It is finally here, the great day we were waiting for. The US presidential elections have “started”, ushering in a shift that could shape the policies of a leading nation in the world in times of uncertainty, from pandemic response, climate change policies to immigration.
Who will it be? Will incumbent President Donald Trump return to occupy the cherished seat to lead another series of conservative and protectionist measures, or will his Democratic challenger snatch victory in a ‘blue shift’ that many around the world have noticed?
For us at home, the presidential elections are quite important. A major diplomatic partner, America’s path forward will determine several things for us: immigration policies for Indian professionals seeking the ‘American dream’, a strong foreign ally amid the country’s ongoing dispute with China, the outsourcing jobs, exports and much more. .
So if you are sitting at home and want to closely follow the updates of the US elections minute by minute, despite the time difference, here is what you can do:
Time difference:
◕ India is approximately 10 hours 30 minutes ahead of Washington, DC. That means when the first polls close at 6 p.m. ET (Nov. 3) in parts of Indiana and Kentucky, it’ll be around 4:30 a.m. Indian Standard Time (Nov. 4) for us, here.
◕ At 7 pm ET, which will be 5:30 am IST, an hour later, the 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, the results could start pouring in from Texas, Michigan, Arizona and other undecided states.
◕ At 11 pm ET, which will be 9:30 am here, voting will end in California, Oregon and Washington.
Where can you see / follow the results?
American cable channels like CNN and MSNBC can be accessed through a VPN. However, other news networks are available to stream on Youtube: NBC News, ABC News and PBS Newshour, the roll reports.
It is also followed by C-SPAN, which is similar to the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha TV that we have in India. Results, victory and other speeches will be available here.
International live news coverage is also an option. One can watch the live broadcast in English of Al Jazeera, or follow our live blog for crucial minute-by-minute updates.
The New York Times, CNN Y guardian They are also covering the election through live blogs on their websites. The NYT has also provided an audio option in addition to their live blog coverage. Your podcast, The newspaper It will also provide updates on the elections.
For something more comical, you can also stream Comedy Central live The daily show.
Why are the results of the American elections important to the Indians?
Trump, with his conservative stance, has been tough on his immigration policies. Determined to ‘reserve jobs’ for Americans ‘first’, the president has repeatedly sought to guarantee a migration system based on merit rather than family ties. As the Covid-19 pandemic led to severe job losses among Americans, the United States also suspended the H-1B visa, much in demand among Indian IT professionals who aspire to work in the United States.
Meanwhile, Joe Biden has promised to make the naturalization process easier for qualified green card holders and to reduce visa restrictions.
The two also come with different foreign policy stances, which could engender notable consequences for India in the diplomatic arena. To read more about what the US survey results could mean to us, Click here.
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