▪︎Photograp by Steve Marcus /Las Vegas Sun/ AP

In a couple of hours, specifically on Tuesday,  November 5th, Americans, both home and abroad, will be going to the polls – popular and collegiate – to vote for their next president.

The world’s most popular democracy will be the cynosure of global attention for many reasons such as foreign policy, the war in the middle east, abortion, trade, immigration, gun control, among other contending factors.

The election also will be offering global observers with a retinue of the first, such that it will be the first time a particular former president will be contesting the office with women, at two different occasions.

Donald Trump, the presidential candidate of the Republican Party first contested against former first Lady, Hilary Clinton in 2016 and the second time he is coming out again, he is contesting against the first black female candidate of the Democratic Party, Kamala Harris.

Kamala Harris is a black American, from a mixed parentage – A Jamaican father and an Indian mother.  She was born in 1964 in California, USA. Her father was a student when he met Kamala’s mother.

Their relationship blossomed and led to their marriage which birthed Kamala. Unfortunately, the couple divorced in 1971 when young Kamala was just 7 years, leaving the responsibilities and challenges of raising young Kamala to rest on the lean shoulders of her mother.

Kamala grew up with her mother and other half siblings in the state of California, USA. Many years later, she grew up to become a fighter, a lawyer, an advocate for equal rights and female inclusion in public sector governance, where she advocated for the rights of women, particularly those believed to have suffered one form of social injustice.

Throughout her career, she has always been breaking the glass ceilings, particularly in the male dominated profession.

She was the first female  attorney general in the state of California, beating other prominent lawyers with long standing and intimidating credentials, to become the attorney general.

She was the first female black president of the law school, during her student years at the University of California. Kamala Harris has achieved a remarkable feat in the public space of the United States.

She entered into the history books when she became the democratic party,s first black woman vice presidential nominee to president Joe Biden after the latter clinched the Democratic Party Presidential ticket at the party’s convention in  2020.

But, one should also note that there are some states that will serve as key decider in the polls, perhaps eight of them will likely determine who wins the 2024 presidential election.

Today, history is almost repeating itself, just like it did when former president  Barack Obama contested against a very strong and well-established political structure, with most political analysts and observers giving him little or no chance to emerge as President.

Kamala Harris’s trajectory is a testament of hope that many women, particularly the mixed raced, if given the opportunities, would achieve feats deemed impossible, especially in a male dominated world like public office.

Kamala has shown to the women’s world that with determination, focused, belief, anyone can be anything in a free world such as the United States of America.

But, one should also note that there are some states that will serve as key decider in the polls, perhaps eight of them will likely determine who wins the 2024 presidential election.

These 8  states of Arizona with 11 electoral votes, Georgia, 16 electoral votes, Michigan: 15 electoral votes, remain crucial as a deciding factor. New Hampshire with 4 electoral votes has not gone to Republicans since the 2000 presidential election. Others are Nevada: 6 electoral votes.

Republicans have not flipped the state of Nevada in the last four presidential cycles. Still, Democrats’ presidential victories have been close enough to keep Republicans playing there.

Trump lost Nevada in 2016 and 2020 by less than 3 percentage points. North Carolina with 16 electoral votes is one key battle state the democrats will be counting  on for victory. Barack Obama won it in 2008 over McCain, the first time since 1976 when Gerald Ford won.

Pennsylvania also with 19 electoral votes is a stronghold for Democratic Party, even though the state was won by Trump in 2016, becoming the first republican to do so. However Biden returned the state to the hands of the Democratic Party, in 2020.

Another battle state is Wisconsin. The state has 10 electoral votes, with signs pointing to Democrats netting its 10 electoral votes.

The state, which has flipped between both parties in recent cycles, had a high-profile judicial election in April in which the left-leaning candidate beat the conservative pick.

Kamala has done her campaign and worked very well, transversing all the states of the US. She has said all that she needs to say.

She promised Americans upliftment and better policies than her erratic opponent. This is the most she can do. The rest is left for the people on Tuesday to vote bearing in mind their tomorrow.

Poor, immigrant Americans should not forget that some politicians are there for their friends. Americans should not return to Egypt as the saying goes.

As for the electoral college, my prayers are that it favours Kamala. Democrats have what it takes to make the country better not a man whose intention was to truncate their democracy and has not shown any remorse until today.

Today, as the World watches and stays glued to their  TV sets, awaiting the outcome of the US presidential election, the suspense of anxiety, fear, and great expectations will resonate as in 2008 when Barack Obama made history by becoming the first black man to be named president of the United States; but this time KAMALA HARRIS.

▪︎Emeka Monye is a journalist and works with ARISE NEWS.