(Bloomberg) — As the sun set over Manhattan on Tuesday, the lights of the Empire State Building began to glow red, white and blue. The iconic landmark is sparkling in five-minute increments, blue when Democratic nominee Kamala Harris wins a swing state and shining red for former president Donald Trump’s victories. It could be hours or perhaps days before all votes from closely watched states are tallied and the tower’s lights will flip solidly blue or red, telegraphing the results to New Yorkers across the city.
But for now, like the rest of this anxious nation, New York City — the metropolis that helped make Trump but in recent years has seemed more eager to trammel him — is waiting to learn who the next US president will be. While Harris won the state, even Blue New York was touched by hot-button issues like the migrant crisis and rising prices that animated Trump’s campaign. Downtown by the New York Stock Exchange, Renee Prince Fillip, 56, said she was “just trying to decompress” while she walked her dog in Manhattan’s Financial District.
The former fashion executive who voted for Harris isn’t sure of her plans tonight yet. “It’s one of those things like watching the Oscars, you want to do it yourself so no one bothers you.” From Wall Street to the South Bronx, and Crown Heights to the co-ops high above Central Park, voters took to the polls to cast their ballots.
As a polarized nation waits, Bloomberg reporters fanned out to capture the reactions.
