WASHINGTON, November 2 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) – As US voters cast their ballots in what some called “the mother of all elections”, the presidential race was in a dead heat Tuesday, November 2.

Polls, however, showed some worrying signs for incumbent George W. Bush as he fought off a challenge by Democrat John Kerry.

As many as 120 million voters were expected to turn out for the first presidential contest since the September 11, 2001 deadly attacks transformed the country's political landscape and view of the world.

Long lines of voters were reported across the country, including the critical swing states of Ohio in the Midwest and Florida in the southeast where some people queued for hours to cast their ballot.

The longest and costliest presidential race in US history lurched to a climax with opinion polls showing no daylight between the feisty Republican president and the patrician Democratic senator from Massachusetts.

A CBS News polls confirmed earlier findings by the Gallup organization that the president's once-substantial lead on his signature issue of national security seemed to erode in the waning days of the campaign, reported Agence France-Presse (AFP).

Forecasts of a potentially large turnout also provided a measure of encouragement to Kerry whose support was high among self-described new voters.

But there was no indication how these factors would play out in the ultra-tight election that could cap the longest and costliest contest in US history with a wild finish to rival the 2000 vote.

Opinion polls showed no space between the candidates. Five surveys gave Bush a statistically insignificant lead of one or two points while Fox News showed Kerry up two points and the American Research Group had a 48-48 percent tie.

Independent Ralph Nader generally polled one percent but still held the potential to siphon off crucial votes from Kerry in swing states. The number of late undecided voters dwindled to between one and five percent.

The race was also too close to call on the state level, where both camps vied for a majority of the 538 electoral votes that decide the presidency and are awarded in separate, mostly winner-take-all, contests.

The three states generally seen as pivotal, Florida in the Southeast, Ohio in the Midwest and Pennsyvlania in the East were all considered tossups, as were half a dozen other “battlegrounds” that could swing the balance.

The only movement appeared to be a late shift in voter appreciation of Bush's security credentials amid continuing bad news out of Iraq and the re-emergence of terrorist mastermind Osama bin Laden in a videotape Friday.

The CBS survey showed Bush's lead on who could best protect the country against terrorism down among registered voters from 70-62 percent recorded from Thursday to Saturday to 64-62 percent over the weekend.

His advantage over Kerry on leadership capacity, the cornerstone of the Republican's re-election bid as a “war president,” shrunk from 62-52 to 58-54 percent, according to the CBS findings.

A Gallup poll released Monday had Kerry halving a 22-point deficit on terrorism in a week. He cut a 14-point Bush edge on Iraq to four points among likely voters and inched ahead by a point among registered voters.

Late surveys also suggested that Kerry was well-placed to benefit from an expected surge in voter turnout, with some experts predicting as many as 15 million more Americans could cast ballots on top of the 106 million four years ago.

An ABC News Poll showed that Bush led Kerry 50-46 percent among repeat voters, but the Democrat had a 61-36 percent advantage among those who said they were newcomers to the process.

A Washington Post poll also gave Kerry a 59-39 percent margin among likely voters 18 to 30 years old, a traditionally erratic voting group the Democrats were counting on to get fired up Tuesday.

Thousands volunteered to “protect the honesty of elections” (AFP)

Meanwhile, as Bush voted, he expressed confidence of securing a new four-year term, but expressed concern that the US presidential election result must be decided quickly.

“My hope, of course, is this election ends tonight,” said Bush who had to wait 36 days to know the winner in the 2000 election when the Democrats' Al Gore won the popular vote but the Republican secured more votes on the Electoral College that decides the presidency.

“I think it's very important for it to end tonight. The world watches our great democracy function, and be nothing better for our system for the election to be conclusively over tonight.”

With polls showing Bush and Kerry in a neck-and-neck race, Bush was to make a campaign stop in Ohio as he returned from voting in Texas to the White House.

“This election is in the hands of the people. And I feel very comfortable about that,” he said after voting with his wife Laura and twin daughters at a fire station in the Texas hamlet of Crawford.

“I think it's going to be me so I can go on and lead this country, bring people together, set an agenda, which will be to make sure America is secure,” Bush told reporters.

“I am confident in the judgment of the people,” Bush said after casting his ballot. (AFP)

“It's been a fantastic experience traveling our country, talking about what I believe and where I'm going to lead this country for four more years.

“And, you know, there's something refreshing about giving it your all and then saying, ‘The people will make the right decision.’ And I believe I'm going to win.”

“I am confident in the judgment of the people.”

Bush also sent his regards to Kerry. “I wish him all the best. He and I are in the exact same position. We have given it our all. I'm sure he is happy, like I am, the campaign has come to a conclusion.”

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