‘Nation divided’: How the world’s newspapers have reacted to US election

As the race for the presidency tightens and both candidates claim to be on the path to victory, the world is bracing for a contentious and close election result.

Projecting a mood of division, polarisation and conflict, the world’s newspapers signal to how unprecedented this election is. 

So far, incumbent President Donald Trump has alleged a “major fraud” in vote tabulations while Biden’s campaign team has said they will resist any attempt by Trump to take his fraud claims to the Supreme Court.  

With more than 100 million Americans casting their ballots during early voting, the 2020 election is set to be the highest turnout in a century.

Though some state results might not be known for several days, Democratic nominee Joe Biden has so far won states including California, Washington, Oregon, New Jersey, Arizona and Illinois. Incumbent Trump has won states including Texas, Montana, Wyoming, Alabama and Florida.

The battleground states of Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Minnesota could be key in deciding who makes up the 270 electoral college votes necessary for victory.  

As the world reacts this Election Day, The Daily Telegraph points to the “massive turnout” across America which political analysts are watching with keen interest. It looks likely that the number of eligible voters casting their ballots will surpass the 1908 record of 65 per cent. In 2016, 139 million votes were cast, representing 59.2 per cent of the voting population.

Over on The Guardian, the “battle for America’s soul” took place as Americans went to the polls. “Americans queued up to vote in a US presidential election that threatens to test the long-held ideals of democracy like none before it.” Pointing out the self-assurance of both candidates before polls closed last night, the paper also signalled toward Trump’s more despondent tone at his campaign headquarters in Virginia. “You know, winning is easy. Losing is never easy. Not for me it’s not.”

Meanwhile, on The New York Times’s front page, “Trump falsely claims he prevailed.” In a characteristically unfounded claim by President Trump, the incumbent insisted he had already won the election and that votes should stop being counted, even though the ballots of millions of Americans had not yet been tallied. He spoke “with a mix of defiance, anger and wonder that the election had not yet been called in his favour,” according to The Times.

The Washington Post summarises Election Day as a “nation divided.” A “tight race [and] high turnout reflect a partisan split over crisis.” In analysis, the paper said it was a “tense night of counting and indecision and proving once again that there are no easy elections in a divided America.”

“Swing states are tight” according to The Wall Street Journal, with Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin yet to be counted. The paper details an electorate split by the economy, coronavirus and race while both candidates are “bullish on winning.”