The rallies and debates, the tweets and the fundraisers, the wearying last-minute swings through the same half-dozen or so battleground states — all that is winding down at last.
Today it was time for the two major presidential candidates to perform the Election Day ritual of casting their own votes, just like average Joes, except for the fact that average Joes aren't usually trailed by dozens of reporters and TV cameras.
"I know how much responsibility goes with this, and so many people are counting on the outcome of this election, and what it means for our country, and I'll do the very best I can if I'm fortunate enough to win today," said Hillary Clinton, who showed up Tuesday morning at her crowded polling place in the New York City suburb of Chappaqua.
The former secretary of state and her husband, Bill Clinton, voted early — just after 8 a.m. But the Democratic nominee was a laggard compared with her running-mate, Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine, who appeared at his polling place in Richmond with his wife, Anne Holton, just after 6 a.m.
After a round of TV appearances, Kaine met friends at a local diner, something of a weekly custom for the Democrat.
A bit later in the morning, after one more Fox News interview, Donald J. Trump appeared at his own polling place, a midtown Manhattan public school where the walls were festooned with Thanksgiving decorations. With him were several family members, including his wife, Melania, and daughter Ivanka.
Trump flashed a thumbs-up sign and shook hands with an elderly woman using a walker.
"It's a great honor, a tremendous honor," the Republican nominee said, according to The Associated Press. He said he was feeling confident about the outcome, citing "tremendous enthusiasm."
Later Tuesday Trump planned to attend an invitation-only party at the New York Hilton. The hotel will also be the site of Trump's "victory party" Tuesday night, his campaign said.
Trump's running-mate, Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, headed home after also appearing at a rally in Michigan and was expected to vote later in the day.
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