Global attention on anxious US as voters head to polls for Election Day

Around the globe, people are watching with great anticipation as voters in the United States finally head to polls in the 2020 presidential election [Forward to a friend]( | [Subscribe]( | [View in your browser]( [Top of The World]( --------------------------------------------------------------- In the news today [Americans line up at polling stations to cast their ballots]( [Voters line up before polls open on Election Day at a precinct in Warren, Mich., Nov. 3, 2020.]( Credit: David Goldman/AP Around the globe, people are watching with great anticipation as voters in the United States head to the polls in the [2020 presidential election](. Almost 100 million Americans [have already voted]( — nearly three-quarters of the total number of votes cast in 2016. Tuesday’s vote caps off the most tumultuous campaign in recent memory and is a test of endurance and democracy. Around [50 million more people]( are expected to wait in lines today to choose between President Donald Trump and Democratic challenger Joe Biden. The nation — along with many others throughout the world — is traumatized by the coronavirus pandemic, struggling to overcome the worst recession since the Great Depression and many are hoping to return to political normalcy. Officials are concerned that tensions are at risk of boiling over and many pundits have raised fears of violence in the streets, delays amid chaotic vote tallying and [electoral disputes playing out later in the courts](. The election mainly hinges on Americans’ perceptions of [how well the incumbent has handled COVID-19](, which has killed more than [231,000 people](, and whether [Trump’s economic record]( can stand the test of time. The White House had aimed to finalize a vaccine and a second fiscal stimulus package before Nov. 3 — neither of which has come to fruition. [China](, [Russia]( and [Iran]( are among the three most pressing foreign policy challenges facing the next president and the specter of [climate change]( looms large in the background. The electorate choosing the winner is increasingly diverse, with [young Latinos emerging]( as one of the most important demographic groups to watch in 2020. And across the planet, [Indian citizens are torn]( between loyalty to Democratic vice presidential candidate Kamala Harris in her ancestral village and Hindu nationalist prayers for Trump in New Delhi. In some unlikely places, like Nigeria, the [Republican populist]( has noisy fans, while in Europe the vast majority of people have [pinned hopes on a Biden victory](. What The World is following Austrian police in Vienna are still [searching for suspects]( after a gunman killed four people in an overnight shooting rampage. Security forces killed one suspect who was wearing a fake explosive belt and identified him as a [20-year-old Islamist extremist inspired by ISIS](. The perpetrators fired at outdoor bar crowds as people enjoyed their last evening out before the beginning of a nationwide curfew. In total, six locations were attacked — starting with the area outside Vienna’s main synagogue. Officials said the main suspect was armed with an automatic rifle, handgun and machete. In Uganda, police have again [detained popular singer and politician Bobi Wine](, following his certification to run in that country’s presidential election next year. The widely loved performer was pulled from his car just after he entered the race to replace long-time Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni. Critics accuse Museveni of relying on the armed forces to solidify his reign. Authorities have often alleged that Wine is behind political rallies that could disturb the peace. [The World needs you]( Be one of 1,000 donors to give $100 or pledge $8.33/month to receive an invite to a virtual party with Marco Werman and The World team! [Donate today]( to support our free and trustworthy journalism. [Alt Text]( --------------------------------------------------------------- Podcast [What's at stake for US foreign policy in the 2020 election?]( [Demonstrators stand across the street from the federal courthouse in Houston, Texas, Nov. 2, 2020.]( Credit: David J. Phillip/AP This year, perhaps more than any other, the world is watching the US presidential election. Whatever the outcome, there will be global implications. [In this special edition for The World's podcast feed](, The World's senior editor Daisy Contreras moderated a live discussion, with Middle East correspondent Shirin Jaafari, and Latin America correspondent Jorge Valencia, offering context and analysis on foreign policy issues in the 2020 election. --------------------------------------------------------------- 2020 US election [The political power of Latino youth]( [Credit: In this Jan. 11, 2020, file photo, a mariachi band waits to perform before a campaign event with former Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden in Las Vegas.]( Graphic: John Locher, File/AP The Latino vote is one of the fastest-growing demographic groups in the United States. Approximately every 30 seconds, a Latino in the US turns 18 and becomes eligible to vote. The World has been examining the Latino vote and Latino voters all year. [In this episode](, hear how US President Donald Trump has alienated many Latinos with his anti-immigrant rhetoric — but a sizable bloc still support him. And, Latinos have been disproportionately affected by climate change. Plus, hear how three young Latinos are getting ready to vote. Explore more of our Every 30 Seconds series: - [Trump’s pandemic response convinced this Latino Republican to back Biden]( - [This undecided Latinx voter wanted police and prison reform on the ballot]( - [BLM is increasingly a voter issue for Latinos in Georgia]( [More >>]( --------------------------------------------------------------- From The World [What Russian college students learn about US elections, history and race relations]( [In this photo taken on Thursday, Dec. 20, 2018, students come out of a school building in St. Petersburg, Russia.]( Credit: Nataliya Vasilyeva/AP What does the US election process look like from a global perspective? Ivan Kurilla, a political science professor at the European University at St. Petersburg in Russia, teaches students about US history and politics. [Kurilla told The World's host Marco Werman]( that the US election this year is less gripping for Russians than it was four years ago, but that still people are interested. "Students are interested in the outcome," he said. "They're interested in how American democracy works. We always need to discuss the American system of elections. And this is always an interesting topic." [Tanzanian opposition leaders arrested following election]( [Different types of chocolate bars are seen in the company supermarket at the Nestle headquarters in Vevey, Switzerland, Feb. 19, 2010.]( Credit: Denis Balibouse/Reuters Tanzanian presidential candidate Tundu Lissu has been released from jail after police briefly arrested and interrogated him, [he told The World](. The circumstances around Lissu’s arrest remain unclear. But he is the latest member of the Chadema opposition party to be arrested in the days following Tanzania’s contested presidential election last Wednesday. --------------------------------------------------------------- The World's smart speaker show 🎧 The Number in the News: 7 As a medical historian, Mark Honigsbaum has grappled not only with the question of how pandemics start — [but also how they end](. Now, seven months after COVID-19 was declared a pandemic, the US is still breaking records for daily cases of the coronavirus. It leaves many wondering: How long will this go on? The Number in the News is The World’s daily smart speaker show, where you’ll learn one number you won’t forget and why it's in the news today. [Click here](to add The Number in the News to your Amazon or Google flash briefing and hear a new episode seven days a week. --------------------------------------------------------------- Vote! 🗳️ What are your election day plans? Are you voting by mail or in person? On The World today, we're featuring several expats living in countries around the globe who are keeping a close eye on the election from afar. Where will you be watching the election from today? Click "reply" to this email and let us know. [Alt Text] Credit: Courtesy of The Tonight Show --------------------------------------------------------------- In case you missed it on The World - [Pandemic takes its toll on Mexico’s Día de los Muertos flowers]( - [Snowden and his family seek Russian citizenship]( - [What Russian students learn about US politics, elections and race relations]( - [South Asian politics resonate in US House race in Texas]( - [Foreign operations sow doubt in US vote tally]( - [Peru struggles with world’s worst COVID-19 mortality rate]( - [Tanzania arrests opposition leaders]( - [How the US election could shape the COVID-19 pandemic worldwide]( - [US plan to sell F-35s to the UAE raises questions in Israel]( Don't forget to subscribe to The World's Latest Edition podcast using your favorite podcast player: [RadioPublic](, [Apple Podcasts](, [Stitcher](, [Soundcloud](, [RSS]( [The World logo]( [The World on Facebook]( [The World's Twitter account]( [Donate]( | [Forward to a friend]( | [Subscribe]( | [Edit your subscription]( | [Unsubscribe]( | [View in your browser]( Top of the World is written weekday mornings by the team at [The World](. 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