post: this is dw news. it is election day in the united states of america. the voters having their say on who will be the next president. both candidates have cast their votes, donald trump for the republicans, and hillary clinton for the democrats. opinion surveys give clinton the edge, but the race is going down to the wire. who can get to their supporters to the polls, and what does it mean for the world? the latest from america is straight ahead.

i am sarah kelly. thank you for joining us. a bitter campaign filled with surprises has all come down to this moment. now, voters are having their say on who will be the next president of the united states. it will be an historic decision no matter which way you look at it. a woman on the ballot for the first time ever, and her challenger is a political outsider. now their fate is out of their hands as democracy gets to work. >> donald trump cast his ballot in new york, together with his wife, melania. just a few hours separate him from what he hopes will be his crowning as president-elect. casting her own ballot on this momentous day, hillary clinton knows every vote counts.

ms. clinton: it is the most humbling feeling, because i know how much responsibility goes with this. so many people are counting on this election, what it means for our country, and i will do the very best i can if i am fortunate enough to win today. >> voters have been showing up in droves to polling booths along the east coast. many were voting for hillary clinton. >> absolutely. i think she is going to be a great president. i think she has been maligned for 25 years. a lot of things people have said about her, i don't believe them. >> in the swing state of florida, it was more uncertain. >> there are a lot of trump supporters, so who knows? clicks elsewhere, voting is underway in the key battleground of ohio.

the president of the united states could be decided by just of -- just a handful of voters in swing states like this one. sara: our correspondent is standing by in new york. oliver, as we know, both presidential candidates called new york their home. how voting, and what is the turn out like today? >> we might even see a record turnout, at least here at polling station 41 greenwich village where i am standing. people have been coming in since the early morning hours. at times, it took up to 40 minutes. people have been waiting. they are happy to cast their ballot because it brings an end to the election campaign that some people described as the ugliest campaign in modern u.s.

history. an old man came to me a couple hours before and said he has not seen any turn out like this in any election in the last 50 years. we might see a record turnout here today. >> who are people voting for? we can probably assume they are voting democratic. why doesn't trump have more support in new york? he is, after all, a born and bred new yorker. >> it's a good point. both call new york city their home, but this is a very strong democratic household. you cannot find a single trump supporter here. i have not seen one. may be if there were son, they would not admit it. i just met a woman named hillary. when she got her coffee in a coffee shop, people were cheering her name. you might find more trump

supporters in battleground states or traditional republican strongholds. i have had a chance to speak to trump supporters who were frustrated with the u.s. politics of recent years. the outcome of this election and the new president elect will have to bring these groups together. it will be a major challenge in the upcoming years. it will be interesting to see how the new president will cope with the situation. >> our correspondent joining us from new york, where americans will have their say on who will be the next president. thank you. let's get more thoughts on the possible outcome of this election. our guest is from the election forecast agency. you recently released a poll that had hillary clinton leading by a four point margin. how reliable is that? does she have this in the bag? >> almost certainly.

i say that not just because of the polls, but because of the votes that have already been counted. turnout has been high today, but turnout has been high over the last two weeks, early voting. early voting has allowed the democratic party to organize its voters who normally would not turn out to an election and get them to the polls. that is why early voting in florida has allowed democrats to turnout twice as many hispanic voters this time as was the case for years ago for barack obama. that enough is -- that alone is probably enough to win it for hillary clinton. >> we have heard that as many as 45 million people have voted early. who are the most important voters demographically? who could be the election makers this year? >> women and hispanics. it's the idea of activating

voters who don't normally turn out to the polls. the idea behind donald trump's candidacy was to appeal to white, working-class voters, much like in brexit, the leave campaign appealed to white, working-class voters to create that populist upsurge. but his campaign rhetoric, his politics, and in some ways even his personality, has led not so much to a surge in white, working-class voters, but a surge in female voters and hispanic voters. they are certainly not voting for donald trump. >> how much of a factor is that women are voting for her based on hillary clinton the candidate ? how much of it is that she is a woman? >> this is truly historic. it is amazing that we have not discussed the prospect of a woman in the white house more in this election. in another year, that would be a

major issue, but it isn't. what hillary clinton has done is not only widen the gender gap, but widen the number of groups that democrats can win. for the first time ever, democrats seem set to win high education white voters who normally vote republican. they are switching to the democrats. >> absolutely. something else in your polling, you said what feels clinton voters is that they like her. i found this to be very surprising because anecdotally, what you heafrom voters in the united states is that they don't like either candidate right now. >> contrary to the media narrative, there are a lot of voters out there who like hillary clinton. 52 percent of democrats say they are voting for hillary because they like hillary and want her to be president.

70% of republicans say they are voting for donald trump because they don't like hillary clinton. when you look back at elections, the winning presidential candidate is the candidate backed positively by their supporters rather than the candidate who receives support because of opposition to the other guy. >> that is quite interesting given the message from the candidates in the past few days. hillary clinton has stayed with the positive message. donald trump has stayed on the attack. i want to talk with you more about that anger. we have seen the rise of the angry voter in the united states , people who feel they have been left behind in the u.s. whoever wins this race needs to heal the country. is there an atmosphere for that? how deep is the division in the country? >> the division is deep and it is hard to see how it could be healed anytime soon. you can for c hillary clinton

being rebuffed by brick public and -- you can for see hillary clinton being rebuffed by republicans from the start. they have already called for her to be impeached before she has even been elected. >> there has been a lot of criticism that polling agencies have received in the wake of brexit. donald trump has been on the attack saying he doesn't trust the polls. what is your response? >> it is worth being concerned about the polls and not trusting them, but it is also worth trusting them quite a lot. when it came to brexit, several pollsters got it right. more than most got it within the margin of error. when it comes to this election, we don't just have polling data, we have actual early voting data which shows a strong advantage for hillary clinton in crucial states like the vada in florida. it is -- like nevada and florida. it is difficult to see how she

loses at this point. >> thank you very much. ahead of the u.s. election, voters heading to the polls right now. the results of the election could be known within a matter of hours, and governments around the world are going to have to adjust to a new reality. in germany, while chancellor angela merkel might welcome another woman to negotiate with, other politicians wonder nervously what a future with a future with the president trump might hold. >> female heads of government are rare. another reason the norwegian prime minister and german chancellor may be eyeing the u.s. election with special interest. angela merkel gave her opinion on what it would mean to her if hillary clinton were to succeed and win the u.s. election. >> we would be a step closer toward having a balance between men and women in leading positions.

>> in contrast to the chancellor, germany's parliamentarians can talk freely about their concerns. politicians in berlin have at times expressed disbelief over candidate donald trump. >> donald trump would make transatlantic corporation extremely difficult. it is hard to imagine how it could continue with such a president. >> when there were attacks in europe, for example, he said quite clearly that all germans would have to undergo a special audit. anyone who talks like that is certainly not a politician who wants to work with partners when it comes to foreign affairs. >> berlin politicians understand hillary clinton. they have an idea of what her foreign policy would look like. trump's views are less clear, something the troubles the world's politicians, including in berlin. >> that is why there is concern about how it will end up and also that it won't be over at

the end of election day. after all, this dirt trump has announced that he is only prepared to accept his own victory, but not his defeat. >> president obama will be in berlin next week. germans may feel some nostalgia. whatever the election results may be, changes on the way. >> ahead of president obama's police have arrested five people they suspect of involvement with islamic state. prosecutors say the men built a network to recruit young muslims to fight for isis in syria. one of the men arrested is said to be the so-called "preacher without a face." >> in the early morning hours, police arrested five suspected supporters of the infamous terror militia isis. >> we regard the individuals we arrested today as being responsible for radicalizing people here in germany and preparing them to fight in the syrian war.

>> and he is believed to be the group's leader. the man known throughout the islamist scene. he allegedly aimed to recruit people to join the isis terror mission in syria. he appeared as a faceless preacher online, where he hosted new messages and presented himself as a mystic. a few months ago, german journalists were able to interview a former isis fighter in turkey. everyone in the islamist scene knows that he is one of the few preachers in germany who also supports isis and sometimes organizes trips to syria for youth who intend to join. months of investigation preceded tuesday's arrest. in the coming days, a judge will decide whether to place the

suspects in pretrial detention. >> when we come back, more on the u.s. elections, including the view from around the world. don't go away. you are watching dw. >> germany, state-by-state, colorful, liveliest, the most traditional. find it all at any time. check in with a web special. take a tour of germany state-by-state on dw.com. >> just listen. a forest the size of 25 football

fields is lost every 25 minutes, adding to greenhouse gases. what is the sound of biodiversity, tourism, community development, reliable food and water? the united nations development program is listening and working with communities to protect forests for the future we want. before hearing what we are hearing, find out more. sarah: a quick reminder of our top stories. the race to become america's 45th president is in full swing. donald trump for the republicans or hillary clinton for the democrats is the choice voters are making right now. opinion surveys give clinton the edge, but the race is going down to the wire. people all over the world have been watching the election. many have a strong opinion on who should win the white house.

let's bring in my colleagues in berlin and moscow. charlotte, we begin with you. you are attending berlin's biggest election party. what do people here have to say? >> this party is just getting started. there are politicians here, businessmen, people from the german public. you can feel the excitement. it's a decisive election. there are a lot of things at stake. depending on who makes it to the white house, we are talking about international treaties like the one with iran, finding a resolution in syriac, and international trade agreements. all of that is online tonight, and you can feel from the people here that they are rather hoping for a clinton presidency. >> i was just great ask you if they could, who would they vote for and why?

>> my goal is to find one trump supporter, but that is very hard. germans in general are clinton supporters. i have talked to some tonight, and they mirror what the germans think. over 80% according to some polls would vote for clinton. their main concern is u.s. and european relations deteriorating under president trump. >> knows the price that the -- no surprise that the germans are supporting clinton. aaron, you are at a meeting in moscow. his hair more support -- is there more support therefore trump, especially given that he has a friendlier relationship with putin? >> i have met a few trump supporters, but the vast majority of ex-pats are squarely in the clinton camp.

many told me that while trump has the best possibility of offering better relations between the u.s. and russia, most said the choice for them was quite obvious. they support clinton despite the relations between moscow and washington. >> are russians in general interested in the u.s. election? >> it's hard to tell. if you watch the newspapers, there is a barrage of election coverage that is unprecedented. but it really is a question of whether or not that is trickling down to the russian population. in america, many people -- being an american, many people are willing to speak to me about the election. but it's unclear whether that is because they are particularly concerned about the election in the united states. >> we know the german chancellor is a woman.

is hillary clinton being a woman likely to influence the election? >> i think the fact that both would be women is not going to play a huge role. certainly, the german chancellor thinks very highly of hillary clinton. she said in an interview earlier this year that she likes hillary clinton's strategic thinking and clinton is seen as a much more reliable partner than trump. everyone, including angela merkel, is really hoping for continuity after the obama presidency, and hillary clinton could provide that. >> quick question for the two of you. do you think it will be an all nighter in germany? will germans stay up to watch the results? >> yes, for sure. we will all be here. the hundreds of people gathering behind me will be with me throughout the night.

>> how about you, aaron, in moscow? >> tomorrow is a workday , and most people start working quite early. most people will head out, but i will stay up to watch the results. >> staying up in the coffee shops of germany but not in moscow. thank you for your thoughts on what people outside the u.s. think of the u.s. election. we are going to stay on the u.s. elections and dig deeper into the business view. >> markets are closed in the u.s. and seem to have priced in donald trump's rhetoric has banks especially nervous. if he does cut off the u.s. from free trade deals, that will make imports more expensive. people will have less money in their pockets to pay off their debts. you are just -- here are just a

few examples of what people can do. >> americans who have bank accounts from anchor america may be getting a phone call on election night. the u.s. -- from bank of america may be getting a phone call on election night. the financial institution plans to call people to reassure them that their deposits are safe. the call will likely come if donald trump wins. he is regarded as the less protectable of the two. >> if trump comes to power, it will massively endanger the world economy, massively disrupted. that will not be good for businesses or the markets. >> a trump win could trigger volatility on the global markets, and traders want to react quickly, like at morgan stanley. traders are checking stop loss orders. shares are bought or sold as soon as a determined price level

is reached. it is intended to help investors lose as little money as possible. the swiss national bank is afraid there will be a run on swiss francs after the election, increasing their value on the world market and damaging the country's crucial export and tourism industries. even so, investors consider the swiss franc a stable currency in times of financial turbulence. >> so, donald trump with his plan to slash taxes in the red corner. in the blue corner, hillary clinton who wants to spend on green energy. both have given free trade the cold shoulder and promised millions in investment in infrastructure, but neither candidate is going down without a fight. >> the gamblers paradise, las

vegas, was the venue for the third showdown in the presidential race that has been called one of the most divisive ever. but it proved to have more focus than the first two debates. there was less backbiting and more substance. ms. clinton: my plan is based on growing the economy, giving middle-class families more opportunities. i want us to have the biggest jobs program since world war ii. >> clinton pledged to create 10 million new jobs. trump promised 25 million. both want to invest in infrastructure. to finance that, linton says she will raise -- clinton says she will raise taxes on the rich, people like herself and trump. ms. clinton: new jobs in energy to fight climate change and create new opportunities and businesses. >> trump says climate change is a hoax. he has pledged to rip up time

and agreements, protect fossil fuels and build new coal powered plants. the money from that will be diverted from elsewhere. mr. trump: we have to tell japan, germany, south korea, we have to say, you have to help us out. >> by that, trump means that countries where u.s. troops are stationed should pay for the military presence. there have been u.s. troops in germany since the cold war, even before the building of the berlin wall. speaking of walls, trump plans to build one along much of the border between mexico and the u.s.. >> we have to have strong borders. we have to keep drugs out of our country. we are getting the drugs and they are getting the cash. we cannot give amnesty. now, i want to build a wall. we need the wall. >> he is also a supporter of

economic isolationism. hillary also says she will protect against foreign invasion. ms. clinton: we are going to enforce agreements and look for businesses by buying american products. >> are these just empty campaign promises? certainly, many of them seem unrealistic or unaffordable. to some extent, the those -- that goes for both candidates. >> that is all from the business d desk. >> a little lighter note before we go. in thailand, white elephants and their riders have paid a special tribute to the late king . white elephants are regarded as sacred and thailand and are a symbol of royal power. the king died last month after seven decades on the throne.

a quick reminder before we go, the race to become america's 45th president is in full swing. donald trump for the republicans or hillary clinton for the democrats is the choice voters are making right now. opinion surveys give clinton the edge, but the race is going down to the wire. keep it here for the latest around the world. we are back again at the top of the hour. don't go away. [captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. visit ncicap.org]

n8

>> euromaxx highlights. and now, here's your host, karin helmstaedt. karin: hello there, and a warm welcome to our highlights of the week, which have shaped up this time around with the following headline stories. back to basics. fighting for survival in the wild. edible materials, featuring artist nathan wyburn's unusual art. and taste of spain. la rioja is one of europe's leading wine-growing regions. to be at one with nature -- for many, it's an idealistic dream, and yet, if it happens unexpectedly and you're not well-equipped th