Polling places have opened on the morning of the fiercest American election in years—and Americans are turning out in droves to cast their ballots, causing long lines.
Current polls mostly have Democrat Hillary Clinton three to four percentage points ahead of Republican Donald Trump, and eyes are on the crucial swing states, which will determine how the election is won and lost.
Early voting last week showed an unusually high turnout of Latino voters—a group the Democrats are hoping will swing the election their way.
In West Michigan, some voters reported waiting up to 50 minutes to cast their vote today, according to local media. Google Trends data also points to a spike in searches for the term “long wait times” across the East Coast and Midwest in particular.
Images shared on social media of long lines are something of a double-edged sword. On the one hand, it’s a positive sign that many are turning out to cast their ballots in such a tight race. On the other, photos of lengthy queues could put others off from heading out to vote themselves.
Here are some of the early morning lines: