Americans vote on an election day unlike any other

This article is more than 12 months old

Nov 04, 2020 06:00 am

ATLANTA : Americans began casting ballots yesterday in an election day unlike any other, braving the threat of Covid-19 and the potential for violence and intimidation after one of the most polarising presidential races in US history.

Many wore masks to the polls - either by choice or by official mandate - with the coronavirus outbreak raging in many parts of the country.

After a summer of nationwide protests against police violence and racism, businesses in several major US cities were again boarded up as a precaution against unrest, an extraordinary sight on election day in the US.

In Atlanta, Georgia, about a dozen voters were lined up before sunrise at the Piedmont Park Conservancy. First in line was Ms Ginnie House, shivering in the cold, waiting to cast a vote for Democratic candidate Joe Biden.

"I lost my absentee ballot and I'm not going to miss this vote," said Ms House, a 22-year-old actor and creative writing student in New York who had flown back just for this purpose. - REUTERS