US President Joe Biden was seen receiving an 'I voted early' sticker as he participated in the 2024 presidential election in New Castle, Delaware, on Monday. — Reuters
Joe Biden, who is no longer a candidate for another term as US president, patiently waited in line on Monday to cast his early ballot in a tight race between his chosen successor Kamala Harris and former opponent Donald Trump. The 81-year-old, who shocked the world by withdrawing from the race in July and endorsing Vice President Harris as the Democratic nominee, voted at a polling center in New Castle, near his hometown of Wilmington, Delaware.
When asked if it was a bittersweet moment to vote in an election he once hoped to win, Biden responded to reporters: 'This is sweet.' Dressed in sunglasses and a dark suit, the outgoing president of the United States waited in line for about 30 minutes, engaging in conversations with other voters, talking on the phone, and assisting a voter in a wheelchair. When his turn came, Biden signed his name with a finger, received his ballot paper, and proceeded to a black-curtained booth to cast his vote, with only his legs visible.
With just a week left until Election Day on November 5, over 41 million Americans—a significant portion of an estimated total voting age population of 262 million—have already cast their early ballots. After voting, Biden criticized Trump for the Republican former president's New York rally, where several speakers made racist remarks. 'It's embarrassing. Beneath a president,' Biden told reporters. He also denounced Trump-supporting tech mogul Elon Musk's $1 million giveaways to registered voters as 'totally inappropriate.'
The Democratic incumbent withdrew from the race following a poor debate performance against Trump, stating he wanted to 'pass the torch' to Harris. However, Biden has become a peripheral figure in Harris's campaign as the 60-year-old seeks to persuade voters that she represents a change from her unpopular predecessor. Regarding his low-profile role in the campaign, Biden said on Monday: 'I've been to all the battleground states, but I also had to continue my job.' He added that he and Harris 'talk all the time' and that her campaign 'asks me where they think I should be.' Trump has reacted angrily to the Democratic shift from the aging Biden to a younger, female candidate, falsely alleging that Biden was the victim of a 'coup.'
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