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Thursday, March 28, 2024

On horse or on foot, voters so far peaceful at polls

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On horse or on foot, voters so far peaceful at polls
On horse or on foot, voters so far peaceful at polls

[NFA] Some voted amid a power outage under the glow of lanterns.

Others marched to the polls as part of a band.

And a rare few even rode in on horseback to cast their ballots.

By whatever means possible, massive numbers of Americans voted - and apparently in a peaceful manner.

Lisa Bernhard produced this report.

In Oklahoma City, many voted in a power outage, guided by lanterns and flashlights.

In Raleigh, college kids strolled to the polls as part of a marching band.

And in Houston, some saddledup to vote on horseback, a real Texas-style arrival.

It may be one of the most polarizing U.S. presidential elections ever, but however they did it, Americans by the millions voted – and they appear to have done so peacefully.

Even where there were long lines – which were few, perhaps thanks to an unprecedented wave of early voting – Americans waited patiently, social distancing and with many wearing masks.

President Trump stopped by to thank campaign workers in Arlington, Virginia, where he was asked by a reporter whether he had written both an acceptance speech and a concession speech.

“No, I’m not thinking about an acceptance speech or a concession speech yet.

Hopefully we’ll only be doing one of those two.

Winning is easy.

Losing is never easy.

Not for me it’s not.” Meanwhile, Trump’s rival, Democratic nominee and former Vice President Joe Biden, visited his boyhood home in Scranton, Pennsylvania – where the current residents asked him to sign his name on the living room wall.

REPORTER, OFF-CAMERA: “What were you thinking about in there on a day you could be elected president?” DEMOCRATIC NOMINEE JOE BIDEN: “I was thinking about my Mom, thinking about my Mom, and my Dad.” Although voting appeared to be going smoothly, the American Civil Liberties Union and other civil rights groups said they were watching closely for signs of voter intimidation, and the U.S. Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division said it would deploy staff to 18 states.

Election officials also raised worries about a spate of automated phone calls and text messages warning voters away from the polls for bogus reasons in Iowa, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Nebraska and Florida.

The FBI was looking into the messages.

Even once votes are cast, some Americans worry about a protracted ballot count in pivotal battleground states, perhaps making the country wait for days or even weeks before a clear winner emerges.

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