Barack Obama closes in on Florida vote victory

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8 November 2012 Last updated at 21:30 ET

Barack Obama closes in on Florida vote victory

Long lines of voters are seen at the Supervisor of Elections office in West Palm Beach, Florida 5 November 2012 Voters wait in West Palm Beach on Sunday after an the election office extended early voting

President Barack Obama appears close to victory in Florida, the only state yet to declare a result from Tuesday's US presidential election.

Vote-counting is ongoing, but the head of Florida's Democratic Party issued a statement congratulating Mr Obama.

Aides to Mitt Romney were also quoted appearing to concede defeat.

Florida's vote cannot change the overall result, but the slow count has brought back memories of the bitterly contested recount in 2000.

The Sunshine State's famous "hanging chads" sparked a crisis in that year's Bush-Gore election, eventually leading to a Supreme Court ruling that installed George W Bush in the White House.

Ground game praise

As of Thursday evening Mr Obama had a 0.7% lead in Florida - totalling more than 50,000 votes - but some ballots have yet to be counted.

The final result is expected by midday on Saturday, after three counties - Broward, Palm Beach and Duval - finish their tallies.

If the final difference in the number of votes for President Obama and his Republican challenger Mitt Romney is below 0.5%, a recount would be automatically triggered.

But whatever the outcome, it matters little since the Democratic incumbent decisively won the national vote in the electoral college.

As the counting edged towards its end, party operatives in Florida began to concede the race would go to Mr Obama.

"On behalf of Florida Democrats, I wish President Barack Obama congratulations on his re-election and on winning Florida's 29 electoral votes," Florida Democratic Chair Rod Smith said.

"Florida Democrats ran the strongest, largest ground game this state has ever seen," he said, describing it as "appalling" that the state had been unable to report results two days after the election.

Republican officials also said they expected Mr Obama to eventually be declared the winner.

"We thought based on our polling and range of organisation that we had done what we needed to win," Brett Doster, a Florida adviser for Mr Romney, told the Miami Herald.

Florida map of counties still counting

"Obviously, we didn't, and for that I and every other operative in Florida has a sick feeling that we left something on the table. I can assure you this won't happen again."

Florida Republican spokesman Brian Burgess told the Associated Press that "given the wave that we saw all over the country, we're glad that we gave them enough of a fight in Florida to prolong the battle here as long as we did".

Obama campaign manager Jim Messina told reporters: "We feel we will be the official winner in Florida later today."

Counties must send preliminary results to the state by midday on Saturday.

Voting problems

Long queues were reported across the fourth most populous US state on Tuesday.

Some voters waited to cast ballots until 01:30 local time the next morning, after Mr Romney had already delivered his concession speech.

Tens of thousands of absentee ballots also arrived on election day.

In Broward County, Democratic Mayor John Rodstrom told the Miami Herald: "The big picture is that we have done this to ourselves," blaming a combination of all sorts of municipal, state and federal elections on one ballot.

"We have these tremendously long ballots now," he said.

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The Sunshine State's problems began even before election day, with lengthy queues reported during the early-voting period.

Democrats launched a legal challenge against a Republican-backed measure to limit the period that voters could cast ballots before the election, from 14 days to eight.

They said it was a blatant attempt to suppress Democratic turnout - Florida's African-American voters have tended to cast ballots early in previous elections.

But Governor Rick Scott said the measure, passed by the state's Republican-controlled legislature in 2011, aimed to limit voter fraud.

The early-voting period officially ended last Saturday. Election supervisors in Miami-Dade and other counties did open up voting for several hours on Sunday.

But after being swamped by voters, one polling office in Miami-Dade County temporarily shut its doors. Some in line began to shout: "Let us vote!"

There was also a technical error with an automated phone system that told more than 12,500 voters in another county that the election was on Wednesday.

Florida was not alone in reports of lengthy election day lines. Voters waited for hours in states such as Virginia, New York and Washington DC.


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President Barack Obama to visit Burma

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8 November 2012 Last updated at 14:21 ET

President Barack Obama to visit Burma

Breaking news

Fresh from his election win, Barack Obama will become the first US president to visit Burma this month, the White House says.

He will meet opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi and President Thein Sein.

It is part of a three-leg tour from 17 to 20 November that will also take in Thailand and Cambodia.

The government of Burma has begun implementing economic, political and other reforms, a process the Obama administration sought to encourage.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was previously the most senior US official to go to Burma when she visited in December 2011.

The Burma stop is part of a trip built around the summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in Cambodia.

The US has appointed a full ambassador to Burma and suspended sanctions to reward the country for political prisoner releases and the election of Nobel laureate Suu Kyi to parliament.

America is also set to ease its import ban on goods from Burma, a key part of remaining US sanctions.


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Barack Obama heads to White House as fiscal cliff looms

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7 November 2012 Last updated at 19:10 ET

Barack Obama heads to White House as fiscal cliff looms

President Barack Obama waves as he exits Air Force One, 7 November 2012 Obama and his family flew back into the Washington area aboard Air Force One

US President Barack Obama has returned with his family to Washington DC to face a bulging in-tray after winning a second term in office.

The Obamas flew from their Chicago base, arriving at Andrews Air Force Base about 18:30 (23:30 GMT).

He needs to work with Republicans in Congress to confront a looming "fiscal cliff" of tax rises and spending cuts.

The Republicans retained control of the House of Representatives on Tuesday, but failed to take the Senate.

In his state-by-state battle with Republican Mitt Romney, Mr Obama has so far won 303 electoral college votes to Mr Romney's 206, past the 270-vote winning post.

In Florida, a state with 29 electoral votes, absentee ballots are still being counted and the race remains too close to call.

Before Mr Obama's Washington return on Wednesday, House Speaker John Boehner hinted at the possibility of a compromise if the president agreed to tax reform.

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Mr Boehner, who negotiated with Mr Obama over a so-called "grand bargain" of spending cuts and new revenues in 2011, said he would accept new revenue-raising as part of a tax reform deal.

Time is tight: Bush-era tax cuts are due to expire at the end of 2012, and automatic, mandatory across-the-board cuts to military and domestic spending are also in the pipeline unless a deal can be reached.

Economists say the overall effect of falling off the "fiscal cliff" could tip the US into recession.

Pledge for bipartisanship

In his first public remarks since the election, Mr Boehner said Republicans in the House of Representatives stood ready to work with the president on avoiding the fiscal cliff.

He said Republicans - previously strongly opposed to any new tax-related revenue - would be willing to compromise as long as the tax code was reformed and accompanied by changes to benefit programmes.

"Mr President, this is your moment. We're ready to be led, not as Democrats or Republicans, but as Americans," Mr Boehner said. "We want you to succeed."

Mr Obama's prospects for his second term will hinge on the his relationship with Mr Boehner and congressional Republicans.

Vice-President Joe Biden told reporters aboard Air Force Two that there was much work to be done.

"We're really anxious to get moving on, first of all, dealing with the first things first, this fiscal cliff. I think we can do it," Mr Biden said.

But he added that negotiations would depend on how co-operative their Republican colleagues were.

Reacting to Mr Obama's win, Mitch McConnell, the Republican minority leader in the Senate, said voters had not endorsed "the failures or excesses of the president's first term", but had given him "more time to finish the job" by working with Congress.

In the president's acceptance speech at his campaign headquarters in Chicago on Tuesday night, Mr Obama also pledged to consult his campaign rival Mitt Romney and explore ways to work together.

When the Republican conceded defeat with a brief speech shortly after midnight on Wednesday in Boston, Mr Romney urged both parties to "put the people before politics".

Steering recovery

Congress returns next week to begin dealing with the fiscal cliff.

The fragile economy was rated the top issue by about six out of 10 voters in Tuesday's exit polls. But most of them blamed former President George W Bush for the downturn.

But Economists warn that the combination of - set to be triggered in January unless lawmakers can find agreement - could reduce GDP by enough to put the US back in recession in the first half of 2013.

Mr Obama was re-elected with the highest unemployment rate - at 7.9% - for any incumbent president since the US wartime leader Franklin Roosevelt.

Preliminary figures suggest fewer people voted than four years ago.

With most ballots tallied, more than 117 million people participated, compared to record-breaking figures of 131 million four years ago.

Turnout was down sharply in some states, including Texas, as well as states on the US East Coast that were hit hard by superstorm Sandy.

In addition to the presidential and congressional races, Americans voted on a number of state-wide legal issues.

  • Referendums in Maine, Maryland and Washington state approved same-sex marriage, while a measure in Minnesota to block gay unions failed
  • Colorado and Washington state voted to legalise recreational use of marijuana
  • California voters rejected a proposal to abolish the death penalty
  • In a referendum, Puerto Ricans voted in favour of becoming the 51st US state, if Congress approves the move.

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Barack Obama says: 'Best is yet to come'

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7 November 2012 Last updated at 10:17 ET

Barack Obama says: 'Best is yet to come'

Barack Obama: "I have never been more hopeful"

US President Barack Obama has pledged "the best is yet to come", after winning a decisive re-election victory over Republican challenger Mitt Romney.

After a hard-fought campaign which underlined America's political divide, Mr Obama pledged, as he did four years ago, to work with his opponents.

Mr Romney echoed that call for unity as he graciously admitted defeat.

Voters also left the Democrats in charge of the Senate and Republicans leading the House of Representatives.

In the electoral college, the state-by-state tally that determines US presidential elections, Mr Obama has won 303 electoral votes to Mr Romney's 206.

'People before politics'

America's first black president sealed victory with a clean sweep of the most important swing states, including Ohio, Virginia and Pennsylvania.

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Mr Romney could only snatch Indiana and North Carolina from his rival's 2008 grasp.

The final swing state - Florida - remains too close to call.

But the Democratic incumbent's lead in the popular vote count was much slimmer - he had 50.3% to 48.1% for Mr Romney.

Thousands of Obama supporters hugged and cheered in the Chicago convention centre where he delivered his victory speech in the early hours of Wednesday.

"We have picked ourselves up, we have fought our way back and we know in our hearts that for the United States of America the best is yet to come," said Mr Obama, 51.

He was returning to the White House "more determined, and more inspired than ever about the work there is to do", he said.

Mr Obama pledged to work with Republican leaders in Congress to reduce the government's budget deficit, fix the tax code and reform the immigration system.

He also offered to meet with Mr Romney to discuss how they could work together.

The Republican admitted defeat with a brief speech shortly after midnight on Wednesday in Boston.

"This is a time of great challenges for America, and I pray that the president will be successful in guiding our nation," Mr Romney said.

The 65-year-old former Massachusetts governor urged politicians on both sides to "put the people before the politics".

But Mr Obama's second-term agenda will lie largely in the hands of the Republican leader of the House of Representatives, Speaker John Boehner, with whom he bickered bitterly during his first term.

'Failures or excesses'

Mr Boehner told a gathering of Republicans: "The American people want solutions - and tonight, they've responded by renewing our [Republican] majority."

Mitch McConnell, the Republican leader in the Senate, said voters had not endorsed "the failures or excesses of the president's first term".

"They have simply given him more time to finish the job they asked him to do together with a Congress that restored balance to Washington after two years of one-party control," McConnell added.

Mr Obama faces his first challenge when Congress returns next week to deal with unfinished business, including the so-called fiscal cliff, a package of automatic tax rises and cuts to military and domestic spending.

Economists warn that the measure - set to be triggered in January unless lawmakers can find agreement - could plunge the nation back into a recession.

Mr Obama's victory came despite lingering high unemployment - 7.9% on election day - and tepid economic growth.

Turnout lower

But voters seem to have given him credit for his 2009 rescue of the US car industry and for the commando mission that killed Osama Bin Laden in Pakistan last year.

Mr Obama's re-election also safeguards his healthcare reform law, which Mr Romney had pledged to repeal.

In other key ballots:

  • Referendums in Maine, Maryland and Washington state approved same-sex marriage, while a measure in Minnesota to block gay unions failed
  • Colorado and Washington state voted to legalise recreational use of marijuana
  • California voters rejected a proposal to abolish the death penalty
  • In a referendum, Puerto Ricans voted in favour of becoming the 51st US state, if Congress approves the move.

Also on Tuesday's ballot were 11 state governorships, a third of the seats in the 100-member US Senate and all 435 seats in the House of Representatives.

Mr Obama and Mr Romney, as well as their respective allies, raised more than $2bn (£1.25bn) - largely on adverts in swing states.

Preliminary figures suggest fewer people voted this year than four years ago.

With most ballots tallied, more than 117 million people participated, compared to record-breaking figures of 131 million four years ago.

Turn-out was down sharply in some states, including Texas, as well as states on the US East Coast that were hit hard by super-storm Sandy last week.

International leaders offered their congratulations to the president, including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who vowed to work with Mr Obama "to ensure the interests that are vital for the security of Israel's citizens".


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President Barack Obama wins re-election

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6 November 2012 Last updated at 23:50 ET

President Barack Obama wins re-election

Supporters of President Barack Obama Obama supporters cheered the results

President Barack Obama has been re-elected to a second term, defeating Republican challenger Mitt Romney.

With results in from most states, America's first black president has secured the 270 votes in the electoral college needed to win the race.

Mr Obama prevailed despite lingering dissatisfaction with the economy and a well-funded challenge by Mr Romney.

Many states are still reporting results, and Mr Obama's margin of victory was not yet certain.

With swing states Virginia, Florida and Colorado still too close to call, Mr Obama has won 281 electoral votes to Mr Romney's 203.

Under the US constitution, each state is given a number of electoral votes in rough proportion to its population. The candidate who wins 270 electoral votes - by prevailing in the mostly winner-take-all state contests - becomes president.

The popular vote, which is symbolically and politically important but not decisive in the race, remains too close to call.

On Tuesday, the president held the White House by assembling solid Democratic states and a number of important swing states such as Iowa, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin. His narrow victory in Ohio, a critical Mid-Western swing state, sealed the victory.

Mr Romney won North Carolina and Indiana, two states Mr Obama won in 2008, as well as the solid Republican states.

But he was unable to win in Ohio or other states needed to breach the 270 threshold.


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