Bush maintains his narrow lead as US voters go to the polls

Americans today go to the polls to elect a new President to the White House for the next four years after one of the closest …

Americans today go to the polls to elect a new President to the White House for the next four years after one of the closest and most exciting campaigns in recent history.

The outcome has remained in doubt to the last, as Vice-President Al Gore and Governor George Bush campaigned all day yesterday in search of crucial votes that could make the difference between thrilling victory and crushing defeat.

Victory for Mr Bush would wrest the White House from the Democrats and give it back to the Republicans for the first time since Mr Bill Clinton ousted George Bush snr in 1992.

While Mr Bush has maintained his narrow lead in the national opinion polls, Mr Gore is strongly challenging him in large states where observers believe the election will be decided. This has given rise to the possibility that Mr Bush could win the popular vote by a narrow margin but still lose the election.

READ MORE

This is because presidential elections are decided on a state by state basis and the winner is the one who can amass a majority of the 538 electoral college votes divided among the states according to size.

The first results from the eastern states will start coming in after 8 p.m. local time (1 a.m. Irish time) and could show that Mr Bush has the election virtually locked up by winning vital states like Florida, Pennsylvania and Michigan. But if he loses them, Mr Gore will be well on his way towards the magic 270 electoral votes as he will definitely win New York and probably California with their huge tally of votes.

As California is three hours behind the east coast, it could be a very long night for Mr Gore watching the count at his headquarters in Nashville, Tennessee, and for Mr Bush at his Governor's Mansion in Austin, Texas.

The Bush campaign, exuding confidence, has already announced details of its victory celebrations in Austin. Mr Bush yesterday needled Mr Gore by campaigning in his home state of Tennessee where the Vice-President is facing a vigorous Republican challenge. Arkansas, the home state of President Clinton, also received a swift visit from Mr Bush who believes he can cause an upset there.

He told a morning TV news show that the election would be "very, very close" and that "most everybody has concluded that we have the momentum now and I think the other side knows that too".

Mr Gore took a narrow two-percentage-point lead over Mr Bush in a Reuters/MSNBC national tracking poll last night. Mr Gore led Mr Bush 48-46 per cent.