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| Election day 2012: campaigning goes to the wire as US chooses its president | Election day 2012: campaigning goes to the wire as US chooses its president |
| (about 1 month later) | |
| After hundreds of rallies, thousands of miles flown back and forth across the US by the presidential candidates, and billions of dollars in political advertising, the 2012 election campaign has come to an end. | After hundreds of rallies, thousands of miles flown back and forth across the US by the presidential candidates, and billions of dollars in political advertising, the 2012 election campaign has come to an end. |
| At the end of one of the most polarising, expensive and finely balanced campaigns in recent US political history, the final batch of polls showed Barack Obama and Mitt Romney reached polling day where they were at the start of the year: stuck in a dead heat. | At the end of one of the most polarising, expensive and finely balanced campaigns in recent US political history, the final batch of polls showed Barack Obama and Mitt Romney reached polling day where they were at the start of the year: stuck in a dead heat. |
| The first result of the election was, fittingly, a tie: the New Hampshire hamlet of Dixville Notch, which opens voting shortly after midnight and gives results as soon as the members of its tiny electorate have cast their ballots, announced five votes each for Obama and Romney. The draw was the first in Dixville Notch history, and local officials presented it as a portent of the day to come. | The first result of the election was, fittingly, a tie: the New Hampshire hamlet of Dixville Notch, which opens voting shortly after midnight and gives results as soon as the members of its tiny electorate have cast their ballots, announced five votes each for Obama and Romney. The draw was the first in Dixville Notch history, and local officials presented it as a portent of the day to come. |
| The Obama campaign was likely to draw more comfort from New Hampshire's second result, in the slightly bigger Hart's Location, where the president got 23 votes to Romney's nine. But even before election day began, some 30 million Americans had already cast their ballots, a reflection of the steady rise of early voting in the US electoral system. | The Obama campaign was likely to draw more comfort from New Hampshire's second result, in the slightly bigger Hart's Location, where the president got 23 votes to Romney's nine. But even before election day began, some 30 million Americans had already cast their ballots, a reflection of the steady rise of early voting in the US electoral system. |
| Both teams claimed to be on course to win as they completed what should have been their final blitz of the swing states. Obama took in Wisconsin, where Bob Dylan performed for his supporters and predicted a Democratic landslide. The star-studded final White House campaign later made two stops in Ohio, where the president was joined on stage in Columbus by Bruce Springsteen and Jay-Z. | Both teams claimed to be on course to win as they completed what should have been their final blitz of the swing states. Obama took in Wisconsin, where Bob Dylan performed for his supporters and predicted a Democratic landslide. The star-studded final White House campaign later made two stops in Ohio, where the president was joined on stage in Columbus by Bruce Springsteen and Jay-Z. |
| He ended his 2012 campaign in near-freezing temperatures in the Iowa state capital, Des Moines, where he, Michelle Obama and Springsteen appeared before a crowd of 20,000 supporters in one of the handful of "firewall" states that protect Obama from the ignominy of a one-term presidency. | He ended his 2012 campaign in near-freezing temperatures in the Iowa state capital, Des Moines, where he, Michelle Obama and Springsteen appeared before a crowd of 20,000 supporters in one of the handful of "firewall" states that protect Obama from the ignominy of a one-term presidency. |
| Romney's campaigning took him from Florida through Virginia and Ohio, ahead of what should have been his final rally, in Manchester, New Hampshire. | Romney's campaigning took him from Florida through Virginia and Ohio, ahead of what should have been his final rally, in Manchester, New Hampshire. |
| But, in a surprise announcement, his team said he would continue to campaign on election day itself. He will vote near his home in Belmont, Massachusetts, in the morning, before heading for Cleveland, Ohio, and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. | But, in a surprise announcement, his team said he would continue to campaign on election day itself. He will vote near his home in Belmont, Massachusetts, in the morning, before heading for Cleveland, Ohio, and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. |
| More conventionally, Obama is to stay put in his home town, Chicago, on Tuesday. He is planning a game of basketball with friends and staff, but is not totally abandoning the campaign trail, with about a dozen television and radio interviews planned. | More conventionally, Obama is to stay put in his home town, Chicago, on Tuesday. He is planning a game of basketball with friends and staff, but is not totally abandoning the campaign trail, with about a dozen television and radio interviews planned. |
| The president's campaign spokeswoman, Jen Psaki, dismissed as stunts Romney's visit to Pennsylvania, a state that leans towards the Democrats, and Ohio, the state that will almost certainly decide the final result, and where Obama also holds a narrow lead. | The president's campaign spokeswoman, Jen Psaki, dismissed as stunts Romney's visit to Pennsylvania, a state that leans towards the Democrats, and Ohio, the state that will almost certainly decide the final result, and where Obama also holds a narrow lead. |
| "We know that they've been playing a lot of head-faking games and going to states where they don't have a ground game, they have never led in a poll and we have massive voter registration advantages," Psaki said. | "We know that they've been playing a lot of head-faking games and going to states where they don't have a ground game, they have never led in a poll and we have massive voter registration advantages," Psaki said. |
| "Ohio remains a very difficult nut for them to crack. And we feel we have a superior ground game and a superior campaign in the state and we're confident of victory there." | "Ohio remains a very difficult nut for them to crack. And we feel we have a superior ground game and a superior campaign in the state and we're confident of victory there." |
| The candidates' fates are now in the hands of the voters, but neither campaign is taking any chances. Both teams have put in place lawyers in the swing states in anticipation of messy, inconclusive results that could echo the "hanging chads" debacle of 2000. Legal challenges have already been launched in Florida and Ohio amid allegations of opportunities for early voting being curtailed and, rows over voter IDs. | The candidates' fates are now in the hands of the voters, but neither campaign is taking any chances. Both teams have put in place lawyers in the swing states in anticipation of messy, inconclusive results that could echo the "hanging chads" debacle of 2000. Legal challenges have already been launched in Florida and Ohio amid allegations of opportunities for early voting being curtailed and, rows over voter IDs. |
| Psaki said complaints about voting in Florida and Ohio were being monitored. "We're continuing to work on that today. And our plan is always, until the very last moment when the polls close, making sure people who are eligible have the opportunity. And we're confident we'll be able to do that in Florida and in states across the country," she said. | Psaki said complaints about voting in Florida and Ohio were being monitored. "We're continuing to work on that today. And our plan is always, until the very last moment when the polls close, making sure people who are eligible have the opportunity. And we're confident we'll be able to do that in Florida and in states across the country," she said. |
| Both campaigns also continued to flood television and radio networks with ads, buying up as much space as they could on digital media, too. In an effort to reach almost every possible market, Obama and Romney recorded interviews to be shown at half-time in Monday night's football match between the Philadelphia Eagles and New Orleans Saints. | Both campaigns also continued to flood television and radio networks with ads, buying up as much space as they could on digital media, too. In an effort to reach almost every possible market, Obama and Romney recorded interviews to be shown at half-time in Monday night's football match between the Philadelphia Eagles and New Orleans Saints. |
| Real Clear Politics, which aggregates all the major polls, puts Obama on 48.5% and Romney on 48.1%. In all of the swing states – where the election will be decided – Obama has a slight edge, although in some the lead is so minuscule it is, in effect, a tie. In the most important swing state, Ohio, Real Clear Politics has Obama on 49.7% to Romney's 46.7%. | Real Clear Politics, which aggregates all the major polls, puts Obama on 48.5% and Romney on 48.1%. In all of the swing states – where the election will be decided – Obama has a slight edge, although in some the lead is so minuscule it is, in effect, a tie. In the most important swing state, Ohio, Real Clear Politics has Obama on 49.7% to Romney's 46.7%. |
| The final Washington Post-ABC News national tracking poll, released on Monday afternoon, had likely voters dividing Obama 50% to Romney 47%, while Gallup's final pre-election survey of likely voters has Romney on 49% to Obama's 48%. | The final Washington Post-ABC News national tracking poll, released on Monday afternoon, had likely voters dividing Obama 50% to Romney 47%, while Gallup's final pre-election survey of likely voters has Romney on 49% to Obama's 48%. |
| Obama, in his closing argument to a crowd of 20,000 in Madison, Wisconsin, defended his record as president and pleaded for four more years. "You have a choice to make. It is a choice between two different visions for America," the president said. | Obama, in his closing argument to a crowd of 20,000 in Madison, Wisconsin, defended his record as president and pleaded for four more years. "You have a choice to make. It is a choice between two different visions for America," the president said. |
| The 30 million or so people who took advantage of early voting make up an estimated 35% of the final vote, up from 30% in 2008. More registered Democrats have turned out than Republicans in all but one of the crucial swing states. | The 30 million or so people who took advantage of early voting make up an estimated 35% of the final vote, up from 30% in 2008. More registered Democrats have turned out than Republicans in all but one of the crucial swing states. |
| Obama, normally not given to shows of public emotion, was in a nostalgic mood, knowing that whatever happened it was his last day on the campaign trail. He took with him the original members of his 2008 campaign, beginning the day in two of the swing states, Wisconsin and Ohio, and, in another nostalgic touch, ending in Iowa, where his improbable adventure began in January 2008. | Obama, normally not given to shows of public emotion, was in a nostalgic mood, knowing that whatever happened it was his last day on the campaign trail. He took with him the original members of his 2008 campaign, beginning the day in two of the swing states, Wisconsin and Ohio, and, in another nostalgic touch, ending in Iowa, where his improbable adventure began in January 2008. |
| In Wisconsin, he sympathised with the voters over "way too many TV commercials". He and Romney between them have raised about $2bn (£1.2bn), and much of this has gone on advertising. | In Wisconsin, he sympathised with the voters over "way too many TV commercials". He and Romney between them have raised about $2bn (£1.2bn), and much of this has gone on advertising. |
| Reiterating the same message he has pursued relentlessly over the past few days, Obama said: "In 2008, we were in the middle of two wars and the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression." He said 5.5m new jobs had been created under his tenure, the car industry was back on top, home values rising, dependence on foreign oil down, the production of clean energy up, the war in Iraq over, the war in Afghanistan coming to a close, and Osama bin Laden dead. | Reiterating the same message he has pursued relentlessly over the past few days, Obama said: "In 2008, we were in the middle of two wars and the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression." He said 5.5m new jobs had been created under his tenure, the car industry was back on top, home values rising, dependence on foreign oil down, the production of clean energy up, the war in Iraq over, the war in Afghanistan coming to a close, and Osama bin Laden dead. |
| Earlier, in an interview, he said turnout would be decisive. His campaign team is claiming it has built a historically sophisticated ground operation that will give it the edge in the scramble for 270 electoral college votes. | Earlier, in an interview, he said turnout would be decisive. His campaign team is claiming it has built a historically sophisticated ground operation that will give it the edge in the scramble for 270 electoral college votes. |
| A notice circulated to Obama supporters on the campaign's digital network, Dashboard, said it had 5,117 staging locations in the battleground states from which the get-out-the-vote drive would be co-ordinated at neighbourhood level. Volunteers have made 126m phone calls or door knocks to closely targeted households, homing in on sporadic and new voters who might otherwise fail to vote. | A notice circulated to Obama supporters on the campaign's digital network, Dashboard, said it had 5,117 staging locations in the battleground states from which the get-out-the-vote drive would be co-ordinated at neighbourhood level. Volunteers have made 126m phone calls or door knocks to closely targeted households, homing in on sporadic and new voters who might otherwise fail to vote. |
| "This is the difference between the Obama campaign and any other campaign we have ever witnessed," wrote Mitch Stewart, director of the Obama campaign in the battleground states. | "This is the difference between the Obama campaign and any other campaign we have ever witnessed," wrote Mitch Stewart, director of the Obama campaign in the battleground states. |
| Romney, who has to outperform the polls to win, told a rally in Virginia: "One final push is going to get us there. We're only one day away from a fresh start, one day away from the start of a new beginning." | Romney, who has to outperform the polls to win, told a rally in Virginia: "One final push is going to get us there. We're only one day away from a fresh start, one day away from the start of a new beginning." |
| In his last speeches, Romney opted for a message of change, as Obama had done in 2008. Not a natural performer on the stump, his speeches are often ponderous, laden with platitudes and his final message appeared vague. | In his last speeches, Romney opted for a message of change, as Obama had done in 2008. Not a natural performer on the stump, his speeches are often ponderous, laden with platitudes and his final message appeared vague. |
| "Tomorrow we begin a new tomorrow. Tomorrow we begin a better tomorrow," Romney said. "This nation is going to begin to make a change for the better tomorrow. Your work is making a difference, the people of the world are watching, the people of America are watching. We can begin a better tomorrow tomorrow." | "Tomorrow we begin a new tomorrow. Tomorrow we begin a better tomorrow," Romney said. "This nation is going to begin to make a change for the better tomorrow. Your work is making a difference, the people of the world are watching, the people of America are watching. We can begin a better tomorrow tomorrow." |
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