As of election day Tuesday morning, thirty million Americans have already casted their ballots. All other voters will head out to the polls. In Michigan, polls opened at 7:00 a.m. and will close at 8:00 p.m.
No Republican presidential nominee has won in Michigan since George H.W. Bush in 1988. If Mitt Romney breaks his party's losing streak, it will be a very bad sign for President Barack Obama, who easily carried the state four years ago. Polls consistently have shown President Obama ahead, but narrowly.
Meanwhile, President Obama is counting on gratitude from the state that benefited most from his administration's rescue of General Motors and Chrysler, which Romney opposed. The president also needs strong support from women and organized labor historically two key groups in the Democratic coalition.
Romney has emphasized his personal ties to the state; he grew up in Michigan, where his father, George Romney, served as governor and was president of American Motors Corp.
Governor Mitt Romney and his running mate Paul Ryan will watch the results from Boston Tuesday night, while President Obama and Vice President Joe Biden will watch from the president's home town of Chicago.
