Behind the curtains: scenes from the US election

(Reuters) - Under the global spotlight, tens of millions of Americans went to the polls this week to vote for their next president in an election that offered two very different choices for their nation's future.

Lining up to cast ballots, dressing up to show their support for their candidate, or giving out 'I Voted' stickers, Americans took part in this demonstration of democracy, a way of government that was formed in Ancient Greece and recast for this country 250 years ago by the Founding Fathers.

As they sought to tell the story of the 2024 election in pictures, 50 photographers for Reuters fanned out across the United States, from Pennsylvania and Wisconsin to Nevada and Texas.

Many news organizations were covering the contest, one of the biggest stories in the world. How does a photographer differentiate their coverage?

For Quinn Glabicki, who took a picture of a cat called Skye peering out from behind a voting booth in Pittsburgh, it was looking for the unexpected.

"Political images, I think, are most effective when they show a side of the process unseen by a frenzied national media, and this moment, so small and approachable, shows a side of our politics that I think most Americans can relate to," he said.

For Marco Bello, that moment was giant models of locally appropriate flamingos encouraging the residents of West Palm Beach, Florida, to get out and vote. For others, it was a spotted horse outside a polling station near Asheville, or people casting votes at a church on Manhattan's Upper East Side.

From sunny Arizona to a rainy North Carolina still recovering from Hurricane Helene, a common motif was the American flag and its colors. Red, white and blue signs, stickers and voting booths reminded citizens what was at stake and what they had in common. 

Some 73% of voters thought democracy was under threat, they told pollsters on Tuesday. About half thought Democratic contender Kamala Harris would be the answer, and about half went for the night's final victor and the next president of the United States - Republican Donald Trump.

In Philadelphia, the birthplace of U.S. democracy, Joe Livaudais carried a picture of Trump portrayed as a bow-tied 18th century Founding Father.

In Grand Rapids, Michigan, future voter Lavish James, dressed all in purple, grinned as she played with a strip of 'I Voted' stickers.

As dusk fell from coast to coast on Tuesday, supporters gathered to watch the election results. Photographers searched for that quirky moment or telling detail.

Cheney Orr captured two women wearing slightly too-big 'Harris Walz' baseball caps and chatting over a beer and snacks at a tavern in Atlanta, while Callaghan O'Hare pictured a couple wearing matching Trump-themed jackets at a watch party in Florida.

"To me, fashion is a way for people to express their enthusiasm for a candidate that is unique to them and speaks to who they are outside of the context of their vote," she said. "You don't even need to see the couple's faces to know how excited they are for the election night's events to unfold. "

Behind the scenes, printers prepared the Nov. 6 edition of the New York Times at the presses in Queens, and banks of television cameras were set up outside Howard University in Washington, the alma mater of Harris, where she was expected to join supporters. One photo shows clear excitement - and anxiety - at that rally as attendees gathered, waving flags.

For them, it was destined to be a night of disappointment. As results trickled in and it became increasingly clear the mood of the country had swung towards Trump and that Harris would not be making an appearance, attendees trickled out, some leaving their flags behind. Kevin Mohatt sought to convey the mood of the students. "When I saw the look on their faces, I could see concern and maybe a little despair and frustration," he said.

In West Palm Beach, it was a night of celebration. Supporters yelled, chanted "USA!" and punched the air as screens projected Trump's win. Just after 2 a.m., Trump took the stage. We made history tonight, he said. There has never been anything like this before. He danced his signature move.

On Wednesday afternoon, Harris appeared on stage, finally, at Howard. As her supporters looked on, many in tears, she conceded the election. The outcome was not what we wanted, she said. But her campaign would accept the results. That was, she said, a fundamental principle of American democracy.

(Writing by Rosalba O'Brien; Editing by Daniel Wallis)