It’s finally here, the big day we have been waiting for. The United States presidential election has ‘begun’, marking the beginning of a change which could determine a leading world nation’s policies amid uncertain times – from pandemic response, climate change policies, to immigration.
Who will it be? Will incumbent President Donald Trump hold the prized seat again to lead another slew of conservative and protectionist measures, or will his Democratic contender snatch the win in a ‘blue shift’ many across the world have set their sights to?
For us back home, the presidential elections hold quite a bit of importance. An important diplomatic partner, the US’ path ahead will determine various things for us – immigration policies for Indian professionals seeking the ‘American dream’, a strong foreign ally amid the country’s ongoing row with China, outsourcing of jobs, exports, and much more.
So if you’re sitting at home, and want to keenly follow the US election updates minute by minute, despite the time difference, here’s what you can do:
Time difference:
◕ India is approximately 10 hours and 30 minutes ahead of Washington, DC. That means that when the first polls close at 6 pm Eastern time (November 3) in parts of Indiana and Kentucky, it will be around 4.30 am according to Indian Standard Time (November 4) for us, here.
◕ At 7 pm ET, which will be 5:30 am IST, an hour later, polls will close in the key state of Florida.
◕ At 8 pm ET, which will be 6:30 am here, Pennsylvania will begin counting its votes.
◕ At 10 pm ET, which will be 8:30 am here, results could start coming in from Texas, Michigan, Arizona, and other swing states.
◕ At 11 pm ET, which will be 9:30 am here, polling will end in California, Oregon and Washington.
Where can you watch/follow the results?
One can access American cable channels like CNN and MSNBC through a VPN. However, other news networks are available to stream on Youtube – NBC News, ABC News and PBS Newshour, the Scroll reports.
There’s also C-SPAN to follow, which is similar to the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha TV we have in India. Results, victory and other speeches would be available here.
International live news coverage is also an option. One can watch Al Jazeera’s English livestream, or follow our live blog for minute-to-minute crucial updates.
The New York Times, CNN and Guardian are also covering the election through live blogs on their websites. The NYT has also provided an audio option apart from its live blog coverage. Their podcast, The Daily will also be giving election updates.
For something more comedic, one can also livestream Comedy Central’s The Daily Show.
Why are US Election Results Important for Indians?
Trump, with his conservative stand, has been tough with his immigration policies. Hell bent on ‘reserving jobs’ for Americans ‘first’, the President has repeatedly sought to ensure a system of migration based on merit instead of family ties. As the Covid-19 pandemic prompted severe job losses among Americans, the US also suspended the H-1B visa, highly sought after among Indian IT professionals aspiring to work in the US.
Meanwhile, Joe Biden has promised to ease the naturalisation process for qualified green card holders and reduce visa restrictions.
The two also come with differing foreign policy stances, which could beget noticeable consequences for India in the diplomatic realm. To read more on what the US poll results could mean for us, click here.
Constituency-Wise Election Results LIVE: West Bengal | Tamil Nadu | Kerala | Assam | Puducherry
LIVE Blogs: West Bengal | Tamil Nadu | Kerala | Assam
Comments
0 comment