Americans making historic elections

OBAMA, MCCAIN READY TO MAKE HISTORY

Early on Election Day, Senator Obama for Illinois voted at an elementary school in Chicago, where he was welcomed by cheerful voters.

"The journey ends," he told reporters. But the Democrat hopeful continues his trip for Indiana, one of so called battleground states for the White House race.

His rival McCain, finished voting at a church in Phoenix, Arizona, also continues trips for the battleground states of Colorado and New Mexico for a final bid for the race.

In Virginia, so called "John McCain Country" and another battleground state in which McCain's national campaign headquarters based, most voters interviewed by Xinhua have showed their tendency to Obama.

"I voted for Obama because he represents the beginning of a 'post-racial' American society, the diversity, tolerance and strength of American people. ... His personal success sets a great example for my children, who are first generation American-born Chinese," Xu Gang, a senior lawyer at Morrison & Foerster lawyers firm, told Xinhua.

Latest polls showed Obama leading in most battleground states, leaving McCain with only the narrowest possible path to victory Tuesday night. The 72-year-old candidate, however, said he was confident of winning the election.

First polling stations close at 2300 GMT in Kentucky and Indiana, and the latest, in Alaska, at 0600 GMT on Wednesday.

Regardless of who finally wins the presidential race, history will be made in the United States.

If Obama wins, he will be the first African-American to become the U.S. president and his vice-presidential running mate Joe Biden would be the first Roman Catholic vice president.

On the other hand, if McCain wins he will bring with him the first female vice president in U.S. history, Sarah Palin. A McCain victory would also make him the oldest U.S. president to take office.

Editor:Zhang Pengfei