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Donald Trump was elected the 47th president of the United States on Wednesday, an extraordinary comeback for a former president who refused to accept defeat four years ago, sparked a violent insurrection at the US Capitol, was convicted of felony charges and survived two assassination attempts.

With a win in Wisconsin, Trump cleared the 270 electoral votes needed to clinch the presidency.

The victory validates his bare-knuckle approach to politics. He attacked his Democratic rival, Kamala Harris, in deeply personal—often misogynistic and racist—terms as he pushed an apocalyptic picture of a country overrun by violent migrants.

The coarse rhetoric, paired with an image of hypermasculinity, resonated with angry voters—particularly men—in a deeply polarized nation. As president, he’s vowed to pursue an agenda centered on dramatically reshaping the federal government and retribution against his perceived enemies.

“It’s a political victory that our country has never seen before,” Trump told a victory party in Florida.

Vice-president Kamala Harris, who only entered the race in July after President Joe Biden dropped out, ran a centrist campaign that highlighted Trump’s inflammatory messaging and use of openly racist and sexist tropes.

But his apocalyptic warnings about immigration and championing of isolationism found their mark with voters battered by the post-Covid economy and eager for a change from the Biden years.

The campaign pointed to a nail-bitingly close contest, but the results came surprisingly fast, delivering a crushing victory that included wins in the swing states of Georgia, North Carolina and Pennsylvania.

Trump is the first president in more than a century to win a non-consecutive second term.

He is also the only person to be elected as a convicted felon—he will face sentencing in a New York court for fraud on Nov 26.

Already 78, Trump is on course to break another record as the oldest-ever sitting president during his four-year term. He will surpass Biden who is set to step down in January at the age of 82.

The US dollar surged and bitcoin hit a record high while most equity markets advanced, with traders betting on a victory for Trump as the results rolled in.

But turmoil likely lies ahead.

Trump’s victory comes with his promise of radical policy shifts—not just at home but also abroad, where his unrestrained isolationist and nationalist ‘America First’ stance is likely to have enormous consequences.

He has repeatedly suggested he would end the conflict in Ukraine by pressuring Kyiv to make territorial concessions to Russia, and his threat of mass deportations of illegal immigrants has stirred deep concern in Latin America.

He also returns to the White House as a climate change denier, poised to dismantle his predecessor Biden’s green policies and jeopardize global efforts to curb human-caused warming.

Even before Trump’s stunning victory was fully confirmed, foreign leaders rushed to send congratulations.

AFP

Washington: Donald Trump won the presidency in 2016 because of the Electoral College. So did George W Bush in 2000.

The Electoral College is the unique American system of electing presidents. It is different from the popular vote, and it has an outsize impact on how candidates run and win campaigns. Republicans Trump and Bush lost the popular vote during their presidential runs but won the Electoral College to claim the nation’s top office.

Some Democrats charge that the system favors Republicans and they would rather the United States elect presidents by a simple majority vote. But the country’s framers set up the system in the Constitution, and it would require a constitutional amendment to change.

A look at the Electoral College and how it works, as Trump and Vice-president Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee for president, compete for the White House on Election Day, Nov 5:

What is the Electoral College?

The Electoral College is a 538-member body that elects a president. The framers of the Constitution set it up to give more power to the states and as a compromise to avoid having Congress decide the winner.

Each state’s electors vote for the candidate who won the popular vote in that state. The runner-up gets nothing—except in Nebraska and Maine where elector votes are awarded based on congressional district and statewide results.

To win the presidency, a candidate must secure 270 electoral votes—a majority of the 538 possible votes.

How is it different from the popular vote?

Under the Electoral College system, more weight is given to a single vote in a small state than to the vote of someone in a large state, leading to outcomes at times that have been at odds with the popular vote.

It also affects how candidates campaign. Because the outcome is almost certain in solidly Republican states and solidly Democratic states, candidates tend to focus most of their efforts on a handful of swing states that have split their votes in recent elections.

Who are the electors?

Electors are allocated based on how many representatives a state has in the House of Representatives, plus its two senators. The District of Columbia gets three, despite the fact that the home to Congress has no vote in Congress.

It varies by state, but often the electors are picked by state parties. Members of Congress cannot serve as electors.

How and when are the votes counted?

After state election officials certify their elections, electors meet in their individual states—never as one body—to certify the election. This year, that will happen on Dec 17.

If the two candidates have a tied number of votes, the election is thrown to the House, where each state’s congressional delegation gets one vote. That has happened only twice, in 1801 and 1825.

Once a state’s electors have certified the vote, they send a certificate to Congress. Congress then formally counts and certifies the vote at a special session on Jan 6. The Vice-president presides as the envelopes for each state are opened and verified.

Can lawmakers object?

Lawmakers can object to a state’s results during the congressional certification, as several Republicans did after the 2020 election. On 6 Jan 2021, the House and Senate both voted to reject GOP objections to the Arizona and Pennsylvania results.

After Trump tried to overturn his defeat to Democrat Joe Biden and his supporters stormed the Capitol on Jan 6, Congress updated the 1800s-era Electoral Count Act to make it harder to object and to more clearly lay out the vice president’s ceremonial role, among other changes. Trump had pressured Vice-president Mike Pence to try and object to the results—something the Vice-president has no legal standing to do.

Once Congress certifies the vote, the new or returning president will be inaugurated Jan 20 on the steps of the Capitol.

AP

Today marks the start of a pivotal election in the United States, featuring a closely watched race between Democratic and Republican candidates.

Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump are competing to become the 47th President of the United States, each representing their respective party.

Trump seeks a second term, while Harris is stepping up after President Joe Biden endorsed her candidacy following his decision not to seek re-election. The US election process includes direct voting as well as the Electoral College.

Both candidates are concentrating their final campaign efforts on key battleground states, with analysts suggesting this election could have a major impact on global affairs.

Key issues include immigration, gun rights, economic opportunities, women's rights, and rising global instability.

Despite efforts to revive the economy post-covid, inflation remains a significant issue, with rising costs of essentials placing pressure on the middle class and making economic concerns a central focus.

The Democratic Party, known for its immigrant-friendly policies, has Kamala Harris as its candidate, while Trump, currently facing legal challenges, represents the Republicans. Both candidates face substantial obstacles.

Swing states critical to election outcome

Seven states are expected to be critical in determining the election results: Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. Among them, Pennsylvania, the fifth most populous state, is particularly crucial. In 2016, Trump won five of the seven swing states to secure the presidency, while Biden claimed six in 2020.

Pennsylvania has seen significant investment in election advertising, with $1.20bn allocated for media campaigns in the state alone—over 10 percent of the $10.53bn spent nationwide. Early voting in Pennsylvania has already seen participation from 1.6m voters.

Influence of Nepali voters

Around 25,000 Nepali American voters live in Pennsylvania, where their votes could be significant.

Harry Bhandari, a politician in Harrisburg, is leading efforts to raise voter awareness, accompanied by 51 Maryland-based volunteers on Saturday. "We’re engaging in politics to inspire future generations. Kamala Harris, as a second-generation immigrant, aims to make history, which will inspire others," he said.

Local political organizer Abhisek Thapa stated, "This election is especially competitive. We believe our (Nepali) votes will make an impact this year. We are reaching out to every Nepali household to encourage voting."

Social worker and activist Binita Puri mentioned that voter awareness rallies are being organized, expressing optimism for increased turnout. The Nepali American community is divided in its support between Harris and Trump, with many voicing their views on social media.

While there are 231m eligible voters in the US, only 168m are registered. A candidate needs to secure 270 of the 538 Electoral College votes to win, regardless of the popular vote.

The construction of the Chilime-Trishuli 220 kV transmission line has been completed.

This transmission line is crucial for delivering power from ongoing and future hydropower projects along the Trishuli River and its tributaries to the national grid.

The 28-kilometer line extends from the Chilime Hub Sub-Station in Ama Chhodingbo Rural Municipality, Rasuwa district, to the Trishuli III B Hub Station in Kispang Rural Municipality, Nuwakot district.

Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) Managing Director Kul Man Ghising noted that the transmission line was completed thanks to the efforts of employees and contractors, who continued working even during the Dashain and Tihar holidays.

He added that the infrastructure is ready to transmit electricity from the 111-megawatt Rasuwagadhi and 42.5-megawatt Sanjen projects, along with other projects under construction or in planning stages in Rasuwa. Both the Rasuwagadhi and Sanjen hydropower projects are nearing production.

The estimated cost of the Chilime-Trishuli project is $3.62bn, funded by the NEA, a grant from the German Development Bank (KfW), and a concessional loan from the European Investment Bank.

A contract was signed with a Chinese construction company in Kartik 2017 for the construction of the transmission line and the sub-station.