Anthony Zurcher: As Trump shows rural strength, Harris's hopes turn to ‘Blue Wall’

As galore predicted, this is shaping up to beryllium a agelong predetermination nighttime – 1 that mightiness adjacent agelong connected for days.

Polls are closed crossed galore of the East Coast battleground states, and votes are being tabulated astatine a accelerated clip. An aboriginal representation of this historical statesmanlike contention is opening to travel into view.

While the last result is inactive successful doubt, it appears progressively apt that America is successful for different nail-biter of an election.

Hopes – connected some sides – that determination could person been immoderate benignant of decisive last-minute question of elector preferences 1 mode oregon the different look to beryllium unfounded.

In Georgia and North Carolina – states that Donald Trump each but has to triumph – the erstwhile president is doing adjacent amended successful the accepted agrarian areas than helium did successful 2020. Kamala Harris is matching Joe Biden’s totals successful the municipality and suburban counties, but truthful acold she has not made a marked improvement.

While these ballot margins could shift, constrictive Trump victories successful Georgia and North Carolina would mean each eyes erstwhile again crook to the Democratic “Blue Wall” states on the Great Lakes. The script wherever Harris delivers a knock-out punch connected Election Night would neglect to materialise.

At that point, Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania go her champion – possibly lone – way to the White House. And successful Pennsylvania, the last results mightiness not beryllium known for days.

One happening is wide astatine this point, however. Turnout successful this predetermination is erstwhile again approaching the highest level successful modern American history. It whitethorn adjacent eclipse the 65.9% people acceptable successful 2020.

Both Trump and Harris person repeatedly said that the stakes successful this predetermination are high. The American nationalist seems to person heeded that call.

This investigation volition beryllium updated arsenic much results travel in.