Here are some of the striking moments captured by Reuters photographers as United States voters went to the polls and the stories behind the images.
US Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden makes his way through the crowd outside of his childhood home on Election Day in Scranton, Pennsylvania. Photographer Kevin Lamarque said of the image: "Until election day, the coronavirus threat had constrained Joe Biden's campaign, with no crowds and little interaction with the general public. Here, on a whistle-stop retrospective tour of his hometown, Scranton Pennsylvania, Biden mixes more freely with supporters gathered at his childhood home, flanked by his granddaughters who help him through the crowd." Photograph: Kevin Lamarque/Reuters
United States President Donald Trump's campaign staff applaud him as he waves after speaking to them while visiting his presidential campaign headquarters on Election Day outside of Washington in Arlington, Virginia. Photographer Tom Brenner: "I live down the street from Donald Trump's campaign headquarters but had never noticed who worked there. When we were unexpectedly allowed onto the office floor, I was struck by the crowd of smartly dressed young people behind the president's re-election campaign -- tense, tired and excited. It was around noon, but the clock on the wall had been stopped after counting down to midnight.". Photograph: Tom Brenner/Reuters
Shannon Erstein and Beka Carlson react to preliminary 2020 US presidential election results in Washington. Erin Scott said: "A small group of people gathered in a park a few blocks from the White House to watch election results. The evening already felt uncertain, with many of those present wondering if violence would break out. I noticed these two women leaning on each other as more states were added to the too-close-to-call list. Their expressions mirrored the sentiments among the crowd." Photograph: Erin Scott/Reuters
Barton Foley, 32, with his cat "Little Ti Ti" on his shoulder, casts his ballot on Election Day at Ballard High School in Louisville, Kentucky. "Just after noon on Election Day, I noticed a cat sitting on the shoulder of a voter at a polling station in Louisville, Kentucky. As I approached it turned to look at me. The man continued getting ready to cast his ballot as if having a cat on his shoulder while voting was completely normal - a bit of light relief on a stress-filled day," said photographer Bryan Woolston. Photograph: Bryan Woolston/Reuters
Republic Party poll challengers react after being asked to leave due to room capacity at the TCF Center after Election Day in Detroit, Michigan. Photographer Rebecca Cook: "I have covered many elections but had never seen anything like this. On day two of the count, a crowd of people came to the Detroit facility, many of them chanting "shut down the count!" and saying the election was being stolen by the Democrats. The photo shows an official telling them they cannot come in because of room capacity. Shortly afterwards, the Detroit Police manned the door, as the challengers peered through the windows, chanted and knocked." Photograph: Rebecca Cook/Reuters
Dana Clark and her 18-month-old son Mason wait in line at City Hall as early voting begins for the upcoming presidential election in New Orleans, Louisiana. Kathleen Flynn: "Teacher Dana Clark was adjusting a "safety pod" over her and her son as I passed the voting line on October 16, the first day of early voting in New Orleans. She had bought the pod to use in the classroom with her fifth-grade students, hoping to protect them, as well as her own kids and her husband, who has underlying health issues, from COVID-19. The image, which garnered 46k likes on Twitter, seemed to express a convergence of widely felt emotions: fear of contagion, hope for a child's future, pressures on educators and a wish for racial justice." Photograph: Kathleen Flynn/Reuters
