the night as more people are surveyed.
The two rivals were hurtling toward an uncertain finish after a dizzying campaign as millions of American voters waited in calm, orderly lines on Tuesday to choose between two sharply different visions for the country.
A race churned by unprecedented events - two assassination attempts against Trump, President Joe Biden's surprise withdrawal and Harris' rapid rise - remained neck and neck after billions of dollars in spending and months of frenetic campaigning.
Trump voted near his home in Palm Beach, Florida.
"If I lose an election, if it's a fair election, I'm gonna be the first one to acknowledge it," Trump told reporters.
Harris, who had earlier sent in her ballot by mail to her home state of California, spent some of Tuesday in radio interviews encouraging listeners to vote. Later, she was due to address students Howard University, a historically Black college in Washington where Harris was an undergraduate.
"To go back tonight to Howard University, my beloved alma mater, and be able to hopefully recognise this day for what it is really full circle for me," Harris said on a radio interview.
National exit-poll results provide an important window into the thinking of the nation, but may not directly align with the seven battleground states expected to decide the presidential election.
Exit polls capture variations among turnout in various demographic groups, such as men vs women voters or college-educated vs non-college-educated voters. They can provide insights into how turnout has changed from past elections.
One key advantage of exit polls is all the people surveyed, by definition, are people who cast ballots in this election.
Opinion polls before the election showed the candidates running neck and neck in each of the seven states likely to determine the winner: Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.
No matter who wins, history will be made.
Harris, 60, the first female vice president, would become the first woman, Black woman and South Asian American to win the presidency. Trump, 78, would also become the first president to win non-consecutive terms in more than a century.
The contest reflects a deeply polarised nation whose divisions have only grown starker during a fiercely competitive race.
Trump has employed increasingly dark and apocalyptic rhetoric on the campaign trail. Harris has urged Americans to come together, warning that a second Trump term would threaten the underpinnings of American democracy.
Control of both chambers of Congress is also up for grabs. Republicans have an easier path in the U.S. Senate, where Democrats are defending several seats in Republican-leaning states, while the House of Representatives looks like a toss-up.